• Saturate requires equipping before throwing, like a standard grenade
• Waylay can no longer Hinder enemies while airborne with it
• Reactive on-contact activation is gone. She has to commit to the throw

Why Riot Made This Call

Riot's reasoning is worth reading directly. The problem was that Saturate created situations with little to no counterplay when chained with the rest of her kit. Waylay was comboing her abilities to safely tag enemies from a distance and set up teammates for kills, all with almost zero risk to herself.

The EQUIP change fixes that. She's exposed during the animation. That's a real window. Riot's stated goal is to keep Duelists on the front line taking risks, not playing safe like Controllers. The nerf doesn't gut Waylay. It changes who carries the risk when she uses Saturate.

🎯 How to Play Waylay After the Nerf

Waylay is still viable. Her ceiling is intact. The nerf targets her safe solo play, not her raw potential. A few adjustments make her work:

• Pre-equip before pushing: Stop trying to reactive-throw. Read the angle, equip before you commit, then move.
• Use Lightspeed to create odd angles: Her E dash still generates weird sight lines. Use it to offset the exposure from the equip animation.
• Coordinate the Saturate throw: Riot literally said this is the intent. Saturate now works best as a coordinated setup, not a solo tool. Communicate with your team before casting.
• Combo Saturate into Refract: Throw Saturate, then immediately activate Refract to snap back to your beacon. The slow buys you the travel time you need.

If you want a full breakdown of how Waylay's kit interacts with other Act 2 agents, check out the Miks VALORANT abilities guide which covers synergies across the current roster.

🛡️ How to Counter Waylay Now

The nerf opens counterplay windows that just did not exist before:

• Listen for the equip audio: The EQUIP animation has a sound cue. When you hear it, reposition or prefire the angle she's holding.
• Challenge during the animation: That equip window is her vulnerability. If you can identify it, push her.
• Play vertical: Saturate's airborne Hinder is gone. Aggressive vertical movement now denies her old airborne combos completely.
• Pick fast Duelists: Jett, Raze, and Neon all have movement that can punish the equip window. Play fast, close distance, don't give her time to set up.

📉 Ranked Meta Impact

Waylay's pick rate in Immortal+ will dip short-term while players recalibrate. The agents who benefit most are those who punish commitment: Jett and Raze specifically move faster than Waylay can respond during the equip animation.

For team comps, Waylay shifts from solo entry pick to anchor Duelist. She fits best alongside a strong Controller or Sentinel who can cover her during Saturate's setup. Omen, Astra, or Cypher behind her turns the slow into a genuine team weapon.

For the full Act 2 Duelist tier shifts and comp recommendations, the Valorant Act 2 2026 ranked meta guide has you covered.

This patch follows a pattern of Riot tightening up agents who offer strong utility with low personal risk, a pattern we also saw with the Harbor rework in Patch 10.06, where Riot redesigned his kit to increase commitment and risk on key abilities.

🏆 VCT Americas (April 10): Watch Waylay in Pro Play

VCT Americas starts April 10, and Waylay has been a consistent pro pick thanks to her team-enabling kit. Pro teams have already been grinding the new Saturate, and coordinated lineups will minimize the nerf's impact. Watch for Waylay paired with a deep smoke Controller: the combo is still lethal when the team calls the throw timing together.

The nerf hurts solo Waylay. Team Waylay is still dangerous.

Want to put your Waylay mechanics to the test for real stakes? Jump into a VALORANT ranked ladder on Amber.gg and compete against players at your level for cash prizes. 🎯