Sova is better than Fade on Pearl with this Recon Bolt trick

Sova and Fade are in a race to be the top initiators, but this new bug-like feature may cement Sova as the top dog on Pearl. 

Pearl’s sky-high ceiling helps the initiator play to their full potential. The buildings aren’t tall, and sneaky corners allow intel tools to shine. It’s safe to say that Pearl is initiators‘ favorite map, but not all agents are equally viable. Competitively, Fade enjoys an edge on Pearl, but Sova can also be a threat. 

Players have discovered a new bug that could be an intentional feature. If so, Sova may become a menace on Pearl’s bomb point B. 

Sova’s dart is too powerful on Pearl

Unless Pearl’s windows are functional, this is a game-breaking bug that has the potential to reveal the attacker’s schemes at the beginning of the round.

A player pointed out an open window on Pearl’s B site, that Sova’s dart to fly through it, revealing the attacker’s spawn. The tiny dart slides through the frame, but it’s still tricky to tell whether it passes through the open window. Still, windows on Valorant maps are mostly placed for aesthetic purposes and are rarely ever functional. So this is most likely a game-breaking bug similar to previous Ascent glitches that let Omen and Sova pull off absurd tricks. 

What makes it game-breaking is the dart’s timing, safety and impact. Sova can shoot it at the beginning and middle of the round to get information safely. If enemies figure out the dart and break it initially, he can still use it later in the round again after the cooldown expires.  

Sova’s recon goes through wall in Pearl
by u/Aeracuda in VALORANT

So, until Riot Games rolls out a fix, Jett players should keep their smokes prepared in the spawn. Players may want to hone up their one-taps to break the dart before it reveals their plans quickly. 

Is Fade the best initiator on Pearl?

Fade and Sova are both equally viable on Pearl. The former’s ultimate may work better in some instances, but Sova’s intel dart is better Fade’s watcher by a wide margin. It sticks to high points and is comparatively trickier to spot due to the map’s aesthetics.