Valorant
Valorant
What are the best Valorant knife skins?
Fariha Bhatti
Gun skins are downright cheap compared to knives in Valorant, which is why players often put a lot of thought before copping a melee. We’ve compiled a list of the best Valorant melee weapons in terms of appearance, price, and style to help you make your choice when buying a melee skin. Riot Games has rolled out over 300 weapon skins since Valorant’s release in 2020. The developer slotted all …
Valorant
New bug allows players to destroy Sage’s wall by walking into it
Fariha Bhatti
Sage’s wall can be a menace on maps like Split, but a new bug has impaired her barriers to the point of randomly breaking. The Sentinel agent Sage is equipped with a lasting wall that can be used in many ways. Aggressive “battle Sage” players often use the Barrier to elevate themselves on odd angles, but it’s deployed chiefly to block narrow entrances. Sage’s Barrier is mainly reliable, but players …
Valorant
How to make a circle crosshair in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant crosshair settings allow players to go crazy with customization options, and they seem like some of the weirdest shapes. Choosing the appropriate crosshair is extremely important in first-person shooter games. While many hesitate from switching crosshair settings, some Valorant players like to troll around with unique shapes and figures. Thanks to Valorant customization options, players can be creative with their crosshairs. From the plain cross to the full-blown smiley …
Valorant
Why is Valorant updating so slow? How to fix the issue
Fariha Bhatti
Players are eager to grab the new patch each time Riot Games roll out new content, but slow download speed can sometimes dampen the fun. Minor updates are easier to tackle, even for low-end PCs and slow internet. However, massive updates like the previous 3.0 Valorant patch can take up a large chunk of PC performance and internet speed. It becomes even harder to tackle when patches feature skin packs …
Valorant
Patch 3.08 allows players to choose skin level in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Patch 3.08 has finally rolled in with tons of long-awaited updates and game changes. All Valorant agent kits have received consistent servicing from the developer in each patch. This time, Riot Games has focused more on in-game features that players have been requesting for a while now. Patch 3.08 tackles level border, report notifications, and skin downgrade. After the new patch, players will be able to pick their preferred skin …
Valorant
Riot teases new agent Deadeye with music and more
Nicholas James
The release of Valorant’s new agent is rapidly approaching and it’s been clear for a while that the next agent joining the roster is francophone Deadeye. The agent’s look has likely already been confirmed and his abilities can be pieced together from context clues. But more teasers are still coming through, this time with mysterious music to cryptic symbols being hidden somewhere on the newest map, Fracture. The first new …
Valorant
New Valorant Nunca Olvidados bundle hits, new dagger highlights
Fariha Bhatti
The latest Valorant skin line dubbed Nunca Olvidados features bright colored floral weapons with a melee reminiscent of ruin dagger. Since the RGX 11Z pro bundle release, players have been eagerly awaiting the new shop additions. The brand new skin collection is a treat for those who prefer less animated designs over the more extravagant upgradeable skins. Nunca Olvidados will enter the market upon the next patch’s release. The last …
Valorant
Riot Games reveals a significant drop in cheater reports in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Riot Games has revealed a significant drop in cheater reports, but it is now battling a whole new breed of hackers. Riot Games’ custom game security software Vanguard has always done a great job keeping hackers at bay. Compared to other shooters, cheaters in Valorant have always been less blatant because they get caught quickly. However, the growing popularity of Valorant has also increased the number of cheaters in the game. …
Riot Games teases agent 18 in Valorant South America LCQ trailer
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games might have confirmed Deadeye’s look in the Valorant South America LCQ trailer. As Episode 3 Act 2 enters its last stages, Riot Games has started to tease content for the next act. It’s been a while that the Valorant protocol recruited a new agent but Act 3 will change that with the addition of agent 18, rumored to be called “Deadeye.” While no one knows for sure how …
How to counter Astra’s pull while defusing the Spike
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Post-plant is the hottest Valorant meta in the current patch, but Astra can counter her mirror-enemy easily during this crucial stage of the match. Valorant meta keeps evolving with the addition of a new agent and a buff to an ability. While players are quick to adjust to new finds and their counters, post-plant has managed to become a menace. There are limited ways to block molotovs flying in from …
These are the 4 best agents for new Valorant players to use
