Valorant
Valorant
These quick tips can help get rid of packet loss in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Hours of warmup become futile when you have a poor internet connection or packet loss in Valorant. Try these tips to get rid of lag during high-stake games. Valorant may not require optimal PC specifications to run, but it’s not immune to the one thing that affects all online games. Players often get hit with red death indicators, alerting players of rubber banding, dropped frames, and other issues. Packet loss …
Valorant
This Cypher setup on Bind can win you a round in every game
Fariha Bhatti
Cypher may have a complex kit, but he is no less deadly than a duelist in the hands of those who know how to operate the sneaky spy. A new setup on Bind demonstrates Cypher is a savvy shooter. Valorant’s six duelists on the current roster are fast-paced and equipped with heavy firepower. A few carry tactical tools that are devised to trick enemies into traps. With his stealthy cameras …
Valorant
Here’s how to boost Valorant FPS, even on less powerful PCs
Fariha Bhatti
Getting a steady FPS count is vitally important in competitive online games. Valorant players on less powerful and low-end PCs can still increase their FPS by tweaking a few simple settings. Riot’s free-to-play tactical shooter doesn’t require a powerful PC build, but it may register lag on low-end machines. In-game settings can help players enjoy the authentic Valorant experience on their old PC systems. Valorant is relatively easy to run, …
Valorant
Here’s how you can customize your Operator crosshair in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
The Operator in Valorant has a relatively simple cross for its crosshair that will be intuitive for most. Still, players can customize the sniper scope settings. The crosshair you use in Valorant can make or break the game. Crisp aim is the quickest way to escape low ranks, but it can’t be achieved without tuning your crosshair. Fortunately, Valorant allows players to customize their crosshairs to their liking. You can …
Valorant
Here’s how to get a Valorant tracker overlay in real-time
Fariha Bhatti
Imagine being able to weigh your winning odds during a live game using accurate stats. It’s possible with a Valorant tracker overlay, and this is how you do it. Stat trackers can help keep you in the loop with the meta in Valorant and track your personal performance and hours played. In-game progress trackers are accurate but they unfortunately show minimal data. Alternatively, players can get exact numbers from third-party …
Valorant
Will there be a skin gifting system in Valorant like League?
Fariha Bhatti
Trading and gifting skins in Valorant is something players can only dream of. Riot Games has finally revealed if there’d be a gifting system in Valorant like its cousin game League of Legends. Valorant has a lavish collection of cosmetics that are worth big bucks. Extravagant skins with creative variants and levels aren’t for all though. They’re pricey and exclusive, which makes them perfect gifts for Valorant lovers. Unfortunately, players …
Valorant
Will Valorant have attacker and defender skins? Riot responds
Fariha Bhatti
Alternating skins in Valorant is a frequently requested feature, and developers have finally come clean. Will Valorant have attacker and defender skins anytime soon? Valorant players love to showcase all their bundles within a single game. Unfortunately, switching skins during a live match isn’t an operating feature as of now. Players have to pick one cosmetic for each gun and stick with it throughout the game. But, Valorant skins are …
Valorant
Will Valorant have a Netflix series like Arcane? Riot responds
Fariha Bhatti
Since Arcane’s record-shattering success in gaming, fans have been requesting Riot Games to make a Valorant Netflix series. We may now have an answer as to whether the developer is considering an animated show. Valorant is a popular tactical shooter game, but it also has a mind-bending plot. All 19 agents in Valorant have wild stories that add life to their characters. Their unique stories and experiences set them apart …
Leakers reveal details on Valorant map 8, set in Portugal
William Davis
Valorant
Valorant leakers are predicting that map eight will take place in an alternate reality version of Portugal. After months of hints, some of Valorant’s foremost pulse-readers have called the location of the next in-game map. The information was shared in a collaborative social media thread with leaker ValorLeaks and Valorant lore master Cynprel. The pair outlined six big teasers that all point to Valorant map eight taking place in Lisbon, …
This overpowered Omen teleport bug on Split is too deadly
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Omen’s teleport is acting up yet again, taking him to high spots that may provide defenders with unfair intel. In the new Valorant patch, Omen has turned into Cypher’s camera, except it’s almost impossible to spot him. Intel-gatherers like Cypher, Sova, and Fade are crucial in Valorant. They are capable of hiding their devices at unreachable points, garnering information for playmakers. However, the game becomes unfair when other agents can …
