The Decline of Fade in Valorant Competitive Play
The recent patch 5.12 in VALORANT brought significant nerfs to Chamber’s abilities, leading to a sharp decline in the sniper sentinel’s pick rate in professional play. However, Fade, another popular agent, has also seen a decrease in its usage among pro players.
Although the VCT 2023 season is yet to begin, Challengers leagues worldwide have already started, and the most frequently chosen initiator from last year’s VCT Masters Copenhagen and Champions tournaments is experiencing a decline in usage in various leagues.
Fade used to have a slightly over 50 percent pick rate in international events and multiple Last Chance Qualifiers by the end of last year. Aside from Breeze, where her abilities were less effective due to larger sites, she was a common choice on all maps in the pool.
However, her pick rate has dropped during the early stages of the 2023 season. Data from VLR.gg shows that in regions like North America, Japan, and Europe, her pick rate is barely averaging 25 percent overall, and in Brazil, it has fallen to 15 percent. Even on maps like Haven and Ascent, where she once had a pick rate over 60 percent, she has become a more niche and uncommon choice, with Sova reclaiming his role as the go-to initiator.
The reason behind this decline can be attributed to the significant nerfs to Chamber as well as the recent buffs to Killjoy. With Chamber being nerfed, teams have reverted to using Jett as the primary Operator carrier, and since teams rarely run both Raze and Jett together, there is less reason to pick Fade without Raze’s Paint Shell grenades to combine with Fade’s Seize ability. Additionally, Fade’s Prowlers were effective for chasing Chamber out of aggressive positions.
Furthermore, the nerfs to Chamber have led to more teams opting for Killjoy as the primary sentinel. The 5.12 update buffed Killjoy’s utility, including her Lockdown ultimate, making her a more viable choice. With an increase in Killjoy usage, Sova’s Shock Darts and Hunter’s Fury are crucial for countering her utility.
It’s possible that the situation may change in the near future as pro players adapt to the new map pool. Bind and Breeze will be replaced by Split and Lotus, and Sova was not a popular pick on Split before its removal. Fade might become more viable on both Split and Lotus. However, while Fade is not as obsolete as Chamber, the nerfs to Chamber have greatly reduced the demand for Fade.
Fade, Valorant, pick rate, pro play, Chamber, nerfs, Killjoy, Sova, initiator, map pool