Valorant
Valorant
How to get free On the Case Prime Gaming gun buddy in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant Episode 5 is packed with free loot and prizes, but it’s not exclusive to the in-game client. Owners of an Amazon Prime account can unlock the On the Case Valorant gun buddy for free. Extravagant Valorant skins aren’t affordable but Riot Games’ regular free rewards let all players enjoy Valorant’s in-game cosmetics. These free items may not be as lavish as the pricy ones, but they certainly add some …
Valorant
First details emerge on Valorant agent 21, codenamed “Mage”
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant prophets have revealed the codename for the upcoming agent 21. Here’s everything we know about Mage. The spine-chilling initiator Fade has been terrorizing the agents with her dark abilities and beasts. In episode five’s Pearl, she’s continuing to be a strong pick, meaning the game meta will soon be ready for a new face. With potential agent buffs in the pipeline, Riot is firing on all cylinders to make …
Valorant
Riot details its plans to record Valorant in-game voice chat
Fariha Bhatti
Toxic players may want to watch what they say in Valorant voice chat. Riot Games is gearing up to introduce a voice evaluation system to fight bad actors. Valorant attracted loads of fans with its modern gameplay and characters. The game saw massive success among FPS fans and trolls. Riot’s efforts to curb toxicity in Valorant have been successful to some degree, but there’s no shortage of abusive players. The …
Valorant
Five tips to rank up quickly in Valorant Episode 5
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant Episode 5 is here, which means it’s time to grind a new badge. Following a few simple steps at the outset can help climb the ladder quickly. In Episode 5, Riot Games pulled Split out of the queue, throwing Pearl into the mix. But, that’s not what most players are concerned about. Adding Ascendant to the ladder will make climbing ranks even more challenging. Higher ranked players may find …
Valorant
Here are all the Valorant ranks in order after Episode 5
Fariha Bhatti
The competitive mode for Valorant has received a bit of an upgrade in Episode 5. New players may benefit from this Valorant rank badge guide. Valorant was initially released with 22 ranks spread across eight tiers. In episode five, Riot has slipped in the green Ascendent badge to the rank order to deliver some much-needed balance. It’s not an earth-shaking update, but it could have a major impact on Valorant’s …
Valorant
Here are all 7 of the Valorant maps in rotation for Episode 5
Fariha Bhatti
With the release of the fantastical eighth map, Pearl, Riot Games has introduced a new rotational cycle. Here are all the active Valorant maps in Episode 5. A sparkling green Ascendant badge and the futuristic utopia Pearl have shaken Valorant to its core. To top it all off, Riot decided to narrow the map pool down to the magic number seven. This will make the next season a head-scratcher, especially …
Valorant
Here are the best agents to use on new Valorant map Pearl
Fariha Bhatti
New Valorant map Pearl is an underwater city encapsulated in a clear Radianite shield, adding yet another unique gimmick to Valorant. But what agents work best in this peculiar location? The Kingdom has taken it upon itself to secure Omega earth’s future in Valorant Episode 5. The wonder beneath the waves dubbed Pearl was once a city on the brink of collapse, but was ultimately saved by the heroes. While …
Valorant
Here is how to change your Valorant home screen
Olivia Richman
Looking to customize your Valorant home screen? Some gamers have discovered it’s possible, but it may not be advised. A Valorant player recently took to Reddit to show the FPS community a neat trick they uncovered. They found the background of the home screen could be changed to just about anything by going to a special file location. VALORANT/live/ShooterGame/Content/Movies/Menu/HomeScreen.mp4 On a social media thread, the user even showed a video …
Valorant will stick to seven-map pool, will Split return?
