VALORANT players have been eagerly awaiting changes to the powerful Judge shotgun, but Riot Games’ latest update falls short of expectations. In the upcoming Patch 7.09, the only modification to the Judge is a reduced clip size from seven to five. While this can be considered a nerf, it does little to address the weapon’s major issues.
The Judge remains overpowered due to its high fire rate, wide pellet spread, and impressive effective range for a shotgun. This change merely limits the damage potential of a single clip, without addressing the core problems. The community has expressed frustration with the weapon’s effectiveness when combined with certain agent abilities, such as Raze, Jett, and Neon, who can utilize their movement skills without any penalty to accuracy.
NRG coach Chet Singh summed up the sentiment by stating, “This doesn’t resolve anything. How often does someone need to fire six or seven shots?” The Judge can still eliminate a target within 50 meters with just two shells, regardless of their health, unless leg shots are involved. Within 10 meters, a single shot to any part of the body will result in a kill, regardless of the enemy’s health.
Furthermore, the Judge remains an affordable option at 1,850 credits, only slightly increased from its previous price of 1,600 in Patch 3.0. It continues to be the go-to weapon for defenders seeking to ambush opponents or Raze mains utilizing Blast Pack boosts.
Overall, while the reduced clip size is a step in the right direction, it fails to address the core issues with the Judge shotgun. Players are still left frustrated by its overwhelming power and lack of counterplay, especially when combined with certain agent abilities. Riot Games will need to consider more substantial changes to bring balance to this weapon.
Source: DOTESPORTS
