Valorant
Valorant
Valorant players won’t be able to instalock in future acts
Nicholas James
Valorant players won’t have to worry about teammates rushing to grab agents as soon as the match starts in a mad dash to make sure they get who they want. Instalocking can be a frustrating experience for a team since players often prioritize their own preferred agent over the team’s composition. According to recent leaks, Riot Games is working on a solution to this problem with cascading pick orders. According …
Valorant
shroud predicts Neon won’t see play in competitive Valorant
Olivia Richman
Popular first-person shooter player and streamer Michael “shroud” Grzesiek has shared his initial thoughts on Valorant’s newest agent, Neon. Neon is the 18th agent to come to Valorant (or the 19th depending on how you count them). Her focus is on speed, and she’s looking to be even faster than dashing agent Jett. In addition to bursts of radianite-powered sprints, Neon has energy bolts and an energy wall, making her …
Valorant
These are all the abilities for new Valorant agent 19, Neon
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant’s very own supersonic hero, Neon, has finally arrived. She’s quick, fierce, and shoots laser blasts from her fingers. It’s well-known that Valorant agent 19 Neon draws her power from light, but we now have exact details about Neon’s abilities. The thunderous heroine will join the squad on January 12, and Jett players should gear up for a major shift as a result. “Everything about Neon came back to that …
Valorant
Spectre gets nerfed, account levels restricted in new patch 4.0
Fariha Bhatti
Patch day is here in Valorant, bringing crucial weapon changes for Ares, Bulldog, and Spectre users. New Valorant patch 4.0 will heavily impact the game’s gunplay. Valorant agent 19 officially arrives on January 12. The developer has rolled out a new patch that proves that learning the new agent isn’t all players need told be worrying about. A change to account levels and further map changes are also set to …
Valorant
Trailer reveals launch date, skills of new Valorant agent Neon
Fariha Bhatti
Riot Games has finally given the first official look at the kit of new Valorant agent Neon. Agent 19 seems to be lightning-fast and has sonic-style hair. Valorant’s most anticipated duelist so far has officially been revealed, and she’s everything players wanted. A mobility ranger that swoops in and hits enemies like an electric shock. Neon bears the tag 19, and she hails from the Philippines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtx8CgjRmqE Her first look …
Valorant
How to use Valorant’s favorite Sentinel, Killjoy
Fariha Bhatti
Killjoy might be a bit boring to play compared to some of the more dynamic agents in Valorant, but she’s one of the deadliest Valorant agents. Here’s how to play Killjoy effectively without compromising on kills. Killjoy is equipped with some of the most potent abilities in Valorant. When used correctly, the cutesy genius of Germany can annihilate an entire enemy team. Killjoy’s abilities include two Nanoswarms, a Turret, an …
Valorant
Valorant player brings a real functional Killjoy turret to life
Fariha Bhatti
Killjoy is easily one of the most likable Valorant characters. A new fan-made turret shows the fanbase’s love for the genius of Germany. Valorant protocol is loaded with ferocious agents with dark stories and lore. The squad would have been a little dreary if it weren’t for Raze and Killjoy’s upbeat voice lines. This new functional turret in real life is proof of players’ adoration for Killjoy, one of the …
Valorant
Valorant map Ascent recreated in Fortnite’s creative mode
Fariha Bhatti
Fortnite players have taken a liking to Valorant’s iconic locations. This player has brought an entire map to Fortnite’s battle arena. Battle royale and FPS players may not have much in common, but they both appreciate a good arena. Valorant’s Ascent is known for its automatic doors and summery scenery. This Fortnite player has taken his love for the map to a whole level. A player named Neverty has brought …
This new wallbang on Haven is too OP for Odin users
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Players are already on a fence about Valorant’s triple-site map, and this new wallbang on Haven makes it even more controversial. Some of the wackiest Valorant glitches were first detected in Valorant’s triple-locale Haven. From Skye’s magic flashes to Viper’s running wall, the map is known for its bug factor. This new discovery isn’t exactly a glitch, but it doesn’t help fix Haven’s reputation. An overpowered wallbang has been discovered …
How to get your Act rank gun buddy in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant Episode 3 Act 3 is finally wrapping up, which means players will soon get rewarded with an act rank gun buddy and brand new in-game cosmetics. A new Valorant act is just around the corner. Players now have limited time to grind through their battle pass and reach their peak rank before everything locks. The developer will turn off matchmaking just a few hours before the next act begins, …
Valorant player brings Chamber’s Sheriff to life with cardboard
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
One Valorant fan has brought Chamber’s heavy-duty Sheriff to life using only cardboard. Riot Games’ latest addition to Valorant protocol is a fan of everything expensive. Chamber comes from so much money that he doesn’t fancy Valorant’s default weapons. Agent 18 brought his own guns in the form of a golden HeadHunter and Tour De Force. Chamber may like fancy stuff, but a Valorant player has created a cheap Sheriff …
Do weapon skins really improve your play in Valorant?
