Valorant “run-and-gun” accuracy being nerfed again in Episode 3

Riot addressed Valorant’s running accuracy problem once at the start of 2021 after pleas from players. However, not all the problems were fixed. So, the developers are putting it through a second pass to make running and gunning a thing of the past.

Running accuracy has been a contentious topic since Valorant’s launch. With players expecting more CS:GO style gunplay, the high accuracy of moving while shooting, especially with rifles on launch, rubbed players the wrong way.

Riot have been adamant defenders of the mechanic ⁠— and still are. However, they are trying to alleviate players’ concerns by nerfing “tag into accuracy” yet again in Valorant Episode 3.

While the exact numbers are not available ahead of the launch on June 22, lead designers Max Grossman and Sal Garozzo explained they want to “better reward proactive and precise movement.”

“‘Tag into accuracy’ is our internal name for a phenomenon where a fully running player starts firing at you without slowing down; then, you shoot and hit them, applying the tagging debuff and slowing them down,” the devs explained.

“While we believe that there are certain situations that moving and shooting should be powerful, it is currently more potent than we’d like.”

Riot will slightly reduce the effect of tagging kneecapping a player’s movement but will overall give moving players ⁠— whether running, walking, or crouching ⁠— less accuracy.

“We aim to tighten up combat while trying to maintain as much intuition and muscle memory as possible,” they said.

“Walk Shooting (not Run Shooting) has been reasonably accurate in VALORANT, allowing players to get off semi-accurate shots even at mid-range. With the changes to walk accuracy, shooting while walking will be significantly less effective at medium ranges, rewarding players who proactively stop before they shoot.”

They are also nerfing sidearms and SMGs “to tighten up engagements with those weapons while maintaining some of their identity in terms of mobility.”

The changes will launch on Valorant Episode 3’s release, locked in for June 22. New Agent KAY/O is on his way, as well as a host of economy and Agent changes set to change the way players think about the game.