TSM Subroza disses Viper, says no buffs can help her see play

The Valorant community recently engaged in a humorous social media trend where players proposed exaggerated agent enhancements. What began as lighthearted banter took a serious turn when TSM professional Yassine “Subroza” Taoufik elevated the discussion with a provocative statement about Viper’s viability.

make killjoy turret shoot sova recon darts

— TSM drone (@Dronecsgo) September 6, 2020

Responding to a teammate’s suggestion about Killjoy improvements, Subroza proposed that Viper’s ultimate ability, Viper’s Pit, should cover the entire battlefield. This powerful area-of-effect ultimate generates an expansive toxic cloud that persists as long as Viper remains within its boundaries. Opponents caught inside become visually highlighted to Viper, providing significant tactical intelligence. Expanding this coverage map-wide would theoretically reveal every enemy position simultaneously.

However, the professional player delivered a devastating follow-up assessment: even with such an overwhelmingly powerful buff, players would still avoid selecting Viper in competitive matches.

Make viper’s ult the whole map. Ppl still won’t play her. https://t.co/xJwPkRxNlz

— TSM Subroza (@Subroza) September 6, 2020

Why is Viper bad in Valorant?

Since Valorant’s initial closed beta testing phase, Viper has consistently underperformed relative to other agents. She routinely occupied the lowest positions across professional tier rankings due to her comparatively inefficient ability kit when measured against agents offering superior alternatives. During early competitive play, Viper recorded an abysmal 13% selection rate in professional matches.

Riot Games has implemented multiple adjustments aimed at strengthening Viper’s competitive presence. The most recent enhancement arrived with patch 1.07, introducing the capability to deploy her Toxic Screen wall during the pre-round purchasing phase. Development teams anticipated that earlier placement and faster activation would create uncertainty about her defensive setups and potentially surprise opponents.

Data from CypherCam analytics reveals Viper continues as the least-selected agent across all competitive tiers. With approximately 23% pick rate, she remains substantially less popular than other agents in both ranked and professional environments. Viper accumulated merely 69 hours of professional usage compared to Omen’s 113 hours in the second-lowest position, demonstrating a significant performance gap.

Viper additionally suffers from the poorest win percentage on attacking sides. Regarding defensive play, her presumed strength area, Viper ranks fourth from bottom at 51% success rate, representing a modest improvement over her offensive capabilities.

Viper’s fundamental design issues stem from her abilities lacking the versatility and reliability offered by alternative controller agents. Her signature Toxic Screen requires precise placement during buy phase, limiting adaptability mid-round. Unlike Omen’s reusable smokes or Brimstone’s instant deployments, Viper’s fuel management system adds unnecessary complexity without proportional tactical benefits.

Common Viper Mistakes: Many players mismanage her fuel resources, depleting them too early in rounds. Proper fuel conservation requires understanding optimal activation timing and duration management. Advanced players should practice toggle patterns to maximize area denial while preserving fuel for critical moments.

Her Snake Bite area denial lacks the immediate impact of other molotov-style abilities. The delayed damage application allows opponents to react and reposition, reducing its effectiveness in securing eliminations compared to Phoenix or Killjoy’s instant-damage utilities.

The Pitfall ability suffers from predictability issues, as its linear deployment pattern becomes easily readable by experienced opponents. Compared to other tactical specialists, Viper’s setup requirements demand excessive commitment to specific areas, reducing her rotational flexibility during dynamic rounds.

Valorant enthusiasts increasingly speculate that developers will continue implementing Viper enhancements with each subsequent update until she achieves competitive viability. Some analysts suggest she might eventually dominate within an unconventional meta that better aligns with her unique ability characteristics. However, her current iteration faces significant relevance challenges since competing agents provide comparable utility with superior flexibility and effectiveness.

Riot Games may need to undertake a comprehensive ability system redesign if Viper hopes to gain popularity within the competitive scene. Potential improvements could include reducing fuel consumption rates, increasing Snake Bite damage application speed, or granting additional deployment flexibility for her Toxic Screen.

Strategic Optimization Tips: Master Viper’s one-way smoke placements on key defensive positions. Learn to combine her abilities for area denial stacking rather than using them independently. Practice post-plant Pit placements that maximize coverage of common retake routes.

For players seeking comprehensive tactical guidance, understanding agent limitations proves equally important as mastering strengths. Viper’s current state serves as a valuable case study in agent design balance and the challenges of creating distinctive yet competitive ability kits within a diverse roster.

No reproduction without permission：Game Guides Online » TSM Subroza disses Viper, says no buffs can help her see play Analyzing Viper's underwhelming performance in Valorant and exploring potential solutions for improvement