VALORANT Episode Six, Act Two: Gekko Thriving, Harbor in Need of Buff
In the latest update of VALORANT Episode Six, Act Two, the newest agent Gekko is making waves as a methodical space clearer and entry support. However, the previously released agent is struggling to find favor in the meta and requires a buff to regain popularity.
Harbor has consistently ranked second to last in pick rate across all VALORANT game modes (competitive, unrated, etc.), with only Astra performing worse, based on data from Blitz.gg. Throughout Act One and Act Two, Harbor has only managed a meager 2.15 percent pick rate, lagging significantly behind other controller agents. In professional play, his performance has slightly improved with a 12 percent pick rate at VCT LOCK//IN. However, Astra maintains a much stronger position with a 32 percent pick rate during the tournament.
Astra has been a popular choice among players and professional teams for a while, thanks to her global ability reach and short cooldowns on her suppressive star abilities. Harbor, on the other hand, has been available for less than a year and is already losing popularity at an alarming rate, similar to Yoru.
To prevent a further decline in Harbor’s popularity due to the introduction of new agents, it is crucial to buff his abilities. One of the main concerns with Harbor is the lack of offensive firepower. The slows from his abilities, Cascade and High Tide, affect both allies and enemies, discouraging aggressive plays. A possible solution could be to enhance the slow effect and limit it to enemies only, making Harbor a more viable agent.
Related: How to play Harbor in VALORANT (ultimate, abilities, and tips)
However, the issues extend beyond these two abilities. Although Cove has potential, it is easily broken in buy rounds and becomes useless shortly after. To improve its utility, removing the decay after it breaks would be beneficial, allowing it to function as a smoke even without the shield. Additionally, granting Cove the ability to block enemy abilities would add value to it.
Regarding Reckoning, it is a powerful tool for taking control of a site due to its radius and ability to force defenders to move. However, Harbor still needs further adjustments to stay relevant. While it is acceptable for some agents to be less popular, Riot Games aims to avoid agents becoming the least-picked shortly after release.
VALORANT, Episode Six, Act Two, Gekko, Harbor, pick rate, controller agents, buff, abilities, meta, popularity, Yoru, offensive firepower, Cove, Reckoning