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Many players think that Valorant might be pay-to-win due to its overpriced skin bundles. But do extravagant skins really improve gameplay in Valorant? Riot Games has rolled out over 25 bundles so far. About 28 of them include skins for primary weapons Phantom and Vandal, the two most-used skins in the game. Despite having multiple collections, some dedicated players still stick to one skin they bought months ago. Most players …
Want to know how many hours you’ve spent playing Valorant in 2022?
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Wondering how much time you’ve spent playing Valorant? Riot Games currently doesn’t have a tracker, but players can still check hours played in Valorant. Riot Games’ new tactical shooter is visually pleasant, challenging, and addictive. Once you press play, it’s hard to stop competing for ELO. The transparent ranking system makes it all the more cut-throat as it pushes players to do better and beat enemies. Valorant experience can be …
This is the best Valorant stat tracker in 2022
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Stat trackers can help keep in the loop with the meta in Valorant, as well as tracking your personal performance and hours played. We can recommend a great Valorant stat tracker to read up on your gameplay. Valorant is still a relatively new first-person shooter that doesn’t provide in-depth statistics. In-game progress trackers are accurate, but they show very limited data. Players can get exact numbers from third-party Valorant stat …
This insane Kay/O bug could actually work as an intended buff
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant’s robot is malfunctioning, but players like it. Kay/O has started controlling its movement in downstate, which could potentially be the new buff Kay/O needs to be viable. Kay/O is equipped with a knife that forces overpowered agents to use their guns. Despite his unique kit, he isn’t seeing much playtime, and players think this new bug could help him. https://www.reddit.com/r/VALORANT/comments/rt9p9p/new_kayo_mechanic/ Kay/O was Riot Games’ attempt at fixing the game …
Here’s how to refund skins and VP in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Don’t like the extravagant Valorant skin you paid big bucks for? Fret not. Players can luckily refund skins in Valorant. Riot Games has rolled out over 25 skin bundles in Valorant so far. Most of these skins are keenly priced, but a few guns can cost an arm and a leg. Sometimes, these heavily animated skins turn out to be mediocre in the game. That’s when players regret spending their …
Leak shows first look at Valorant’s new Agent 19, Neon
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Prime Gaming may have accidentally leaked the first look of Valorant agent 19. The electrical duelist may have cute pigtails, but a fierce dash hints that she will be deadly. Teasers of agent 19 have been swirling for weeks now, creating an air of excitement for Valorant fans. Players were eager to see the brand new agent, and it seems that her image has slipped through the cracks. Amazon Gaming …
Here’s how to change servers in Valorant to get low ping
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant players can change their servers at will according to their preferences. Here’s how to do it. It’s been a year since Riot Games first dipped its toes in the first-person shooter category with Valorant. Since then, the game has become a flagship shooter, garnering a massive player base worldwide. Riot Games has added nine servers to accommodate all of its new players. All of the regions in Valorant that …
What’s wrong with Valorant’s OP? Players call the Operator unfair
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The sniper rifle in Valorant has been heavily criticized by both casual and professional players. But what exactly is wrong with Valorant’s Operator? Valorant players have long been picking holes in the game’s gunplay since it went public in 2020. Riot Games managed to fix most of it, but players still can’t seem to make their peace with overpowered Operator. A whole year after Valorant’s release, players are still rambling …
Where is Valorant’s missing agent 8? Everything we know so far
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games has introduced new Valorant agents so frequently that many players have forgotten about the game’s mysterious missing agent. Where is agent 8, and why did they go missing? Valorant protocol recently got an update in the form of Chamber, who rolled in with custom guns. The developer is now set to release a new face to the duelist roster in Sprinter who’ll speed up the meta. Amid …
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.
