As sworn head controller, I was thrilled when Riot unleashed a waterbender who spoke my language. I was all for this guy dominating, but after forcing it on my teammates for five months on my FPS gaming adventures, I had to wave the white flag. It’s a shame to say it, but Harbor has got to be the biggest flop in Valorant controller history.
Do you remember Valorant patch 2.06? This update changed everything for the drivers. Viper spent about four acts on the sidelines because her toolset lacked anything substantial, but then Riot put in the work, propelling her to the top of the pick rate chart. Advantage 2.06 was a turning point for the Pilot Network, and it looks like history is repeating itself.
Five months after its release, Harbor is a maximum D-level operator. With no niche or specialty, the waterbender follows in the footsteps of Viper. Except his abilities are much harder to upgrade. In its current form, Harbor is useless, maybe even worse than Viper before 2.06.
What exactly is wrong with Harbour?
Each Valorant agent specializes in something. Players choose Reyna for her autonomy, Raze for movement tactics, and Gekko for Wingman. So why would anyone choose Harbor over Viper, or any other pilot for that matter? Anyone can do what Harbor does, and that’s the problem.
A controller’s true purpose is to slow down enemies and help spur an attack, two things Harbor’s toolset isn’t designed to do. omen, sulphur, astra, viper; everyone can slow enemy movement; Why no shipping? He is not endowed with a single skill that will do the job effectively. His Cove isn’t quite a smoke, so even if players initially called him a hybrid, his pick rate wouldn’t be too bad if he was one.
Harbor’s Cascade remains active for seven seconds and can only be used once per turn. Of course, you can double it at will, but the slow effect hardly benefits anyone in long-range duels. By comparison, Viper’s Toxic Screen sticks for 15 seconds and can be used again after an eight-second cooldown. It also deals decoy damage, which is valuable at all dueling ranges.
Harbor was added to the roster without a hitch, and it didn’t seem like a problem at the time. but a controller needs a smoke; Harbor’s decline in popularity proves it. As a hybrid, his toolset doesn’t add much to the game. Even a single Viper-type smoke could be the saving grace Harbor needs so badly.
Riot could easily make Harbor a viable option by adding a dizzying or slippery water slope instead of Cascade to their toolbox. The moving wall helps create new angles, but there’s nothing to get excited about. Finally, his Reckoning is the last most disappointing thing about Valorant. On a rushed battlefield, no one has time to search for ethereal swirls, and the resulting concussion is too slow.
Harbor is a difficult agent to polish
Harbor is no longer a new agent, so there’s no way to defend his low pick rate. In competitive Valorant, only 1.1% of players play Harbor. Even Gekko’s pick rate is higher than his, and he barely competed for a month. Stats show that Harbor is the worst agent in the current Valorant meta, and there’s not much Riot can do about it.
When Viper was fighting, all players had the same idea: just add a little more poison to her toxic screen. Next, Riot dramatically improved the smoke decay and wall hitbox, and voila! You have a top notch controller. Viper was simple, but Harbor’s toolset is different. Even with Riot’s efforts for the buff, Harbor can still end up at Tier D, like Yoru.
The port does no damage. Its toolset slows down, and increasing the slowdown is very unlikely to convince players to choose it again. Cascade is also a simple ability that doesn’t do much more than create angles. His Cove might improve its health, but it may be too risky and break Valorant’s ability cycle. However, your math might need a bit of work by changing how the wisps work.
Harbor missed the mark, but Gekko broke the new agent’s curse on Valorant. Valorant’s latest character (or any other non-port agent) is worth a try, but if India’s greatest thief has stolen your heart, then maybe set one of Valorant’s best crosshairs for make things a little easier.