Valorant
Valorant
There’s no counter to this OP Cypher wallhack bug on Ascent
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Valorant
What’s the World’s Smallest Violin Challenge in Valorant?
Fariha Bhatti
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
Valorant developers confirm Chamber nerfs are coming soon
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Valorant
Overpowered Raze ult on Pearl proves she’s back in the meta
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Valorant
When does the Valorant Night. Market return? Find out here
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant Night. Market skins is set to return yet again. Players can get premium skins at a cut price for a limited time. Riot Games has rolled out tons of in-game cosmetics for players who can afford to spend some extra cash on virtual items. These pricey skins add value to your account and style to your Valorant highlight clips. Some may even feel a difference in their gameplay after …
Valorant
Valorant is experimenting to get rid of smurfs in patch 5.01
Steven Rondina
Valorant patch 5.01 has brought a number of balance changes to agents alongside a new experimental detection system meant to deal with smurfs. Balancing is difficult in any game, and that applies to both the game itself and its matchmaking engine. Some agents are overly powerful or even weaker than they should be, and some players end up competing against opponents that are way better or way worse than they …
Valorant
Iconic Ion Phantom returns in Valorant Run it Back bundle
Fariha Bhatti
Prepare your wallets because iconic Valorant weapons are returning in the Run it Back bundle. Valorant patch 5.01 is quite a meta-shaker with Phoenix and Yoru changes, but players can enjoy the new landscape in style. After experimenting with unique themes, Riot Games has decided to play it safe for the new patch. Instead of rolling out a new bundle, the developer is bringing back some of the best Valorant …
Valorant
shroud silences haters by showing his absurd Valorant skills
Olivia Richman
Michael “shroud” Grzesiek recently signed with the Sentinels Valorant team and it had some people questioning the former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro’s skills. He answered those questions with an incredible play that seemed to shock the man himself. While streaming a match on Icebox, shroud pulled off an absurd play that had his team speechless. shroud won a round by getting three wallbang kills in a row. shroud and his …
Here’s when shroud will return to esports with Sentinels
Steven Rondina
Valorant
Michael “shroud” Grzesiek is returning to esports competition with Sentinels. While organization explicitly made it clear when shroud will debut, there’s only one option. shroud has dabbled with competitive Valorant on a few occasions in the past. He played in a number of show matches shortly after the game’s release and in 2021 he put together a squad to take part in open qualifiers for official events. Business picked up …
shroud returns to pro play, joins Sentinels’ Valorant roster
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and streaming icon Michael “shroud” Grzesiek is not done with competitive play just yet. The famous Twitch streamer is returning to esports, this time in a Sentinels Valorant jersey. The 2021 VCT Stage 2 Masters champions have been going through a slump in 2022, barely making it to the VCT NA Last Chance Qualifier. However, it seems like Sentinels have found a solution for their ills. In a …
How to play Raze in Valorant, a complete guide to the duelist
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The Showstopper Raze is one loud duelist and with the right style of play, she’s a deadly Valorant agent Equipped with a self-destructive Roomba and deadly grenades, she’s the perfect mix of an initiator and duelist. Raze popped out as the loud, jolly, but lethal duelist among the original 10 agents in Valorant. She was the only strong option in the role after Jett. The addition of newer, more aggressive …
When is the Valorant mobile beta? Leakers say soon
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games is being weirdly tight-lipped about Valorant Mobile, but soothsayers aren’t holding back. A beta test may be happening sooner than expected, leakers suggest. After making strides in the PC ecosystem, Riot Games is gearing up to reshape mobile gaming with its character-based tactical shooter. Valorant is the next esport to follow in the footsteps of Apex Legends, PUBG, and more. However, fans must keep their eyes locked on …
Try this genius trick makes Battle Sage viable on Pearl
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Sage is not just a healer. With this trick, she can be a key part of winning rounds on Pearl. In fast-paced Valorant games, Sage is often burdened with the task of healing teammates. Her assists may look attractive, but the agent often fails to add kills to the board. That’s not entirely a bad thing. Sage’s support is crucial until the end of the round, so it’s best for …
Here’s how to reload quicker as Cypher in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
If you’re a Cypher main who opts for quick switching to save time, you’ve been reloading your weapon all wrong. Check out this trick to reload quicker as Cypher. Riot Games introduced a unique twist of ability-wielding characters to the traditional first-person shooter genre. In 2022, Valorant stands out as an entertaining shooter that draws players in with its lively agents and immersive lore. But Valorant is still a shooter …
Viper’s ultimate can protect players from flashes in a new Valorant bug
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant flashes have taken a shine to Viper’s kit, forgiving anyone who lurks around her poison. Riot Games has rolled out numerous agents equipped with blinding flashes. They’re supremely annoying thanks to how impactful they are at getting site control. Skye, Breach, and Kay/O are a few examples of ace flashers who singlehandedly carry teams to win by painting screens white. Their abilities usually spare no one, but a new …
These are the must-know callouts for new Valorant map Pearl
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
New Valorant map Pearl is simple at first glance, but it’s a complex labyrinth in practice. Players will desperately need to learn the callouts of Pearl to effectively coordinate. When Riot Games offered the first look at Pearl, players heaved a sigh of relief as the location didn’t come with complex gimmicks. Instead, it’s a straightforward FPS map with two bomb points split by a middle area. Instead of teleporters …
Here’s how to make accurate calls in competitive Valorant games
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The latest mute system is proof that Riot Games is aware not all comms are helpful in its tactical shooter. Fret not, because our guide can help you to make accurate calls in Valorant. When Riot rolled out a new clutch mute system, some wondered why it was needed. In lower to medium ranks, players can be unnecessarily chatty. Some breath right into their mics, while others try to micromanage …
Game-breaking Jett Updraft glitch can shut down teams on Icebox
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Jett continues to redefine the Valorant meta through bugs and glitches, with the latest example being her ability to reach unfair spots on Icebox using Updraft. Icebox’s complex layout with ample chokepoints is Reyna’s home turf but Jett mains can also enjoy a high kill count. She’s not the star duelist of Icebox, but her power to adapt makes her a viable pick. And of course, trolls can find plenty …
Players highlight a game-breaking coaching bug in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot’s kept-up shooter may be the next esport to land in hot water for a nasty glitch that provides Valorant coaches with unfair information. Radar glitches are pretty common in shooter games, but they often get instant fixes due to their severity. However, some glitches get slipped under the rug, spelling chaos for the esports. A popular example is the coaching bug fiasco in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive that festered the …
Omen TP bug on Ascent is breaking Valorant competitive
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Omen’s teleport is acting up again, but it’s likely the map’s fault this time. Ascent B main is letting him inside walls with an advantageous view after using his TP. Ascent is known for its thin walls. Most objects on this summer venue allow for wall-bang shots, especially if you have Sova or Odin on your team. It is pretty annoying to deal with, but also entertaining if you’re the …
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.
