Valorant
Valorant
Valorant players think remake system is flawed
Fariha Bhatti
After nitpicking about Deathmatch, Valorant players are now unhappy with how the remake works. Valorant is a team game, so losing even one player to a poor network connection can spell disaster. For this reason, Riot has a remake system in place that allows players to re-queue in case one of the players disconnects for whatever reason. But this system is far from perfect, and players want improvements. Remake requires …
Valorant
Sentinels’ sicK seeks therapy, apologizes for offensive tweets
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant pro player Hunter “sicK” Mims has finally apologized for his “erratic” behavior, which has been making headlines in the past few days. NA Valorant is flush with drama and controversy, but things took a wild turn when sicK started posting alarming tweets regarding his personal life and friends. His behavior led him to Sentinel’s bench after an indefinite suspension. But the organization still has his back. In a lengthy …
Valorant
Valorant celebrates Pride Month 2023 with in-game items
Fariha Bhatti
Riot Games has unveiled in-game cosmetic items to celebrate Pride Month, but players aren’t happy. Every year Riot rolls out cards and titles to commemorate Pride Month and show support for LGBTQIA+ communities. Initially, this trend wasn’t well-received by everyone, but now, it seems players want Riot to put effort into Pride items. On June 2, Riot lifted the curtain on Pride items for 2023, including colorful cards and a …
Valorant
How to get Valorant Claw and Order spray from Prime Gaming loot
Fariha Bhatti
It’s a great day to be an Amazon Prime subscriber as Riot unveils brand new free “Claw and Order” spray. Valorant skins can cost an arm and a leg, but Riot is considerate enough to roll out discounted skins via Night. Market. But if you can’t even afford cheap guns and are looking for freebies, Riot has you covered. Prime Gaming loots are reserved for Amazon Prime subscribers for free. …
Valorant
Riot has nerfed Valorant’s most deadly pistols in patch 6.11
Fariha Bhatti
Frenzy and Shorty, the top troll pistols, are getting long-due nerfs in Valorant patch 6.11. Frenzy and Shorty are viable weapons, but serious players rarely use them in high-stakes situations. To squeeze full juice out of these two, you need a tenderizing utility and excellent movement skills, especially in the case of Shorty. Still, the two pistols are uber-powerful, and Riot is now trying to balance them. Valorant patch 6.11 …
Valorant
Valorant patch 6.11 buffs Chamber, Viper nerfed
Fariha Bhatti
It’s a great day to be a Chamber main, as Valorant patch 6.11 aims to buff his kit. However, Viper mains will absolutely hate the new patch. Chamber has always been Riot’s trouble child. He was so powerful that Riot had to nerf him before even considering tweaks for fellow sentinels. However, after being nerfed to the ground, Chamber is returning to the field with a stronger Tour De Force …
Valorant
Riot unveils new design changes to Pearl’s B site
Fariha Bhatti
Pearl has undergone small but significant changes to better accommodate the defenders on map’s B site. Riot often takes maps into the workshop for regular tweaks to better suit the meta. This time, it’s Pearl that would be getting some tweaks to its B site to streamline duels. Most of the site remains the same, but four small changes will transform how duels pan out on this bomb site. Pearl …
Twitch
Stranger Things fame Grace’s signing to FaZe marred with drama
Fariha Bhatti
FaZe Clan recently signed Stranger Things star Grace Van Dien to their content roster, but not all FaZe members are on board with the decision. FaZe Clan recently went shopping despite their financial woes, adding a brand new Valorant streamer to their lineup. Grace Van Dien rose to fame after her appearance in Season 4 of Stranger Things as Chrissy Cunningham. However, she soon left the mainstream media behind, opting …
Valorant pro sicK moves to Kick after threatening to sue Twitch
Fariha Bhatti
Twitch
Like most Twitch-rejected streamers, Hunter “sicK” Mims has found a new home in Kick after receiving a two weeks ban from the purple banner. sicK has been showcasing what would be defined as “erratic behavior” by his acquaintances for weeks now. Amid all this, he has been benched by Sentinels, received backlash from the community, and support from his well-wishers. But now, he’s been banned from Twitch for two weeks, …
Valorant’s new Magepunk 3.0 bundle is mouth-watering
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Steampunk conasouirs can now dip their primary Valorant rifles into Magepunk 3.0 colors, Riot has announced. Valorant has some of the best animated skins in the FPS genre, but some are just built “diff” — think Ion, Prime, Glitchpop, and more. These are the bundles that have become staples in player inventories. Magepunk is also a legacy collection that has remained popular since its original release in 2021. After rolling …
Valorant patch 6.10 brings Brimstone changes, adds Spray Wheel
Olivia Richman
Valorant
The latest Valorant update has addressed a lot of bug issues and improved some of the game’s features. But patch 6.10 also brought some balance changes to Brimstone, a supportive Controller agent that’s meant to manipulate the map to his team’s advantage. Here are some of the most notable changes in Valorant patch 6.10. Brimstone was the only agent to get an update in 6.10, although Omen was mentioned as …
Riot finally settles the Phantom vs Vandal debate in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
You no longer have to argue with your friends over the best rifle in Valorant. Riot Games has officially weighed in on the Vandal vs Phantom discussion with solid facts. The Vandal vs Phantom debate is as old as Valorant itself. Since 2020, players have been struggling to come to a conclusion about which weapon is the best. Vandal lovers think their weapon is superior, but Phantom users also have …
Valorant ranks: How do they work in 2023?
