Valorant
Valorant
Valorant Episode 3, Act 2 launches with Fracture, battle pass
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant Episode 3, Act 2 has arrived, and it’s one of the most exciting so far. Competitive queues have been stopped by Riot Games to smoothly roll out the new update, which expands the Valorant map pool. The sizeable patch has now gone live in most regions. https://twitter.com/PlayVALORANT/status/1435625137546485762 Patch 3.05 is a massive one, as it buffs most agents, brings back Immortal tiers, and adds new map Fracture. While players …
Valorant
New Viper one-way gets easy kills on Icebox
Fariha Bhatti
Smokers aren’t as viable on Icebox as other agents but this new one-way Viper setup proves otherwise. Icebox’s unique layout loaded with choke points and narrow entryways doesn’t allow Controllers to play around with their kits. However, Viper is unlike any other agent in her category thanks to her death-dealing equipment. This new lineup for one-way smoke on point B shows she’s a solid pick on all maps. Icebox’s point …
Valorant
Riot reveals Spectrum, Valorant’s most expensive bundle
Fariha Bhatti
Riot Games has collaborated with popular DJ ZEDD to create the game’s first creator-inspired skin bundle. Valorant recently released its first collaboration bundle in Ruination, and it seems that Riot Games plans on rolling out more collections moving forward. The developer has announced a partnership with ZEDD to deliver a new skin bundle unlike any other in the game. Valorant is known for its expensive luxury in-game content, including skins, …
Valorant
shroud says Fracture feels like a CSGO map, and this is why
Fariha Bhatti
Popular Twitch streamer and first-person shooter specialist Michael “shroud” Grzesiek has tried new Valorant map Fracture, and he thinks it’s most similar to maps in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Riot Games’ latest addition to Valorant’s map pool is a game-changer. It branches off from typical FPS map design, adding a new twist to the genre. Former CSGO pro and current Valorant streamer shroud dove into the new location, and he’s a …
Valorant
New visual bug teleports Spike from base to the site
Fariha Bhatti
Patch 3.02 left many bugs in Valorant but this new one targets defenders explicitly. A new visual bug is misleading defenders in Valorant regarding the Spike’s location. Attackers often forget the Spike behind in the Spawn, which renders enemies a massive advantage. This glitch places a dupe of the bomb in base, tricking defenders into staying back. https://www.reddit.com/r/VALORANT/comments/pf68gd/spike_teleported_from_base/ Since the release of patch 3.02, players have reported many errors and …
Valorant
Is new agent Deadeye being teased in this Fracture trailer?
Fariha Bhatti
Fracture’s trailer dropped with a bang, and it highlights a significant hint for agent 17. Riot Games recently expanded the map pool with the addition of an H-shaped locale Fracture. Many players overlooked a massive detail in the trailer while they were busy admiring the map’s foliage covered half next to damaged facilities. The developer might have introduced agent 17, Deadeye, in the trailer for Fracture. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CR4Wy8dKrY Lore-heavy map Fracture …
Valorant
First look at new map Fracture’s unique layout, release date, images
Fariha Bhatti
Riot Games has finally revealed the seventh location and it’s unlike any other map in Valorant. Valorant’s much-awaited map Fracture might be Riot Games’ most inventive creation so far. Fracture is a game-changer. It breaks away from typical first-person shooter map design, with each party dominating a particular map area. Fracture rolls in with attackers sandwiching defenders from both sides. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CR4Wy8dKrY Riot Games has always successfully created hype around new …
Valorant
Leak reveals all Valorant Episode 2, Act 3 battle pass rewards
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant Episode 3, Act 2 is on the horizon, and it’ll bring a brand new map and exciting in-game cosmetics that can be unlocked through the battle pass. Riot Games has gone all out, adding a battle pass loaded with exciting weapon skins, gun buddies, and player cards inspired by popular memes. Valorant Episode 3, Act 2’s battle pass will allow players to unlock skins for Odin, Operator, Phantom for …
Pro CSGO player Rush considering switch to Valorant
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Champion Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro player Will “RUSH” Wierzba has revealed that Valorant might end up becoming his game of choice. RUSH has gone under the radar ever since Complexity dropped him to make space for former Astralis player Patrick “es3tag” Hansen. RUSH’s recent career update is shocking for dedicated CSGO fans who’re already lamenting the loss of so many North American players switching to Valorant. RUSH has announced that …
New bug makes Viper insanely overpowered, turns screen green
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
A new glitch in Viper’s smoke covers your entire screen in Hulk green. The poisonous agent Viper has some of the most destructive powers in the current patch. But this new bug makes her vulnerable to her own abilities and insanely overpowered at the same time. The agent’s smoke makes players blind due to a visual glitch that paints the map green. https://www.reddit.com/r/VALORANT/comments/pep94c/viper_vison_glitch/ Viper is equipped with deadly smoke that …
