Valorant agent 22: All we know about Gekko so far

Fariha Bhatti Published 01/03/2023

Valorant agent 22 teasers are already in motion, but it’s still tough to say what exactly they do. Here’s everything we know about agent 22 Gekko.

Valorant protocol recently got a controller addition in Harbor, but the agent was underwhelming. Now, Riot is prepping to roll out a brand new agent who should spice up the stagnant game meta. The teasers are here, but it’s still tricky to make sense of Valorant agent 22‘s toolkit. However, leakers have a scoop.

Recently, Valorant developer John Goscicki shared that the game will get three new agent additions in 2023, and of them is the SmokeDancer.

Who is Gekko in Valorant?

According to Riot Games, an initiator and a sentinel will be added to the Valorant roster in 2023. Agent 22, codenamed SmokeDancer, will likely be the initiator.

The codenamed was leaked earlier in February by ValorLeaks, leading many to speculate that agent 22 is a smoker. However, it was later confirmed that the next agent is an initiator called Gekko. ValorLeaks revealed the agent’s name, which points at a color shifter.

Story-wise, Gekko is a new agent likely recruited by Reyna. In a group chat, Brimstone complains about Gekko being late, and Reyna says she “trusts him.”

https://twitter.com/PlayVALORANT/status/1630598914221957121

Gekko is likely Spanish. The first teaser included a message box from Brimstone, but our agent 22 has his name saved as “Beard Papi.” The word Papi has led many to think he’s from Spain, but it’s worth noting that many Americans also use Papi as an endearing term. However, it’s unlikely that Riot would use the Spanish word for an English agent, as language plays a vital role in all agent teasers.

What are Gekko’s abilities?

Riot Games hasn’t yet revealed Gekko’s abilities, but the new agent may have some stealth power to gather information. So far, no agent in Valorant can hide in plain sight, so it’s definitely a possibility. Maybe agent 22 can blend into the background to gather intel like Yoru. Possibilities are endless with the name “Gekko.”

ValorLeaks previously speculated that the SmokeDancer codename could also indicate an ability to block smoke. It’s also possible that Kay/O, another initiator, can do the same with his knife. Riot does create new abilities in each category, but at least one power remains within the category skill clock. Maybe, blocking out enemies’ tricks is part of Gekko’s kit.

Valorant agent 22 release date

Agent 22 release date is still a month away, but players can get a close look at what abilities and play with this agent would look like in the VCT LOCK//IN. As per reports, Gekko will enter the squad in Episode 6, Act 3, expected to kick off sometime in late April.

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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