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Ranking up in Valorant is no easy feat. There are nine ranks, each with a competitive streak that is not for the faint of the heart. Still, want to play ranked? Then you better know how Valorant ranks work in 2023. Valorant has taken the gaming world by storm with its unique blend of strategy, teamwork, and fast-paced action. One aspect of the game that piques players’ interest is the …
You can now swap sprays mid-game in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant players can now toss more color and fun memes across the map they’re playing with a new spray wheel feature currently being tested in PBE. Players have been pestering Riot for big changes to deathmatch mode, replay, timeout feature, and more. Now, Riot has undoubtedly been working, but on an entirely new thing that nobody asked for. Still, players are not complaining, considering how awesome the new spray wheel …
Valorant trolls are tanking FPS with new Jett bug
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Players have discovered a new Jett FPS bug that is so annoying it can force you to ALT+F4. Valorant is a team game, so all players need to coordinate with each other. For example, when your teammate asks you to walk, you must press down on the shift key as hard as possible to not make a sound. But, some malicious actors purposefully sabotage teammates. Now, a bug has fallen …
What happened to SicK? Timeline of pro’s encounters with the law
William Davis
Valorant
Sentinels’ Valorant pro Hunter “SicK” Mims continues to exhibit erratic behavior on Twitter. SicK’s situation has fans and fellow pro players worried. What happened to SicK? It seems to be an accumulation of untreated mental health issues. SicK first opened up about his mental health issues back in 2022. At the time, the player admitted that he had been struggling for some time and that he couldn’t fulfill his responsibilities …
Valorant rank distribution shows most players are Silvers
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant Radiants are still rare, with Silver being the most populated tier. Here’s the updated rank distribution for 2023. Valorant players were overcrowding the Silver ranks, prompting the developer to squeeze in a green Ascendant badge between Diamond and Immortal. It did help with oversaturation but failed to destroy the ELO hell that still abodes most players. According to the updated Valorant rank distribution, Silver is still the most populated …
Valorant pro SicK arrested for criminal trespassing, again
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Sentinels’ benched Valorant pro Hunter “SicK” Mims is once under the spotlight for alleged criminal trespassing. According to sources close to SicK, the Valorant pro is not in his best mental state. SicK landed into the public eye after his online controversy related to his ex-girlfriend, who accused him of infidelity. As the situation exacerbated, so did SicK’s bizarre tweets. Soon after, the streamer and pro player got into bigger …
Leak reveals potential changes to Valorant map Icebox
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Icebox is going under the knife to prepare for its comeback, which is still months away. On April 6, 2023, Riot axed Icebox from Valorant to make space for a renewed Bind. The new map rotation sees each map going to the workshop for necessary tweaks. After Bind, Icebox is now getting a facelift to fit in the game meta. Riot still hasn’t shared the changes, as the next rotation …
“He’s not himself right now”: ShahZaM blocks SicK on Twitter
Olivia Richman
Valorant
The Valorant community is growing concerned for Sentinels’ former player Hunter “SicK” Mims as his social media posts become more perplexing. G2 pro Shahzeb “ShahZaM” Khan tweeted late last night that he blocked SicK on Twitter so he could warn others in the esports industry that he’s “not himself right now.” ShahZaM added that people should ignore his tweets and “erratic behavior” since this isn’t truly who SicK is. “Thanks …
Riot Games has long looked to expand its footprint beyond the success of popular MOBA League of Legends, and one of its biggest successes to date in this regard is the tactical shooter, Valorant. Blending traditional first-person shooter elements with unique and flashy hero abilities, Valorant seeks to combine the best attributes of tactical shooters and hero shooters into one cohesive experience.
Based on player feedback, the game has largely succeeded in accomplishing those aims. It’s not an easy balance, and it’s one that is arguably still tenuous, but Riot Games seems to be doing as good a job of it as most fans have hoped for.
What type of game is Valorant?
Valorant is a first-person shooter that represents a unique blend of the tactical shooter and hero shooter subgenres. There are some games that represent similar gameplay elements, but not many that offer the exact experience that Valorant puts forward to players.
The tactical shooter genre is often considered to have been defined by the release of the original Counter-Strike, a multiplayer mod for famed single-player PC title Half-Life that later became a standalone game of its own. While most multiplayer FPS games to that point emphasized prolonged battles between opposing players zipping around the game at high speeds, Counter-Strike slowed things down significantly and made players much more susceptible to each other’s firepower, requiring players to take a more tactical approach to play.
That slower and more tactical approach, combined with the lightning-quick nature of action when it does occur, proved reliably popular. That popularity can still be seen today with the ongoing success enjoyed by the Counter-Strike franchise, and it’s this gameplay type that represents the core of Valorant. It’s no accident that former Counter-Strike developers were drafted by Riot Games to help create Valorant during the game’s formative stages.
What differentiates Valorant from CS and other tactical shooters it that each of the game’s characters, called agents, wield a number of unique abilities. Some are typical for tactical shooters, like flashbangs and smokes, while others are wildly different, such as an ability that transports two players to an isolated dueling arena for its duration.
These agent abilities are more reminiscent of hero shooters, a subgenre that arguably got its start with the Team Fortress games but has best been popularized by Blizzard title Overwatch. The abilities, combind with the tactical considerations that are at the core of Valorant, separate it from most any other FPS experience available for play.
How does Valorant esports work?
Like many other popular competitive shooters, Valorant does have a thriving esports scene. That scene is differentiated by the way it’s run and controlled by developer and publisher Riot Games. Riot uses a model based on the success of its League of Legends esports scene, which sees the globe’s competitive players and team’s separated by region. These regions play out their own competitions in their sections of the world before coming together at regular intervals for international tournaments featuring the best teams from each individual region.
While League of Legends once boasted a variety of regions and regional types, Riot sought to simplify that model when setting up esports for Valorant. The game has only a handful of major regions, and these regions are held as largely equitable, each sending their best teams to international events leading up to the year-end VALORANT Champions event.