Fan creates 3D version of the most expensive knife in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The Spectrum knife, also known as Waveform, is one-of-a-kind collector’s piece. It’s so costly that a player has decided to make his own. Riot Games has rolled out over 30 skin bundles, but nothing comes close to the greatness of the Spectrum collection. Riot Games’ collaboration with Zedd was a wild moment in Valorant’s history, resulting in the most expensive bundle to date. The sky-high price tag of this collection …
This lineup lets Fade hang a whole team from a ceiling on Haven
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Fade’s kit may appear deadly, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be funny sometimes. This new Fade lineup on Haven leaves enemies swinging off the ground on any attempted C push. The latest recruit to the Valorant roster is fierce, heartless, and has scary powers. The initiator can be a menace to dodge as her cats are all-seeing while the Terror Trails follow enemies across the map. It’s safe to …
The complete guide to playing Sage in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The sole revivor in Valorant, Sage, is the go-to agent for elementary players. But, she has much more to offer. Learn how to use Sage to win more competitive games in Valorant. All 19 agents in Valorant have extraordinary powers that set them apart. However, these characters share some special abilities that are the nucleus of any FPS game. Smokes, molotovs, and flashes have generously been distributed among all agents …
Here’s how to manually customize your crosshair in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Are you looking to customize your crosshair? Valorant’s advanced crosshair settings can be a tad confusing. Here’s how to easily tune and customize your crosshair in Valorant. Copying crosshair codes of professional Valorant players is usually the easiest way to get a good crosshair. But some players may not be satisfied with the cookie-cutter approach of copying codes. Fortunately, existing crosshairs can be tweaked to your personal liking if you …
How to optimize your Valorant settings for maximum FPS
William Davis
Valorant
Whether you want a stable 60 FPS or a consistent 300, everyone has a reason to optimize their Valorant settings. As a free game, Valorant is designed to run on any hardware. The game is playable on extravagant custom computers and cheaper laptops. As a tactical shooter, FPS can make a big difference in tight engagements. While there are plenty of things you can do outside the settings menu to …
Riot has updated Omen’s character model in Valorant, fans react
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games has quietly made some changes to Omen’s character model, and Valorant players love it. The new Omen has more detailing with a sharper purple cape. Riot Games has added nine agents to Valorant since the game’s open release in 2020. Consistent patches have kept these agents fresh and up to date with the ever-changing meta. But, some agents look a bit outdated to the playerbase. The developer has …
Here’s every Spectre skin in Valorant and how much they cost
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant’s most used weapon after Vandal and Phantom comes in exciting animated and minimal skins. We have compiled a list of all Spectre skins in Valorant for your ease! The Spectre is one of the most overpowered budget-friendly weapons in Valorant. The SMG is accurate in both long and short-range, making it a no-brainer pick in half buy rounds. Some players may even prefer this SMG instead of rifles as …
Riot announces VCT Masters will be Valorant’s first live audience event
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games has dropped huge news for fans of Valorant’s growing esports scene. The VCT Masters stage 2 event in Copenhagen will allow a live audience for the first time. Valorant was released in the first half of 2020, which was the worst time for live esports events. With significant tournaments being shelved worldwide, players could only daydream of watching Valorant in a crowd, cheering for their favorite teams in …
Bugged Icebox A site spot gives wallhacks to the enemy team
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
This magical wall on Icebox may be providing attackers with a wallhack. Is this particular spot on Icebox bugged? Valorant has multiple agents that bring wallhack-like powers into the game. Sova and Fade can expose enemies behind solid objects, and Cypher casts an all-seeing gaze. Despite these powers, players still want to know more. Valorant’s strict anti-cheat has successfully kept serial cheaters at bay, but its own bugs may be …
Ranking all the best pistols in Valorant and when to use them
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Competitive players sometimes don’t care as much about eco rounds and play them carelessly. But you should remember that it’s always possible to win these rounds by picking the best pistols in Valorant. Economy management is crucial to winning a game in Valorant. Making the call to save or buy can help your team to stay competitive even after losing a round. But knowing when to make these decisions isn’t …
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.
