Valorant
Valorant
Developer explains why ego peeking in Valorant is a good thing
Fariha Bhatti
Are your teammates always calling you out for ego peeking your enemies? It’s not entirely a bad thing and might even be good, as one Valorant developer has explained. You can’t be too cautious in tactical shooter games. One wrong move could spell victory for your enemies, so it’s good to tread carefully. But sometimes aggression is the key to unlocking wins. But it’s difficult to pick fights when you’re …
Valorant
Fans put CSGO skins on Valorant weapons and it’s amazing
Fariha Bhatti
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive’s iconic Asiimov skin has inspired Valorant players and yielded an exquisite fanmade Asiimov Vandal. Valorant skins seem as cheap as chips compared to top-end cosmetics in CSGO. Some weapon skins in CSGO can cost an arm a leg, eventually becoming a commodity. Players can potentially trade in these skins to make money in real life, whereas cheap Valorant skins are pure virtual items. However, the animated weapons …
Valorant
Here are all 7 Valorant Episode 5 maps, ranked by difficulty
Fariha Bhatti
The seven maps in the active pool of Valorant are all challenging, but some are easier than others. Here’s how each map ranks based on difficulty. Riot Games recently settled on the magic number seven for Valorant’s map rotation. After the addition of Pearl, the game had eight maps, prompting the developer to remove Split. One of the original maps was initially unique in its inclusion of ziplines to, adding …
Valorant
Cypher is still good in Valorant with this sneaky Pearl setup
Fariha Bhatti
Cypher isn’t the most popular sentinel in Valorant, but his camera is still irreplaceable. This new Cypher setup spot on Pearl might convince you to give him another shot. Pearl is one of the largest Valorant maps and its complex alleys make it tough to deal with. The underwater labyrinth challenges players to gain map control quickly. While defenders may struggle to rotate, attackers have a tough time playing post-plant. …
Valorant
Reaver 2.0 bundle is real, and it has a fancy karambit
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant’s most iconic bundle to date, the Reaver skin line is returning. Leaked images show that Reaver 2.0 has the potential to break the Valorant market. Recent skin bundles in Valorant have been underwhelming, with a few exceptions. Popular collections’ spin-offs have likely roped more business for Riot Games than new releases. RGX 11z, Prime 2.0, and Magepunk are excellent examples of sequels that tempted many to invest in cosmetic …
Valorant
Who is Varun Batra, Valorant’s potential agent 21?
Fariha Bhatti
The Valorant Public Beta Environment has teased a crucial character in the lore who could be from India. Is Varun Batra the next Valorant agent 21, Mage? Riot Games is big on diversity when it comes to Valorant protocol. The lineup has characters from different parts of the world. From Ghana to Germany, the developer has added various languages, references, and agents into the mix. Neon’s release ended up being …
Valorant
Valorant is likely getting Fortnite-style emotes for each agent
Fariha Bhatti
If you thought animated sprays were a lot, Riot Games might be considering Fortnite-like emotes for Valorant agents. Valorant is a highly competitive shooter that requires dedication and skills. To win at a high level, players must give their all. But Riot Games has added plenty of Easter eggs around Valorant maps that add a fun touch to the otherwise grueling games. Shiny skins, animated sprays, and cute plushies are …
Valorant
Riot is finally delivering big nerfs to Chamber
Fariha Bhatti
The swank Sentinel has finally landed under Riot’s nerf hammer, and Valorant players are elated. Leaked Chamber nerfs sound promising enough to clock him back after the agent has come to dominate the game. The French agent has been getting a lot of hate recently for his golden guns, workable TP, and slowing gadget. Chamber was a jack of all trades, simultaneously aggressing onto enemies while managing flanks. He played …
Raze can open Bind teleporters from outside and it’s amazing
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Bind’s teleporters can be a menace if the enemy team won’t stop exploiting them but it’s possible to open them from the outside thanks to Raze. Pearl is Valorant’s first map not to have a unique feature that directly impacts gameplay. Before Pearl, Riot Games gave each map a gimmick that changed how teams navigated the map or forced players to use unique strategies. Ziplines, three bombsites, and two middle …
The ultimate Valorant agent tier list for Episode 5
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The latest Valorant episode has plenty of strong agents, which may create a paradox of choice for the players. This ultimate tier list would help you pick the best agent for Episode 5 in each category. Valorant Episode 5 Act 1 is fast-paced, with 19 agents spread across four categories. In theory, no agent is unviable, as Riot has carefully curated kits that are situationally viable. However, some agents have …
CSGO is a “joke” next to Valorant’s difficulty, says shroud
