There has been a shift of opinion regarding two of the most played rifles in VALORANT, the Vandal and Phantom, according to statistics gathered by greblytics in VCT 2022.

In regions including Turkey and Europe, Vandal is clearly the favorite among pros. The rifle that can one-shot players was used in 73 percent of rounds in Turkey and in 66 percent of rounds in Europe. Japanese and Korean teams also prefer the Vandal, while North American and Brazilian squads seem to not have decided which rifle is the best at the moment.

The Phantom and Vandal have split opinions. Both rifles cost the same (2,900 Creds), are fully automatic, can be bought by both sides, and have their own perks.

It seems, however, that many pros prefer the Vandal at the moment. The weapon can one-shot opponents with a headshot across 50m and has a better range overall, which compensates for its lower fire rate when compared to the Phantom.

The Phantom doesn’t have a one-shot capability and struggles in long-range battles as its damage is reduced, but it’s more effective in close-quarters maps like Icebox due to its fast fire rate and easier control.

VCT 2022 has barely started, but if most pros keep choosing the Vandal over the Phantom, we could see the VALORANT developers chime on the guns.