Riot to ban agent insta-locking application in Valorant

Fariha Bhatti Published 19/07/2023

Riot Games is finally cracking down on the agent insta-locking app called Recon Bolt.

Picking your preferred agent in Valorant is no cakewalk. You must be lightning fast if you want to grab that Reyna or Jett before anyone else can. For this reason, players pull many stunts, including seeking help from unauthorized third-party apps like Recon Bolt.

However, Dunskus, the app’s creator, has revealed that Riot has sent him a cease and desist letter that threatens to take him to court if he doesn’t remove the app before July 27. Consequently, Dunskus has decided to pull the plug for good. Recon Bolt will be gone from all app stores, including GitHub, on July 20.

“It’s hard to describe how disappointed I am that things have turned out this way, but Riot has shut down all attempts from my side to have a conversation about this and figure out a way forward,” Dunskus said in a Discord screenshot.

• Related: Players urge Riot to ban agent insta-locking app

Valorant app Recon Bolt will be gone forever

This is a bummer for players who used the app to track their progress, tinker with skins, and handle other operations in Valorant without having to turn on the computer. Recon Bolt served many other purposes other than insta-locking, but the majority used it to sabotage the agent compositions.

Using Recon Bolt, players could grab their top agents from anywhere before anyone else. It was quite an overpowered feature, and most Valorant players are glad it’s gone.

Insta-locking is generally looked down upon in Valorant, and with Recon Bolt, you could lock an agent before your teammates even load into the server. Agent selection is the crucial part of Valorant, but also the trickiest one. In solo queues, especially, players try their best to pick whatever suits them without coordinating with teammates.

An equal loading time for all balances out the chance of unfair agent picks. Something that Recon Bolt allowed, leading to insta-locking.

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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