Riot teases new Valorant agent, release date and image

Fariha Bhatti Published 28/05/2021

The upcoming Valorant agent won’t be celestial like Astra and instead will have abilities that require decent gunplay.

Riot Games has finally dropped more details about Agent 16 in the latest “State of the Agents” blog. The developer has revealed that the new agent will be a treat for the “traditional FPS players” who like to rely on their gunplay.

Who’s Valorant’s 16th agent?

Valorant currently has 15 agents, but all agents are heavily ability-centered except for Raze, Reyna, and Jett. You can survive a competitive game of Valorant with a decent scoreboard without having an exceptional aim. Agents like Sova, Skye, Breach, and many more don’t require impeccable shooting skills, which is why many players find quick success in Valorant. However, this can be stressful for “traditional shooter players” like CSGO, who like to depend on their aim.

The developer has revealed that the new agent will have a unique kit to make gunplay a necessity. Previous leaks hinted at an agent dubbed “Grenadier,” who’ll likely deal in damage and have grenades similar to Raze as their signature ability. Recent releases and leaks suggest that crisp aimers will finally shine through in the game.

Agent 16 leaks point to Grenadier as Valorant’s next new agent

The release also left a cipher for the Valorant leakers who like riddles. “HUACANDWOENST” are all alphabets written in a broken code that may spell the agent’s name when arranged correctly. An image named “data transfer” was also attached with a purple glow icon on a black backdrop.

When is the Valorant’s new agent releasing?

The developer has also provided an exact time for the release. Agent 16 will be delivered in Patch 3.0, according to the recent blog. Players won’t have to wait much longer as Valorant is already skipping patch 2.10 to maintain balance during Valorant Champions Tour: Masters 2 LAN event.

“As you saw the latest Act, there was no new Agent bundled with the launch of Breeze. This is because we’re prioritizing quality over speed. We want to make sure everything we put out has the level of refinement you expect,” John Goscicki, character producer, said.

Patch 2.09 had fixed the overpowered Viper to balance the controller category. The professional players are still having a tough time adjusting to Astra’s celestial kit, and Viper’s buffed up smoke isn’t making things easier. Therefore, patch 2.10 will be skipped to modify the game meta and make space for a brand new agent.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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