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
It’s time to bid farewell to Split. Riot Games has settled on magic number seven for the Valorant map pool, scraping Split from the rotation. Riot Game has been building on Valorant’s limited map pool with the location release after a six-month gap. Initially, players dabbled in four maps, which led to poor rotation. The developer found a solution by adding more maps, ultimately increasing variety. In 2022, Valorant has …
New Ascendent Valorant rank may help you escape ELO hell
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Hard-stuck silvers have prompted Riot Games to whip up a whole new rank, with the new Ascendant rank coming to Valorant. You’re not the only one stuck in silver. It turns out most Valorant players are struggling to get out of bronze and other low ranks. Statistics reveal that about 35.3% of players are Silver, the highest percentage number of any rank. This saturation has created an imbalance in Valorant ELO, prompting …
New Valorant bundle Prelude to Chaos is a mechanical nightmare
William Davis
Valorant
Valorant and Doom fans can express their love for both games with the newly-leaked Prelude to Chaos bundle. The newest Valorant set will add some demonic flair to Riot Games’ tactical shooter. Prelude to Chaos guns are mechanically complicated with flashy reload animations and special effects that highlight the final kill. The set includes skins for fan-favorite guns such as the OP and Vandal, along with a gigantic sword for …
Here’s the 1st look at Pearl, Valorant’s new map for Episode 5
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Images of Valorant map eight, Pearl, have slipped through the cracks ahead of the official release and it looks fiercely competitive. It’s been a while since Riot Games has updated the map pool of Valorant. Since Fracture, players have been working with the same seven maps. The H-shaped layout of Fracture did spice up the game, but players have been on edge to get a peek at Pearl, the dome-shaped …
Here’s the Valorant Episode 5, Act 1 and Pearl release date
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Episode 4 is coming to an end, which means a brand new map and a battle pass are on the horizon. Here’s the Valorant Episode 5, Act 1 release date, content, and more. Riot Games has been generous with new skins and agents in recent acts. In Episode 4, Fade and Neon joined the flashy roster of Valorant, bringing kits packed with electricity and dark magic. However, players now want …
These Omen one-way tricks are game-changing on Ascent
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Omen’s one-way smokes can be extremely rewarding when used correctly and Ascent’s layout offers up plenty of opportunities to use them. On larger locations like Ascent and Haven, Omen is generally a top pick among players. Unlike other agents, his smokes can pierce through objects, allowing him to lock down large areas. Omen’s Dark Cover is powerful on Ascent, where walls are scaled with ornaments that facilitate one-ways. Unlike A, …
New Valorant map Pearl looks a lot like CSGO’s Inferno
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant fans have gotten a first look at upcoming eighth map Pearl, and fans have noticed some similarities to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive map Inferno. The developer has been busy building on the Valorant agent roster, so it’s been a while since the map pool has received an update. Players have finally found their footing on Fracture and with that, Riot has decided to expand the collection in Valorant Episode 5, …
Valorant fan makes a must-see Genshin Impact crossover
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Genshin Impact is cozying up with Valorant in this fun, fan-made crossover that no one expected. Valorant has previously joined forces with its sister game, League of Legends. But other than that, crossovers have been non-existent for Valorant. That hasn’t stopped creative players from whipping up their own bizarre fusions with other gaming IPs. This new agent-select trailer has proved that Riot’s tactical shooter can blend together with other titles …
Xbox Game Pass will unlock all Valorant agents, LoL champions
Steven Rondina
Valorant
Xbox Game Pass is offering players the ability to have instant access to all League of Legends champions and Valorant agents. During the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase, Riot Games made a surprise appearance to announce a new partnership with Microsft. This partnership will see the gaming subscription service offer instant access to all characters across all of Riot Games’ released multiplayer titles. To be precise, it offers instant access …
Here’s a first look at Valorant map 8, an underwater city
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games has quietly teased what Valorant map eight will look at, giving fans a first look at an underwater dome map. While players were busy discussing the Xenohunter bundle, Riot Games dropped a massive teaser for the “Pitt.” As the official release day draws closer, the developer is becoming more forward with what’s coming. After strings of leaks and speculations around the codename, fans can finally look at a …
Xenohunter skins in Valorant are causing big visibility issues
Olivia Richman
Valorant
The new Xenohunter Phantom skin has created some game-breaking problems in Valorant. The Xenohunter bundle was initially met with a lukewarm reaction from the Valorant community thanks to its futuristic take on military-style weapons but otherwise simplistic design elements. The skin also added a radar to a few weapons to detect heartbeats in very specific situations. But some players have noticed that the skin obscures enemies at certain angles, a …
Riot disables Split from queue after major bug discovered
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Split has gone into the workshop after players highlighted significant bugs on A towers. New Valorant patches often bring minor glitches that get fixed quickly. Riot keeps a watchful eye on community forums and social channels to ensure that game is free of significant problems. However, some bugs slip through the cracks and mar the game. A newly discovered Jett bug is an excellent example of a game-breaking bug that …
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.
