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One lucky VALORANT player might’ve changed the way Cypher Cages are used from now on after an accidental play guaranteed them the round win today. By dropping the cage in a specific spot on the bomb site in their ranked match, this Cypher managed to sneak into a position the attackers already thought was clear.
The cage allowed Cypher to change their position, getting the drop on a team pushing onto Lotus’ C-site, as shown by a July 30 Reddit thread. Cypher’s ability provided just enough room to land into the water next to the double box, all while being shrouded by his unintentional but brilliant cage.
Despite not getting the ace, this cage play might be something worth taking note of. Prepare to see an uptick in Cypher pick rates—lord knows he needs them.
Currently, in the pro scene, Cypher struggles to get a glimpse of the limelight. While he outshines other sentinels like Chamber and Sage, the tripwire-boasting agent has been at the back of the pack in multiple events.
At the Game Changers 2023 Series II: NA, Cypher accrued an 11 percent pick rate, with Fracture being far-and-away his best map. Champions Tour 2023 Americas LCQ was marginally better, with a two percent increase in pick rate.
Maybe plays like this could at least bring him back into the non-professional VALORANT meta, where the agent sits on the bench frequently. Months ago, Cypher amassed just over a 16 percent pick rate according to VALORANT stat tracking site Valorbuff, and it likely hasn’t gotten any better.
The only issue with this play is the noise made by dropping into the water. Fortunately for the Cypher player, the opponent’s footsteps covered his drop.
Related: 10 tips for playing Cypher on attack in VALORANT
Pairing this with a flash from a teammate might be the next step in making this a consistently viable play. The noise coming from utility could be loud enough to mask a player landing, and with any luck, you’ll net some easy frags.
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