As Valorant has continued its journey through multiple balance Patches, the guns on the nerf list have increasingly grown shorter for players and professionals. Just last month, many called for the Stinger to be nerfed; before that it was the Classic. Now, Valorant pros think that the Bucky, the game’s cheapest primary weapon, should be toned down.
“I definitely think that gun is broken,” said Rhett “Kehmicals” Lynch, a Duelist player for Immortals.
How powerful is the Bucky?
The Bucky is a decent shotgun option for many Valorant players, from casual games to the competitive circuit. The gun can one-shot an enemy at close range, depending on how many bullets there are from the spread hit. It also has an alternate firing option on the right click that tightens the spread for medium to long-range use. To top it all off, the weapon only costs 900 credits. This means that it can be bought in almost every round regardless of a player’s economic situation.
For some pros, this brings another option to the table on eco rounds, where they need to save credits but also be competitive in the round.
“This weapon is way too strong and the price is extremely low so a lot of the time I can buy it on my ecos and still full buy,” said Envy’s Jake “kaboose” McDonald.
What should be changed for the Bucky?
According to some pros, like Pujan “FNS” Mehta, the weapon should be changed in terms of cost or damage output. The Envy in-game leader even suggested removing the alt-fire mechanic from the game.
“I just think the right click is a little absurd, that should be gone. Its a shotgun, it shouldn’t be able to kill from that far away period,” said FNS. “If you are not going to remove that then at least make the gun a little bit more expensive.”
Other Valorant pros agree that the price of the Bucky should be increased; not just because of the gun’s range but also for the lack of skill required to earn a kill.
“If you bought a Desert Eagle that was $800 you have to hit a head shot,” Said Corey “corey” Nigra. “If you bought a Bucky for $900 and you sit there in a corner, see if someone comes within 15 meters and then you right click them in the chest and they die.”
While the gun is a powerful weapon in the current meta, it’s not as powerful as over powered guns from past Patches, like the Stinger. While the gun should have a place in the game, many feel that Bucky, in its current state, is cheap. And, this is not just in terms of the price.
“You can hold the dumbest little angles, just the tiniest crack, and just have a free kill every single time and there’s just nothing you can do about it as an attacker,” Kehmicals said.
The Bucky has been on the minds of Valorant players for a few months now, and with the extent that Riot has listened to the community in the past, a change may be in the cards soon.
