Patch 6.11 brought Error Power changes to VALORANT. In this guide, we go over what it is and how it affects gameplay.
The May 26th VALORANT PBE revealed many new updates, including another Viper nerf, a Chamber buff, weapons updates, and bug fixes.
However, one small update potentially brings the biggest impact on VALORANT’s gunplay moving forward – Error Power.
If you’re confused about Error Power and have no idea what it does, we have you covered. This quick guide outlines everything you need to know about Error Power.
What is Error Power in VALORANT?
Error Power is a tool that VALORANT devs use to bias shots toward the middle of a crosshair.
If you haven’t noticed, bullets you fire with your gun in VALORANT generally land in the middle of your crosshair. While some bullets might land slightly off-center, they generally land within a few pixels of each other. Of course, this is under the assumption that you are standing completely still while firing.
Firing your gun while moving is a completely different story. Shots fired while any type of movement is present will result in a wildly inaccurate shot, and it doesn’t matter if your crosshair stays on your target, as any movement will cause your bullet to go flying off-center.
With that said, VALORANT’s moving accuracy is comparatively more accurate than in CS: GO, making Run and Gun a more feasible tactic in VALORANT, much to the frustration of former CS: GO players. However, that is about to change with the arrival of Patch 6.11.
Patch 6.11 Error Power and Gun Adjustments
The devs have not made many accuracy adjustments on the bullet mechanics side of things since VALORANT’s release. Instead, they mostly changed how individual guns behaved in various situations (spraying, running, walking, etc.) General bullet behavior relative to crosshair position has remained the same.
Running and gunning is still a feasible tactic in VALORANT, which is ironic for a game marketed to feature ‘precise gunplay.’ To promote ‘precise’ gameplay, the devs will introduce an update around how Center Biasing or Error Power works when movement is involved in Patch 6.11. The change is simple: Guns will now be even less accurate when firing while moving.
Aside from Error Power changes, Riot Games adjusted the accuracy for all guns when fired from Ascenders/Ziplines. Moreover, Shorty and Frenzy received slight accuracy adjustments as well.
Will Error Power fix Run and Gun in VALORANT?
Riot Games wants to shift VALORANT’s gameplay with the Error Power update. The devs have promised to ‘significantly reduce center biasing while in any movement states besides walking or stationary,’ making run and gun less effective.
VALORANT’s Center Biasing is likely currently the way it is to make the game a bit more forgiving for beginners. Run-and-gun can help flatten the learning curve for beginners and casual players, allowing them to jump and enjoy the game even if they don’t have prior FPS experience.
The End of An Era
It will be interesting to see how the Error Power adjustment changes gunplay dynamics in VALORANT come Patch 6.11. Will the new update finally eradicate run and gun in VALORANT? We will find out when Patch 6.11 drops on June 6th.
