Riot Games made a surprise announcement and introduced a weapon called the Bandit to VALORANT, according to the information that was released by the Valorant News Twitter account. The announcement together with a link to the 12.00 patch notes has already created a lot of noise around it, and the players are discussing the impact of this sidearm on the existing pistol meta openly, with some even questioning whether it can do away with classics like Sheriff or Ghost.
Riot did a big thing by surprising everyone with the new and unexpected gun, didn’t they? The tweet by ValorINTEL has a title ‘New VALORANT Weapon – BANDIT’ and contains a link, while the reactions are already going completely wild. The community hadn’t even taken a moment and the hot takes had already started flying. It’s madness, and I am with it.
The first question from many is … what is it at all? From the talk, it seems to be a new pistol. Some claimed that it resembled a Classic with a larger magazine while others even dubbed it Ghost without the silencer, LOL, saying that it was literally just a Ghost without the silencer. One user, @blao131, expressed this in very crude words: “Literally just a ghost without the silencer LMFAO this company.” Tough! While on the other hand, some are drawing parallels to a Desert Eagle gun that is found in other shooters. @konhaiyaar quipped that it “shoots like desert eagle lmao” while @JhonAlucard_177 went on even to say that “Desert eagle? A Variant.” So the consensus is that it’s a powerful, loud handgun.
However, the REAL drama is not about the aesthetics but rather about the impact on gameplay. The biggest question is… why? Why add another pistol? @JenexVLR directly posed the question, “So why was this added?” and the ensuing discussion was remarkably thought-provoking. Another user, @TheHolyGreyl, put forth the opinion that it was for “Combating light armor meta, increasing weapon diversity.” Hmmm, that’s a valid point. Maybe Riot thinks the pistol round tactics have become monotone?
This brings us to the main point of discussion: the panic around the Sheriff. The iconic, high-skill, one-tap machine. Is it done for? User @_MadSkillz_ articulated what a great many people were pondering: “wtf is the point of ever buying a sheriff now 💀” A whole thread of discussion was thus initiated. Another user, @slabGod_, upon seeing Bandit proclaimed, “Damn bye-bye sheriff.” But not everyone is of the same opinion! In answer, @n00bywarrior countered, noting the Sheriff’s strengths: “2-tap pistol round 1-shot headshot out to much further this isn’t really hard to understand. the outlaw didn’t replace the op.” And you know what? They are correct. The Outlaw sniper didn’t kill the Operator, it just provided a different option. Perhaps the Bandit is hoped to be similar?
Then there is the Ghost faction. Some users are already pledging their loyalty. @AceCabbageFN simply said, “Ghost still better frfr.” And during the debate regarding the Sheriff, @m4cid added “and ghost” to the list of guns potentially in jeopardy. But the Ghost has that silencer, man! That’s a massive tactical edge for stealthy moves. Can a loud pistol really take its place? The argument is strong.
It’s not just all about the meta. Some users are just in pure, unfiltered excitement. @slabGod_ informed his buddy @m4cid, “Fr tho time to grind valorant we back.” New content has that kind of power, it draws back people. However, not everyone is grateful for it. @Sonneflower had doubts: “Will this make me come back to valorant? Probably not.” That’s fair!
Moreover, it’s always nice to see the international angle. Some comments were not in English, but we here can do the translations. @bxngiovanni said in Portuguese, “they used the golden gun concept, how bizarre,” which is quite a cool observation. And @allualaa was telling a friend “mds me lembrou a desert, ent vou pinar mt com ela,” which is basically “omg it reminded me of the deagle, so I’m gonna own with it.” The excitement knows no language.
So what is the conclusion? The Bandit is more than just a new toy addition by Riot. It is an intentional move to shake up the very foundational pistol rounds, which are one of the most crucial and skill-testing moments in any VALORANT match. Players are now compelled to reassess their economy, strategies and the broader esports landscape. This kind of update keeps the game fresh for players on all platforms, including PlayStation and Xbox.
