Riot nerfs Valorant duelist Neon, calls balance ‘challenging’

Riot Games adjusted Neon in Valorant by lowering her High Gear jump speed to match other agents and changing her fuel refill so it restores only when she records kills with her ultimate. Developers discussed the changes at Valorant Masters London as part of ongoing balance work.

The changes followed months of community complaints and a period of high usage during the 2026 season. Patch 8.11 introduced experimental design shifts aimed at helping characters who stay grounded take space. After those updates, Riot made further tweaks to address mobility and bunnyhopping that allowed Neon to move and shoot with limited cost.

Riot’s Lead Agent Designer Dan “penguin” Hardison told reporters at the event, “Balancing Neon is definitely challenging.” He explained that Duelists are designed to push forward, take space and take risks for their teams, and that moving players away from high-mobility Duelists such as Jett and Raze has been difficult for the studio.

Hardison described the 8.11 changes as the first experimental attempt to give grounded characters more space and acknowledged the team encountered tuning challenges after those updates. He said the recent Neon adjustments were focused on game health and improving the experience for players facing Neon, rather than only lowering a numerical power rating.

Agents & Live Product Manager Tiffy “TiffyMunchsnax” Tsay said the team aimed to give opponents clearer expectations while preserving Neon’s expressive movement. She noted the new fuel system was chosen as an appropriate balance change and that bunnyhopping required reduction.

At the tournament level, Riot reported Neon’s pick rate at Masters London fell to 32 percent from 45 percent at the earlier Santiago event. Riot also observed a wider spread of Duelist picks, with increased use of other Duelists such as Clove.

Neon’s kit combines high speed, a slide that reduces exposure and Fast Lane walls that obscure line of sight. Players have often paired her with shotguns such as the Bucky or Judge. During the 2026 season, players used High Gear and bunnyhopping to move rapidly while maintaining firing accuracy; the patch aligns Neon’s jump speed with other agents and restricts passive fuel regeneration so fuel only refills after ultimate kills.

Riot said Neon remains powerful and that developers will continue to monitor competitive and casual play to determine whether further adjustments are necessary. The studio framed the changes as part of an ongoing effort to make encounters with high-mobility Duelists more predictable while retaining their role in team play.