Only one Agent did not grace the Valorant Champions 2023 stage after over 30 matches were played. Is it time for a rework for this Agent to break into the meta?
Valorant Champions 2023 has concluded, with almost every Agent in the game getting at least one match over the tournament’s duration. While Valorant’s extensive cast does have incredibly niche Agents, like Reyna and Yoru, even those Agents got a chance to shine on the international stage.
Teams like DRX and Evil Geniuses found ways to incorporate Yoru, to varying degrees of success, while EDward Gaming and Paper Rex pulled out Reyna to the surprise of their opponents.
The only Agent that didn’t see any action was the latest addition to Valorant’s Agent pool, Deadlock.
Deadlock the only Agent that wasn’t picked at Valorant Champions
While new Agents are generally considered overpowered upon release, Deadlock was written off by pro teams. Before the event kicked off, coaches and pros were asked how they felt about the Agent and if fans would see her at the tournament. Everyone immediately said no.
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Before the playoff stage, Reyna and Deadlock were the only two Agents that had not been picked in Los Angeles. However, PRX and EDG brought Reyna out early on in the playoffs, leaving Deadlock as the sole Agent that was neglected.
Whether the Norwegian Sentinel needs a buff or a complete rework is up to Riot Games. According to coaches at the event, most of her utility is not up to par with the rest of the Sentinel cast, with Barrier Mesh her only good ability.
Riot will have a long offseason to potentially tinker with the Agent, and after Patch 7.04 hits live servers, which nerfs many top characters, maybe Deadlock will shoot up in terms of pick rate.
