Judging a person in real life might be less than ideal, but you can’t deny the sharp edge it brings to your VALORANT games. Priced at just 1,850 credits, the potent automatic shotgun, in the right hands, is deadly in close-ranged duels. But recently, it has landed in the crosshairs of many for breaking the game, and players don’t think it’s fair.
In a Reddit post on Oct. 18, a player named u/nipperkinmullins shed light on the player base’s meaningless hate towards the Judge, elaborating how the weapon doesn’t just produce free kills—it requires expertise and risky tactical decisions. For starters, it’s a ranged VALORANT weapon, mostly effective up close, and quick movement is of utmost importance when using it.
Players find it incredibly frustrating to be slapped in the face by the Judge, and failing to understand what they did wrong or how they could have countered it, they jump straight into calling for a nerf.
“Following that logic, the Operator is broken and should be nerfed because the players use it properly on long ranges, like Haven A/C long… but people don’t say that, do they?” Nipperkinmullins aptly compared. They also stressed a shotgun is supposed to be strong at close range, so the Judge isn’t doing anything it isn’t supposed to.
Surprisingly, many supported Nipperkinmullins’s point of view with supporting comments under the post.
Highlighting the player base’s tendency to repel adapting against a trend, one player wrote: “If it was broken, you’d see judge used constantly in pro play and comp, but you only see it used sometimes because of how situational it is. People just mald at what counters their ego swing.”
A fair share of the comments talked about the Judge being incredibly powerful in the hands of a good Raze main who can spring across a huge area using her Blast Packs. But it’s mediocre at best when wielded by other agents.
On VALORANT maps like Bind, Haven, and Split, the Judge can be a force to be reckoned with, but it’s definitely not impossible to counter it. A good initiator or sentinel can clear a shotgun Raze out in no time. Alternatively, you can just avoid or be careful of constricted spaces like vents and alleys and try forcing long-range fights.
While I wouldn’t say the Judge needs a nerf to its damage potential or spread, I’m slightly alarmed by its price being so low. At 1,800 credits, it’s a steal deal for force-buy and eco rounds and can be a round winner on its own. It should be priced similar to the Bulldog, at the very least.
Considering how players and certain streamers are voicing against the weapon, I wouldn’t be surprised if Riot Games actually nerfs the Judge in one of the upcoming patches. But before you sulk at a gun for losing a round, you might want to rethink how you approach an obstacle in VALORANT.
Not everything you find difficult to handle deserves a nerf.
