The complete guide to playing Valorant war machine Kay/O

Valorant war machine Kay/O is unlike any other agent.

All Valorant initiators are armed with powers that gather information in some sort of way. However, few can use this data to disarm opponents. Kay/O was rolled out as an antidote to Valorant’s over-the-top abilities, bringing a dagger that forces players to switch to guns. Some went ahead and labeled him as the savior of Valorant ranked matchmaking, which focused on abilities instead of actual aim.

Kay/O brings the unique Zero/Point dagger to Valorant that changed the game’s meta. Besides that, he’s stocked with a shock molotov, a flashbang, and an ultimate that radiates polarized energy. 

Guide to Kay/O abilities in Valorant

Unlike most agents, Kay/O is simple to play. He’s equipped with a no-nonsense toolkit that accentuates aim and skill. Here’s how to best play Kay/O to bag ELO in Valorant. 

Frag/ment (C)

Kay/O’s deterrent Frag/ment, also known as incendiary, is a powerful tool to keep enemies at bay. It deals a total of 100-200 damage over 4 seconds. 

Kay/O is an extremely versatile character, so his Frag/ment shines on almost all maps. Whether it’s a small choke point or a large entry area, the incendiary does an excellent job of holding enemies back or forcing them out of position.

While it does heavy damage, Frag/ment is also easy to dodge due to its periodic bursts. It’s best to combine his deterrent with either Astra’s pull, Breach’s concussions, or Sage’s Slow Orb. This way, the enemies will find themselves stuck for the AOE and soaking up major damage. 

Flash/Drive

Kay/O’s flash is unlike any other in Valorant. It’s blinding, long-range, and can be used as a pop flash. The agent can change the flash’s range by switching between primary and ALT fire, making it a multipurpose ability. 

Flash/Drive works best on smaller locations as it bursts upon contact with a solid surface. So, pairing this feature with an ALT fire can yield great results in pushing enemies hiding around corners. Unlike other abilities, Kay/O players can quickly re-equip their gun after throwing a flash, which means it’s pretty easy to take a fight right away. On larger maps, Kay/O’s Flash/Drive works excellently when tossed against far-away walls. Throw the grenade behind solid walls to clear back sides while pushing into an area. 

Zero/Point

Zero/Point is the main reason behind Kay/O being an absolute meta-shaker. Before the suppression blade, abilities ran rampant in Valorant, with no way to shut them down. Kay/O’s dagger sticks to the first surface it hits, winds up and suppresses anyone in the explosion’s radius.

It’s best to learn lineups for Zero/Point to squeeze full juice out of it, but players can also eyeball it. On defense, use the dagger at the round’s beginning to gain intel and help your team decide their setup. It’s rechargeable, so don’t sit around waiting for the right opportunity to launch Zero/Point. It’ll load back. For example, if the dagger spots zero enemies outside Breeze’s B, it’s worth asking your teammates to rotate towards A. However, enemies may eventually read the pattern and dodge the knife, so try tossing it at different points in the game. 

On attack, use the Zero/Point to avoid getting swamped with the crowd control and deterrent tools. Toss the dagger before pushing in to see if the site’s too crowded for a take. Zero/Point will shut down all agents’ abilities within the radius, clearing out the area for aim battles. 

How to use Kay/O’s ultimate

Kay/O’s ultimate Null/CMD is a suppressant and empowerment ability that briefly shuts down anyone within its massive radius. While overloaded, Kay/O gains combat stim and can be re-stabilized if downed.

Kay/O’s ultimate works best when entering an area littered with powerful, ability-heavy enemies. The agent will shut down all flashes and molotovs, paving a clear way for the teammates. Activate the ult and then push into the site with a pop flash. While your fire rate is boosted, try to clear as many choke points as possible with a teammate. You may end up getting a quick kill. If not, you will have a teammate for the trade. 

Pushing without backup may not pan out well for your team. So, it’s worth communicating with your teammates and asking for backup. 

Who is Kay/O?

Kay/O is a robot from the future who travels back in time to fight alongside Valorant protocol. 

The initiator was programmed by future humans to wipe Radiants off the face of the planet. His hatred for the Radiants like Reyna is evident in several of his voice lines. While Kay/O is a robot on paper, lore suggests that he might have a deeper backstory as Brimstone’s ally, who died in a war. Kay/O has a few voice lines that hint at a past relationship with Brimstone, specifically on a battlefield.