How to Unlock Waylay in Valorant: A Comprehensive Guide
- yologame
- March 27, 2025
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With the release of Patch 10.00, Valorant introduced Tejo, a Colombian Initiator who quickly became a hot topic in the community. His skill set, built around explosive area control and tactical disruption, made him a strong pick in competitive play. But as with most new agents, his introduction sparked debates about balance.
Over the last few patches, Riot Games has made several adjustments to Tejo’s abilities, trying to find the right balance without making him overpowered or underwhelming. Let’s look at how Tejo has performed in recent patches and how players adapt to the changes.
When Tejo arrived in Patch 10.00, he was immediately seen as a game-changer. His abilities allowed teams to flush enemies out of hiding spots, disrupt defensive setups, and gather crucial intel. His toolkit included:
At first, Tejo felt slightly too strong, especially in ranked play. Many players felt that his Guided Salvo had too much impact, making it difficult for defenders to hold key angles. His drone and artillery combination also allowed teams to easily control large areas of the map.
This led to discussions about whether Tejo was overpowered. Some players compared his impact to early releases of agents like Chamber and Raze, who required balance adjustments after their debuts.
Rather than immediately hitting him with major nerfs, Riot started by fixing some bugs in Patch 10.02.
What changed?
This helped a bit, but Tejo still felt too oppressive in ranked play, especially on defense. So, Riot followed up with bigger balance changes in Patch 10.04.
By this point, Tejo was among the most picked agents in higher ranks, and pro teams started abusing his kit. His abilities were shutting down defensive setups way too easily, especially on maps like Split and Haven.
So, in Patch 10.04, Riot decided to tone him down:
Guided Salvo (E):
This was a big deal because before, Tejo could just spam his Salvo to clear corners, wipe out utility, and force teams to reposition. Now, he must be more precise with his ability usage instead of overwhelming opponents.
Tejo is still a strong agent following these nerfs, but players must be more strategic in using their abilities. Before the Nerfs, many players relied on his Guided Salvo as an easy way to clear angles. Now, they need to coordinate with teammates and time their abilities more carefully.
Some high-level players have also adjusted their playstyle by using Tejo’s Stealth Drone more for information gathering rather than initiating fights. This shift has made him a more balanced agent than an unstoppable force.
On the other hand, some players feel that Riot may have gone a little too far with the nerfs. The damage reduction on Guided Salvo means it’s less effective against shielded opponents, making it harder to secure kills with a single burst.
So, is Tejo still a viable pick after these nerfs? Yes, but he’s no longer a must-pick.
Pros are still experimenting with him, and while he’s not broken anymore, he still has a strong role in specific team comps. He’s especially useful on maps where area denial is key, but players can’t just spam his abilities and expect easy wins anymore.
Some players think he’s in a good spot now. Others feel he might need a small buff to bring him back into the meta. Only time will tell if Riot tweaks him again, but for now, Tejo is still a solid, balanced initiator—just not the unstoppable force he was at launch.
Tejo’s performance in recent patches shows how Riot listens to player feedback and fine-tunes agents to keep the game balanced. His early dominance led to necessary nerfs, but he’s still a great pick for players who enjoy a tactical, space-controlling playstyle.
It will be interesting to see if Riot makes any further tweaks. Some players believe he may need a slight buff to keep him competitive, while others think he’s in a good place now.
Accordion Content
Tejo is still a solid initiator but requires better coordination and smarter ability usage now. His Guided Salvo’s reduced damage and smaller blast radius mean he can’t clear utility and tight spaces as easily.
Focus more on gathering intel with Stealth Drone and use Salvo strategically in post-plant situations. Since it does less damage to utility, you’ll need to rely more on teammates to break setups.
It depends on how he performs in ranked and pro play over the next few weeks. If his pick rate drops too much, Riot might tweak him slightly, but for now, he seems balanced.
