VALORANT Patch 8.11 has been one of the busiest updates in the game’s recent history. With a plethora of changes to duelists and a new map to enjoy, opinions have started to rise from the player base over what tweaks landed or missed—including some controversial changes to Iso.
In Patch 8.11, Iso received some major buffs to his Double Tap ability, which grants him a shield that absorbs one instance of damage from any source. Previously, he had to get a single kill to spawn an orb that he’d have to break to gain the shield. But now, he can instantly activate one charge of his shield at any time without needing a kill.
As a result, players are dealing with multiple Iso players who are simply swinging into any type of engagement without any repercussions at the start of a round, causing a large discussion around whether the agent is healthy for the game. Caster and analyst Sean Gares, for example, has been very vocal on how Iso is “ruining VALORANT” with how destructive he can be at multiple levels.
“Iso is ridiculously strong, and breaks a lot of fundamental aspects of the game itself,” Gares said on stream. “There are parts of me that are like, ‘Sean, stop being a boomer and accept change here,’ but… this level of randomness with shields is so weird.”
Many people in the VALORANT community also agreed with Gares, saying the changes are “rewarding players that have good mechanics with zero skill advantages in a tactical FPS where you should have to leverage resources.” In a similar way to when players complained about Reyna, Iso’s new kit gives a lot of incentive for players to simply swing out with his shield and take random fights, just because he can.
Iso doesn’t need to use any other coordinated utility and team play since he just has to activate his shield, swing an angle, and hit his shots accurately to win. If he gets a kill, he has the chance to get another shield for himself as well, reinforcing the habits throughout the rest of the round. In a game where tactical ability usage and smart fights are supposed to be emphasized, Iso breaks that mold by giving people the tools to take fights whenever and however they please.
These changes were hilariously overshadowed by the Neon buffs that hit the live servers in Patch 8.11 since she was also predicted to break the meta with her disgusting movement speed and mobility. But the true meta-breaker might have been hiding in plain sight after all—and now, he’s headtapping and stealing your RR as we speak.
