Here's who to play in Valorant, based on Overwatch and Apex mains

Olivia Richman Published 28/03/2020

Riot’s new first person shooter, Valorant, borrows heavily from a number of other esports titles.

The gameplay itself, including maps, rounds, and purchasing weapons is clearly something that comes from tactical shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. But the addition of abilities has former Overwatch League pro Félix “xQc” Lengyel saying that CSGO players won’t stand a chance in the game once it comes out. He likely expects Valorant to be a game where Apex Legends and Overwatch players will thrive based on their existing understanding of ability and ultimate synergies.

Now that many agents’ abilities have been revealed, Apex Legends and Overwatch players are able to see quite a few similarities between their mains and some of the Valorant agents. So which agent should you play in the beta to really get a head start on the other newcomers?

Sage

Overwatch: Moira, Mei, Mercy

Sage has been revealed to be a support-based agent who not only heals her squad, but disrupts the enemy team. Moira players would likely transition well into playing as Sage, since her abilities deal heavily with “orbs” that bounce off certain surfaces. This is definitely something that Moira mains are used to, since they’re also support players that must calculate the trajectory of their healing and damage orbs.

One of Sage’s orbs is called the Barrier Orb. This conjures a large, solid wall that can be changed around with the right click. This is very similar to Mei’s Ice Wall. Overwatch players that play Mei a good amount know the importance of a well-placed wall. They understand the exact location where it will disrupt opponents the most, as well as when it makes the most sense to place.

Sage’s ultimate is identical to Mercy’s ability to resurrect her teammates. Just like Mercy, Sage’s Resurrection has a short delay. Mercy players know you can’t just jump into the action and use that ability freely. You’ll end up wasting the Resurrection and most likely being eliminated yourself. Mercy mains’ abilities to understand where on the map to resurrect from, and when it makes the most sense to do so, will serve them well as Sage in Valorant.

Phoenix

Overwatch: Sombra

Phoenix deals with fire in a unique way that is almost unlike any existing hero or legend. While it’s definitely unique, some Overwatch players will find similar mechanics in their mains that will benefit them while playing this agent.

His Ultimate, Run it Back, allows him to mark a location where he will return after a certain period of time, or when his health is depleted. This is quite similar to Sombra’s Translocator, which she can place and teleport to at any time. Sombra mains already know how valuable this ability is for attacking enemy teams.

Viper

Apex Legends: Caustic

Caustic’s kit revolves heavily around poison. He has a Nox Gas Trap ability and a Nox Gas Grenade ultimate, both of which impair the enemy team’s vision and deal damage. Caustic mains would have an easy time switching to Viper, who uses Poison Cloud, Toxic Screen, and Viper Pit abilities to obscure enemies’ vision and tick away at their health. They would know the right time to use each ability to really disorientate the enemy to the fullest extent.

Jett

Overwatch: Genji

Jett’s signature ability, Tailwind, allows her to dash forward, which likely reminds Genji mains of Swift Strike. But even more similar are their ultimates. Jett’s is called Blade Storm, and it allows her to hurl several deadly throwing knives that deliver guaranteed kills with headshots. If she kills someone with the daggers, all of them are restored. Genji’s Dragonblade has the same mechanics, allowing him to recharge his Swift Strike ability every time it eliminates an enemy.

During her ultimate, Jett can either left click to throw a single dagger or right click to throw all remaining daggers in a short-ranged burst. This is quite similar to how Genji mains deal with their shurikens. You can either throw them all at the same target for more damage, or throw them all in a wider spread to hit more targets. It doesn’t seem like it’d be too difficult for Genji mains to swap over to Jett.

Sova

Apex Legends: Crypto

Crypto’s tactical ability is Surveillance Drone, which allows him to take flight with a surveillance drone that scans the surrounding area for enemy teams. While this can provide a lot of useful information for Crypto’s team, it’s also a huge liability since Crypto himself is rendered immobile while the drone is being controlled. Sova has a similar ability, Owl Drone, which Crypto mains will be equipped to deal with. They will know all the right times to release the drone in a way that is not only useful, but safe.

Overwatch: Hanzo

Sova’s signature ability is Recon Bolt. He fires a shot that allows his team to detect enemies around corners. This is basically identical to Hanzo’s Sonic Arrow, except Sova’s can be destroyed. His ultimate, Hunter’s Fury, can mark enemies when they’re hit, which is what Hanzo mains already do with Sonic Arrow as well. This is a tactic that Hanzo players will already be skilled at and will be able to tell when it will benefit their team the most.

Cypher

Apex Legends: Bloodhound

Bloodhound is the perfect hunter, able to see through walls and identify footprints. Cypher is also known for his tracking abilities, like firing tracking darts and putting up tripwires that allow him to reveal enemies’ whereabouts. These are all perfect abilities for Bloodhound mains to utilize, since they are already so focused on the hunting aspect of the game. They are used to finding out information about the enemy team and reporting it to their teammates, making this the perfect role to transition to.

Brimstone

Apex Legends: Bangalore

Just like Brimstone, Bangalore is a commander that keeps her team grounded. They also both share very similar abilities. Brimstone has an ability that fires off a grenade, which is not too far off from Bangalore’s Rolling Thunder. Both also deal AOE damage with grenades. Then there’s Brimstone’s Sky Smoke ultimate, which uses a smokescreen to provide cover. This is identical to Bangalore’s Smoke Launcher. Both of these characters allow the team to stand their ground and take down the enemy team with increased fire power and protection.

Omen

Apex Legends: Wraith

Teleportation is kind of Wraith’s thing, thanks to her Dimensional Rift ultimate. She sets up two portals that her entire team can slip in and out from. The portal lasts for 60 seconds, allowing the team to either ambush an enemy team or even slip away to heal before returning to fight. While it’s unclear how exactly Omen teleports with From the Shadows, the idea remains the same: He must find a good spot to teleport from and to, enabling him to get a better angle on the enemy team or escape from danger effectively. This is a technique that Wraith mains have already mastered.

Overwatch: Reaper

Does the phrase “from the shadows” sound familiar? It’s probably because you’re a Reaper main who hears that almost every time you teleport using Shadow Step. In fact, Omen’s From the Shadows ability is almost identical to Reaper’s Shadow Step.

Both teleport anywhere on the map as a “shade,” and Omen even “turns into a ghost” when the ability is complete, which is what Reaper does with his Wraith Form ability.

Reaper mains are well aware of how important their location on the map is. They understand which locations give them the best advantage over their opponents. This is knowledge that will translate well into playing Omen in Valorant once the beta is launched.

Unfortunately, Riot Games has yet to reveal an official release date, but at one point it was said that the beta would be sometime this year. For now, brush up on your Apex Legends and Overwatch ability synergy and techniques so you can be one step ahead of CSGO players looking to take up Valorant as their new game of choice.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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