Omen’s smokes receive major nerf in latest VALORANT patch

Riot Games has targeted Omen with major nerfs in the upcoming VALORANT patch for Episode Six.

Omen’s Dark Cover can no longer create one-ways after the patch. When Dark Cover is placed within a wall, it will now fall to the height of the nearby ground instead of staying in place. Omen was previously able to throw his smokes on top of or nearby other objects and have them stay in place. But that is no longer the case.

“One-way smokes are a part of VALORANT, but they are difficult to play against and we want to keep them limited to intentional and understandable areas,” Riot said in the patch notes. “We’ll be keeping a close eye on how this impacts Omen’s power level.”

Unlike other controller agents, Omen was able to unintentionally throw his Dark Cover and create one-ways that gave him an advantage. One-ways can be described as a smoke that covers the view of the enemy but allows allies to see them, creating a “one-way” angle. Controllers like Astra, Brimstone, Harbor, and Viper can all create one-ways with their utility but it takes intention to make them work, where Omen players could simply get lucky with them.

The Dark Cover nerf now puts Omen on par with the other controllers, forcing those who play him to methodically play with his smokes and place them accordingly. With his Dark Cover no longer being able to stick to surfaces, his usefulness as a controller drops slightly. Previously, Omen was one of the best agents to use for smokes on most maps. But now, players may opt to switch to a more reliable agent.

These nerfs go into effect alongside the Episode Six patch that will drop on Jan. 10.