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant can be puzzling for beginners, thanks to its growing roster of agents that each have unique abilities. While it might be daunting looking at the whole of Valorant, there are some training wheels to help ease players into things. These ideal agents for Valorant new players can help beginners dip their toes without in-depth knowledge. Since its release in 2020, Valorant has quickly matured into a top-tier FPS. Despite …
This Killjoy post-plant on Fracture is too good to be real
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
This new Killjoy setup shows why she’s the most viable agent on the new map Fracture. Valorant’s recent map Fracture is execution heavy. Attackers may have a layout advantage, but multiple openings into each bomb point make retakes a cakewalk for defenders. Getting site control and retaining it as attackers is a tall order if you don’t excel at utility usage on Fracture. Tackling these multiple entries is easier with …
Nivera starts his Valorant career with an ace in first round
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player Nabil “Nivera” Benrlitom has kicked off his Valorant career on a high note, with a jaw-dropping ace against One Breath Gaming. Nivera recently switched to Valorant to join his brother Adil “ScreaM” Benrlitom in Team Liquid. While everyone had high expectations from the former CS pro, his ace in the first round certainly took everyone by surprise. The 20-year old Sentinel managed to take down …
Riot Games pauses VCT LCQ matches due to safety protocols
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games has paused Valorant Champions Tour North America: Last Qualifier games amid safety concerns. The final chance for the region’s players to qualify for Valorant’s biggest event to date has been suspended for the time being to ensure player safety. Riot Games has confirmed that it would assess the conditions to continue LCQ without breaking Los Angeles safety protocol. https://twitter.com/valesports_na/status/1448387919559872512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1448387919559872512%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fafkgaming.com%2Fesports%2Fnews%2Friot-games-suspends-vct-na-lcq-matches-due-to-safety-protocols The inaugural Valorant Champions Tour is finally approaching its …
This new Valorant inventory manager is a big help for players
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
A Valorant player has created a new inventory organizer that might help skin collectors to better keep track of their expanding catalogues. Riot Games has delivered over 300 weapon skins since the release of Valorant in 2020. While only a rare few players have every single skin in the game, many collectors have managed to cop sought-after items whenever they appear in the store. Organizing these skins can be a …
Valorant might get a “block list” for toxic players
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games is proactively dealing with cheaters in Valorant, but toxicity remains a massive issue. A blocklist is on the table to punish players with poor track records, according to a developer. Valorant developers are vocal about their stance towards in-game toxicity, but players rarely get banned for their sexist and racist behavior. Valorant team member Sara responded to a Reddit thread regarding the subject, affirming that Valorant will soon …
Omen’s paranoia and ultimate might get buffed in upcoming patch
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The ghastly controller Omen could be getting deadlier in an upcoming patch, leaks suggest. Valorant players have long been asking for buffs to the controller category that rarely sees any playtime in low ranked games. The developer bolstered Viper’s kit as a response, but Omen’s kit could still use some love. It seems that the developers have listened. According to multiple sources, Omen is getting insanely buffed in patch 3.08. …
Jett has a new counter for post-plant meta in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Post-plant incendiaries are the new Valorant meta. It’s tough to counter Brimstone in this scenario, but one Valorant streamer has accidentally discovered a way to outplay the agent. Valorant meta continues to change as the skin ceiling goes higher. Players keep finding new tricks, then counters to those tricks, which results in an ever-changing meta. However, even the high-ranked players have failed to find a consistent defense for post-plant lineups, …
How to hide or show account level in Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
The new Valorant update has rolled in with a much needed “hide level” feature that players can toggle on and off upon will. Riot games recently introduced an account level feature to Valorant that showcased how much time players have invested in the game. While it was well-received by the veterans, those with low levels had a different experience. Now the developer has responded to the feedback in patch 3.08. Players …
shroud net worth revealed after Twitch salary leaks
Steven Rondina
Valorant
Everyone knew that Michael “shroud” Grzesiek was a successful streamer but it’s only now becoming clear how successful he is financially and how high his net worth might be. Thousands of streamers saw their Twitch income leaked to the world following a massive data breach on the streaming site. Though there are many long-term implications to this security failure, the biggest thing that people wanted to know was how much …
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.