All we know about the new Valorant map Fracture so far
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games is gearing up to roll out the seventh location to expand the Valorant pool, and it’s already more impressive than other maps. After a delay in releasing Episode 3 Act 2, Riot Games has indicated that new updates are coming in hot. The developer hasn’t officially commented what the next act has in store but teasers suggest a lore-heavy map is in the making. Riot Games has revealed …
Pokimane reveals her biggest obstacle in ranking up in Valorant as a woman
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Popular streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys has opened up about the biggest obstacle in her way to becoming an Immortal in Valorant. Twitch streamer Pokimane is one of the prominent names in Valorant content creation. Despite her dedication to the ranked grind, the streamer has failed to hit the Radiant rank. It has a lot to do with the in-game harassment and bullying, Pokimane has revealed. https://twitter.com/imane/status/1431353998863446023 The problem of toxicity …
You might get a rare Valorant gun buddy if you find a Riot dev
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant’s most coveted cosmetic, the Riot fist bump buddy, isn’t completely unobtainable. There’s an easy way to grab it but it involves a lot of communication. Tiny gun buddies are Riot’s crack at weapon key chains that come in cute colors and designs. While they’re comparatively cheaper to get hold of, only a few can equip the Riot fist bump gun buddy. However, an employee at Riot Games has revealed …
Next Valorant act will make ranking up easier for stuck silvers
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Climbing the ladder in Valorant might become easier in upcoming acts, Riot Games has hinted. The developer specifically noted that the Silver ranks are over-populated and is gearing up to change that in the coming Act. The new changes will make it easier for players to climb ranks and move to higher levels. It’s no child’s play to hit Radiant rank in Valorant, but many players find it hard to …
Newly discovered 1-way smoke lets Cypher dominate on Ascent
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Cypher isn’t a great option for those looking to frag out, but his kit can be surprisingly rewarding in the right hands. Valorant’s spy sentinel is made to support duelists and initiators. His equipment can lock up an entire site, but he’s also perfectly capable of blocking pushes with a weapon. Cypher’s smokes aren’t just a defensive tool, as they can help pull enemies into his crosshairs when used properly. …
Fan-made butterfly knives might be better than Riot’s Balisong
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Some players are happy with Riot Games’ crack at butterfly knife but others are creating their own refined versions. After months of pestering from the player base, Riot Games finally delivered a butterfly-style knife in Balisong melee. However, some players are not entirely satisfied with the camouflage theme and have designed “better” versions of the unique knife. The butterfly knife has been the hot topic among skin collectors since Riot …
Huge bug lets players throw utility through walls on Haven
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
People have long quipped about Valorant’s walls being made out of paper, but sometimes it seems that they don’t actually exist at all. Case and point, this bug. Wallbangs are a unique mechanic that have long been deliberately built into the layouts of maps. However, someone has discovered an exploit that lets players toss utility through solid objects on Haven, something that can be game-breaking. The issue of wallbangs is …
Recon bundle crashes Valorant market, store disabled by Riot
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Riot Games has disabled the Valorant store just two days after delivering brand new bundle Recon. Valorant hadn’t received an update to its skin collection in a while so when Riot Games finally broke the spell and rolled out Recon, players naturally went wild with their Valorant Points. It seems that the store has crashed due to heavy traffic, prompting the developer to shut off the store temporarily. https://twitter.com/PlayVALORANT/status/1430648425054314497 Riot …
Secret hole on Ascent can help damage enemies across doors
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Ascent’s automatic doors can be annoying in post-plant situations but a secret tip could help you damage enemies even when they’re bolted. Riot Games has distinguished each Valorant map from another with unique scenery, upbeat themes, and a feature that introduces a new mechanic to the game. For Ascent, the developer rolled in automatic doors that heavily impact after-plant situations. Players have discovered a way to play around these loud …
Miyagi aim training could be what unlocks your next Valorant rank
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Do you ever see your high-skilled teammates click enemy heads and wish that you could do the same? Turns out, recklessly shooting bots in practice isn’t always enough to get you there. One of the most convenient ways to train aim is to hop in practice range and shoot at bots. However, players often take the timer too seriously, which counters the true purpose of the training. Crisp aim can …
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.
