Valorant patch 10.04 nerfs Clove while tweaking Iso and Deadlock

Riot Games has continued to tweak its free-to-play hero shooter Valorant ^[1] to ensure the game remains fresh and relevant for players. With multiple new agents coming out and existing agents getting small tweaks and major reworks constantly to make the game competitive and fair, those who have been playing for years wouldn’t even be able to recognize the game from what it was before.

With the new season of Valorant kicking off on March 5, Patch 10.04 brings key balance changes, including nerfs to Clove, adjustments to Deadlock and Tremor, and a rework for ISO. Additionally, Ascent makes a return to the competitive map pool with a notable tweak. Of course, there's also the inclusion of Waylay.

Here’s what to know about Valorant patch 10.04 agents changes and competitive map pool tweak.

Clove Nerfs and Adjustments

Clove is seeing several changes aimed at balancing their utility and survivability.

Meddle (Q) Adjustments

• No longer explodes after a set time in the air.
• Now detonates 0.75 seconds after touching the ground.

Impact: Buffs Clove in close-range fights while giving enemies more time to react at long range.

Smoke Cooldown Increase

• Cooldown increased from 30s to 40s.

Impact: Limits Clove’s ability to provide frequent smokes throughout a round.

Pick-Me-Up (E) Changes

• Speed duration reduced: 8s to 3s
• Health buff duration increased: 8s to 10s

Impact: Players must now use this ability more tactically since repositioning speed is significantly reduced.

Deadlock Ability Swap and Tweaks

Deadlock’s GravNet and Barrier Mesh abilities are switching keybinds, with further adjustments.

GravNet (Now E)

• Moved from C to E
• Cooldown: 40s
• Range reduced: 16m to 13m

Minor audio clarity improvements.

• Barrier Mesh (Now C)
• Moved from E to C
• Now costs 400 credits instead of being cooldown-based.

Impact: These changes make GravNet a core part of Deadlock’s kit, reinforcing area control. Meanwhile, Barrier Mesh becomes a purchasable ability, requiring players to decide when to invest in it.

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ISO Buffs and Reworks

ISO is receiving a mix of buffs and nerfs, reshaping his Undercut and Contingency abilities.

Undercut (Q) Adjustments

• Charges reduced: 2 to 1
• Cost increased: 200 to 300 credits
• Now applies both Vulnerable and Suppression for 4 seconds.

Contingency (E) Upgrade

• New alternate fire mode: Players can launch the wall at half speed for better positioning.
• Overall duration remains unchanged.

Ultimate Fix

• ISO now always starts Duelist’s Domain with a Double Tap buff.
• Winning a duel guarantees an Orb spawn.

Impact: While ISO loses a second charge for Undercut, the added Suppression effect increases its utility. The new slow-moving Contingency wall adds depth, and the ultimate fix ensures consistency.

Tejo nerfs: Guided Salvo Weakened

Tejo’s Guided Salvo is getting a slight nerf to curb excessive map control.

• Damage reduced: 70 to 65
• Now deals only 50% damage to non-player objects (e.g., Killjoy’s Lockdown).

Impact: This prevents Tejo from easily destroying utility, especially Killjoy’s Lockdown, making the ultimate less oppressive.

Ascent changes in Valorant

Ascent is back in the competitive map pool with a small but meaningful change.

B-Main Wall Reinforcement:

• The wall near B-Main is no longer penetrable.

Impact: This change provides more cover for attackers, reducing pre-fire spam damage and slightly altering site control dynamics.

References

1. [1] "official Valorant homepage". playvalorant.com. Retrieved March 04, 2025