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The ceaseless comparisons between Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Valorant aren’t stopping soon. Micheal “shroud” Grzesiek has fanned the old discussion again, calling CSGO a joke compared to Riot’s shooter. Before Valorant entered the fray, CSGO ruled tactical shooters. Riot’s take on the genre was transformative and provided Counter-Strike with its first real competitor. While players have many hot takes on which is better, shroud’s word has weightage due to his …
What is losers queue in Valorant, and is it real? Devs answer
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Do you ever feel like Valorant is forcing you to queue with other unfortunate players? Riot devs claim that it’s not the case and that the supposed losers queue is nothing more than fantasy. Riot Games has tried time and again to establish transparency with its players. Regular blogs are the developer’s primary source of communicating procedures and plans to the community. Still, players have plenty of theories that are …
Here’s how to play Chamber in Valorant, the OP sentinel
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Few new characters in Valorant had the immediate impact Chamber did, establishing his position as the hero hybrid. Here’s how to play the stylish sentinel in Valorant. New agents usually take time to find their footing in the meta. Chamber, however, became a centerpiece of all gaming-winning compositions within weeks of his release. His unique golden inventory makes him a hybrid agent who can occasionally fill in for duelists. He’s …
How to get Eco or Ego spray in Valorant from Prime Gaming loot
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant players can now grab a unique spray exclusive to Prime Gaming owners. An Eco or Ego Spray in Valorant is attractive and clever, making it a great find for players. Valorant is free to play, but Riot Games has locked many exquisite cosmetic items behind a paywall. These pricey cosmetics can add tons of value to the account and help players paint the bland maps with colorful stickers, leaving …
Valorant YouTuber SeLFlo dead in apparent suicide at 23
Steven Rondina
Valorant
Valorant YouTuber SeLFlo is reportedly dead by suicide after falling from the top of an apartment building. According to local reports, a student at the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management, Gwalior died in Hyderabad, India. The individual who died was identified as Valorant YouTuber SeLFlo. He was 23 years old. SeLFlo had discussed his struggles with mental health before his death. Shortly before he died, he posted an …
Players want Icebox disabled in Valorant, here’s why
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Icebox is raining bugs, making the map a menace to play in competitive Valorant. The map’s A site is loaded with game-breakingly good exploits, leading to an abundance of complaints. The icy tundra is hands-down one of the best Valorant maps due to the verticality and snowy weather. Underrated agents shine on this location, making it a player favorite. If there were any initial flaws, Riot fixed them by rolling …
There’s no counter to this OP Cypher wallhack bug on Ascent
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Cypher may not be the flashiest agent on the roster, but he can be super sneaky with his kit. This new Cypher bug on Ascent allows him heavy intel by unfair means. The spy-like agent has a complicated toolkit capable of locking down an entire map, making him an overpowered detective in some situations. Cypher’s strength isn’t about firepower, so he becomes useless if his kit isn’t used correctly. That …
What’s the World’s Smallest Violin Challenge in Valorant?
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant players have found a new pastime, and it’s addictive and entertaining. The World’s Smallest Violin Challenge in Valorant isn’t just a TikTok fad but it may actually help with the aim. Aim training is crucial for ranking up in Valorant. For this purpose, Riot added a customizable range in the game that assists players in practicing in a customizable setting. Among many other options, the range also allows players …
Valorant developers confirm Chamber nerfs are coming soon
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Chamber is next line to get significant nerfs to his kit, Valorant developers teased. The overpowered sentinel has long been on the developer’s radar. Few new characters in Valorant had the immediate impact Chamber did. Within weeks of his release, the agent’s pick rate took off, making him a centerpiece of all gaming-winning compositions. In the current patch, Chamber is absolutely dominating the queues as one of the best agents …
Overpowered Raze ult on Pearl proves she’s back in the meta
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Pearl may seem like Jett’s home turf, but its vast layout also helps Raze execute insane plays. After staying on the sidelines for a hot minute, Raze has returned to the meta as one of the most-picked agents. Her play time at Valorant Masters shows that she’s still a viable pick, and Pearl’s addition further strengthens her place on the roster. Complex design of Pearl with an open sky area …
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.
