Sentinels pros predict the Outlaw will put an end to current Valorant meta

The Valorant Outlaw gun is a significant addition to the game’s buy menu, and it has quickly caught the community’s attention with its debut in Episode 8 Act 1.

Valorant patch 8.0 introduced numerous notable changes, including changes to Icebox and Lotus and balance changes to Killjoy and Deadlock. But out of all the new changes, the Outlaw sniper rifle can potentially shift Valorant’s meta.

Sentinels pros Tyson “TenZ” Ngo, Zachary “zekken” Patrone, Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro, and Mouhamed “johnqt” Ouarid discussed how the Outlaw will change Valorant’s economy gaming moving forward on their latest podcast.

Zekken suggests that the upcoming weapon will significantly impact the prevailing light shields meta, a critical economic strategy most Valorant players use.

Sentinels explain how the new Valorant Outlaw gun is going to kill off the light shield meta

Sniper Rifles in Valorant have always been on opposite sides of the spectrum regarding price. The Marshal, priced at 950 credits, is ideal for save and eco rounds. Meanwhile, the Operator demands a hefty investment of 4,700 credits.

The introduction of the Outlaw now provides players with a middle ground, priced at a reasonable 2,400 credits. Despite being nearly half the Operator’s price, the Outlaw proves to be just as lethal.

This new sniper rifle can fire two bullets in quick succession, with each bullet dealing 140 damage. It can eliminate enemies with full shields if both bullets find their mark. Of course, a headshot remains a one-shot kill with the Outlaw.

The significance of the Outlaw as the light shields meta killer lies in its ability to eliminate all enemies lacking full shields.

VCT EMEA squad Fnatic popularized the “half armor meta” by deliberately purchasing light shields even when they had enough money for full shields. This strategic approach allowed them to conserve credits during buy rounds, enabling the purchase of more rifles in subsequent rounds, even in the face of consecutive round losses.

Many pro teams and players adopted this eco strategy because it gave them more opportunities to contest rounds.

The damage would still be fatal even if a Vandal hit you on the head or the Phantom landed a mid-range headshot. So, spending 400 credits on light shields was a viable option compared to buying heavy shields that cost 1,000 credits.

Sentinels IGL Johnqt said that the Outlaw is an ideal anti-eco buy right after a pistol round win.

“A lot of people going into the gun round will have half armor because they bought Sheriffs or agent utility in the previous eco round,” said Johnqt.

Valorant superstar TenZ said he will experiment with the new sniper rifle now that it is out.

You can watch the Sentinels podcast below.

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