Valorant players to get free special gun buddy at end of 2021

A free gun buddy is on its way to Valorant at the end of the year.

According to leaks, Riot Games is giving players a gift to celebrate the first full year of Valorant. Every player will receive a free gun buddy that they can attach to any weapon in the game. The cosmetic will most likely be a small gift package with Valorant-themed wrapping. Valorant could surprise players with other free gifts to celebrate the holiday season.

The leak came from prominent Valorant data miner Mike, who has previously revealed several gun skin collections and patch notes ahead of schedule. He revealed information about the free gun buddy and some rough pictures through social media. 

This is most likely the gun buddy everyone will be receiving pic.twitter.com/t4wnmQ1aKX

— Mike | Valorant Leaks & News (@ValorLeaks) December 7, 2021

The timing of this leak links it directly to the upcoming holiday season. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and the New Year make for a time of gift-giving, and this gun buddy neatly fits into all of those different cultural celebrations as Riot’s gift to Valorant players. It’s possible that Riot will give out other free cosmetics to celebrate the season and to close out a 2021 year that has seen Valorant ascend to the top of the competitive gaming scene.

A Christmas-themed gun skin set was also leaked around the same time, though fan response to the included cosmetics has been tepid at best.

Free Valorant gun buddies

In addition to this fun little gift, there are a few other ways to get free buddy cosmetics in Valorant. 

Agent contracts are the most straightforward way to earn free Valorant gun buddies. As you play games of Valorant, you’ll slowly progress through your selected agent contract and earn rewards including skins, banners, and gun buddies. You don’t have to play as the agent you’ve selected, so look through the various contracts to find the gun buddy you like the most and pursue it.

Another more difficult way to get a free gun buddy is to play a match with a Riot Games employee. They can grant free buddies to players who show good teamwork and sportsmanship in a match. You never know when you’ll run into a developer, so the only way to boost your odds of receiving such a gun buddy is to always be on your best behavior. You may get a free Valorant cosmetic, and you’ll definitely enjoy a friendlier matchmaking environment.