Even though Valorant devs usually handle and fix bugs fast, the infamous Spectrum Phantom Bug – what was considered a pay to lose gun skin – was left without something for long. Fortunately, Riot has finally solved it, bringing relief to the Valorant community.
Find a full coverage on how it happened and what fans think about this bug fix.
A serious problem for the Valorant community
Using the Spectrum Phantom was a sure way to get yourself killed in the game – because it poked out enough for enemies to spot it. It meaned a clear disadvantage for whoever was using it. All due to the slight variation in the length of the barrel.
It might look like a detail that’s too small for anyone to freak out about, but for die-hard fans and pro players, it was a serious problem. Because it brought their opponents a chance to spot whoever was using the gun skin, and hence, grant them extra reaction time.
When was the Spectrum Phantom bug discovered?
The issue was noticed during an encounter between Mistic and Robin Silk – pro player and associate producer respectively – during the Valorant Champions Tour event (Istanbul). Mistic mentioned in the chat that he avoided the Spectrum Phantom at all cost because it was a “pay to lose” skin, which left Silk intrigued.
Mistic even agreed to collar a couple of pro players, who further confirmed that the Spectrum Phantom was a pay to lose skin. All the pro players avoided it like the plague, because it left them in a clear disadvantage.
After witnessing this, Silk came back to LA to report the problem to Riot and get it solved as soon as possible – because this bug had been left unattended for way too long. Finally, they solved it in the 5.08 patch.
What did Silk say about the Spectrum Phantom bug?
On his own words:
“It was just funny to me that these guys all knew about this and didn’t report it to any Rioters,” Silk wrote on Twitter, “I encourage all VALORANT players to escalate any bugs they come across to the right channels […] we really do take these reports seriously”.
Silk.
Evidently, he was shocked by this incident, and it leaves everyone wondering how many other bugs are out there that have not been reported to the devs. Here you have more coverage on the incident: