Valorant
Valorant
New Valorant bundle Prelude to Chaos is a mechanical nightmare
William Davis
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 …
Valorant
Here’s the 1st look at Pearl, Valorant’s new map for Episode 5
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Valorant
Here’s the Valorant Episode 5, Act 1 and Pearl release date
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Valorant
These Omen one-way tricks are game-changing on Ascent
Fariha Bhatti
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, …
Valorant
Here’s a first look at Valorant map 8, an underwater city
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Valorant
Xenohunter skins in Valorant are causing big visibility issues
Olivia Richman
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 …
Valorant
Riot disables Split from queue after major bug discovered
Fariha Bhatti
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 …
Valorant
Players are exploiting an OP angle on Split with new Jett bug
Fariha Bhatti
Riot Games’ attempts to keep Jett in line with other Valorant agents are proving to be fruitless, with players finding a new bug to keep her a step above the competition. Jett has consistently remained one of the top agents in Valorant. The duelist has incredible mobility that is currently unmatched. Even with various nerfs and gameplay changes, Jett has remained very strong in pro play, ranked play, and casual …
Valorant map eight codename leaked, but what could it mean?
William Davis
Valorant
Riot Games has a very strange codename for Valorant map eight according to recent leaks. Reputable Valorant leaker ValorLeaks has revealed Riot Games’ internal codename for Valorant’s unreleased eighth map. The map is currently being referred to as “Pitt.” It’s not clear exactly what this name means, Valorant players think it may also hint toward a possible map gimmick. As with many other big leaks, this new information comes from …
Players unhappy with new Xenohunter bundle, and here’s why
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
New Valorant skins are dropping soon, and players are already complaining. The minimalistic Xenohunter bundle includes a default-like bayonet and plain skins. Riot Games has recently put out numerous skin bundles on simple and dark beats. While fans love immersive backstories and themes, minimal aesthetics can be appealing on their own. The recent Endeavor bundle drew a negative response for being “too bland” and boring, so Riot introduced a couple …
Patch 4.11 brings new clutch mute system to Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
A new clutch mute system allows Valorant players to control what they hear during intense moments. Riot has rolled out a shiny new feature to block out background noise. Valorant is a team game, but it often comes to down clutch situations where a player may be left alone against multiple enemies. Even a slight distraction can ruin an easy shot and, in turn, an entire round. Unfortunately in Valorant, …
This is the ultimate Cypher setup to lock down sites on Split
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Cypher’s pick rate has fallen dramatically in the current act but handling his kit correctly can make ranking up easy, as this new Cypher setup on Split proves. The release of new sentinels has pushed Cypher into the background. No one wants to go the extra mile to learn Cypher setups, but it’s definitely worth the time and effort. Learning a few Cypher setups and lineups can yield easy wins …
Valorant players can now reveal enemies inside TP with Fade
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Fade is the perfect antidote to Bind’s teleporter tricks. The automatic doors can be annoying to deal with, but not when Fade is watching. Bind’s teleporters reshaped the concept of rotation. Riot Games introduced the gimmick to cut flanks and add detail to shooter maps. But that’s not all these doors are used for. Trolls love Bind’s teleporters. They’re a great hiding spot to save weapons and an excuse for …
Raze’s deadly Boom Bot comes to life with IRL fan-made model
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Raze’s in-game popularity may have taken a beating recently, but her loyal fans still firmly believe in her kit. One fan made a Boom Bot IRL to prove that she’s still among the best-loved agents in Valorant. Only a few agents have retained their initial prowess. Valorant meta has evolved drastically since 2020, bringing fresh faces to the roster. With new agents, players’ options have also diversified. Many old characters …
Play like a pro in Valorant by mastering this Viper lineup
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The poisonous Viper is extraordinary on Breeze, judging from Valorant pros. This lineup is one of the ones they use to dominate. Valorant’s largest location, Breeze offers some of the deepest gameplay in the tactical shooter. All Valorant maps have a gimmick that sets them apart, with Breeze’s being two mid areas. No other map in Valorant has more than one mid area. The split layout is why many agents …
Retakes are completely impossible if you do this with Viper
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Viper’s kit is viable at a minimum but she becomes completely OP on a map like Fracture. Check out this new setup that blocks the spike until it blows. Fracture is a small map loaded with opportunities for clever plays. Popular agents may struggle on this location, as it is a playground for underrated Valorant agents. Viper is one of the best controllers to pick on this complex layout. Her …
Here’s how Valorant beginners can improve their aim
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
If you find yourself blaming Valorant’s “broken gunplay” after whiffing easy shots, you may benefit from this guide. Here’s how beginners can improve their aim in Valorant in no time. Valorant’s agent roster may have lured in a number of expats from other hero shooters, but it’s a tactical shooter at its core. Without a crisp aim, players may find it challenging to make silver ranks. Thanks to in-game challenges …
How to play Omen, the sneakiest agent in all of Valorant
William Davis
Valorant
Learning how to play Omen is all about understanding how the controller agent changes from offense to defense. As a controller, Omen is meant to be an information-gathering agent with strong tools for clutch situations. His smokes and teleports are also strong on defense, blocking off crucial sightlines and setting up important flanks for his team. His unique Paranoia flashes also allow him to take duels that other agents would …
Riot claims map repetition issue has been resolved completely
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Players should notice a significant decrease in Valorant map repetition as Riot has claimed that five-map streaks have been entirely removed. Riot Games has been vigorously working on the map repetition issue in Valorant widely reported by players. According to the players, they often had to play the same location as many as five times in a row. After a string of complaints, the developer got to work and mended …
All we know about the 1v1 arena game mode coming to Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant is about to get more competitive with official matchmaking for 1v1 “arena” duels. Competitive players love to challenge their opponents to a 1v1 battle during ranked games. It’s a common practice among dedicated Valorant players who are wanting to blame their teammates for a loss while ignoring their own toxicity. Unfortunately, custom modes have been the only way to compete in private matches. Riot Games may be engineering a …
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.
