Valorant
News
Monkey Business officially revealed as OG’s Valorant roster
Nicholas James
Monkey Business, an amateur Valorant squad that has been linked to the organization OG for weeks, has officially been signed by the organization. The team has been competing together since the beginning of 2021, starting in the Red Bull Home Ground tournament and into the European leg of the Valorant Champions Tour. Together, apes are much stronger. ????Time to unveil the world’s best protected secret. Monkey Business is coming home …
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Valorant dev hints at nerfs to Frenzy and Stinger in patch 2.03
Fariha Bhatti
Recently, a number of professional Valorant players have come forward, criticizing the pistol round meta. Riot Games heard those complaints. Valorant developer Nicholas Wu Smith brings glad tidings for Valorant players who are tired of the Frenzy and Stinger meta. The community complained that Valorant weapons’ erratic sprays are making pistol rounds a matter of luck rather than skill. 100 Thieves’ Nicholas “nitr0” Cannella addressed the problem with Frenzy, claiming …
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Valorant adds more player penalties for AFK offenses
Nina Forneloza
Progressive penalties have finally arrived for AFK players in Valorant. Long requested penalties for text-based and AFK offenses have been implemented into the game. Penalties for AFK and chat offenses include warnings, revoked XP after games in which a player was AFK, queue restrictions, ranked rating deductions, comms restrictions, and temporary game bans. This implementation comes after months of players asking for AFK players to be punished more harshly. Games …
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Valorant player finds high ground spot on Ascent, no abilities needed
Olivia Richman
A Valorant player found a super simple way to get an incredibly advantageous angle on Ascent. There’s apparently a way to get to the top of the boxes located in the A Site’s corner without abilities. Most of the previously discovered boosts in Valorant can’t be done without them, but this discovery opens things up in a big way. Players can do this with any agent, but they do still …
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Other regions to watch i the Valorant Champions Tour
Nicholas James
As the Valorant Champions Tour heats up, many regions are fighting tooth and nail to claim a coveted spot in the next stage of Riot Games’ competitive circuit. There have been massive upsets and new challengers in both North America and Europe, but many of the best plays and series from the circuit have come from other regions. With the region locking of the tournament series, smaller regions have been …
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Watch shroud win a 1v4 and pick up a crazy ace with Viper
Fariha Bhatti
Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive professional player Michael “shroud” Grzesiek showcased his expertly polished aim in one of his streams as he shutt down the entire team using Viper. Icebox is still a relatively new map that players dread to play. However, shroud managed to outplay five enemies on the least-played map using the least-picked agent, Viper. The ace was incredible, displaying the classic shroud aim. Shroud INSANE Ace and 1v4 …
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Cloud9 Mel highlights a bug in Raze ult, Riot developer responds
Fariha Bhatti
A new bug in Valorant agent Raze has added to the long list of recent glitches. A Riot developer has provided a detailed response, explaining how the bug works. In a recent stream, Cloud9 White’s Melanie “meL” Capone encountered a bug in Raze’s Showstopper where the ability would cause zero damage to the enemy. can anyone explain this ???? pic.twitter.com/St1AooxOS5 — C9 meL (@mel_anji) February 10, 2021 Mel had just …
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Is the Bucky the most overpowered gun in the Valorant?
Nicholas James
With running and gunning nerfed into the ground, the next overpowered gun strategy that may need to be addressed is the Bucky. Shotguns in Valorant are currently very strong and viable, with the Bucky being the most overpowered of the bunch. Thanks to its alternative slug fire on the right-click, the gun becomes oppressive at medium to long-range and can outduel rifles. The gun is also increasingly popular in casual …
Valorant’s Night. Market is back and better than ever
Fariha Bhatti
News
Riot Games has surprised players with the unexpected return of Night. Market into the game. Valorant’s Night. Market has returned just two months after its premiere in December. The discount shop initially went live in December as part of the holiday update, and players assumed that it was a one-time thing. However, the shop has returned to Valorant, allowing players to get some of the game’s premium skins. Riot Games …
G2 Esports’ Lothar encourages players to abuse Cypher exploits
M Alzamora
News
A serious bug that lets Cypher’s camera destroy Sage’s Barrier Wall still works in Valorant, and now a major streamer is encouraging players to exploit the tactic. Since Valorant’s patch 2.0 in January, under-played agent Cypher has been able to take Sage out of the game by making her Barrier Wall ability almost completely useless. G2 Esports’ Jakub “Lothar” Szygulski just found out about it though, and he’s trying to …
Drama surrounds TSM vs. Sentinels scrims after trolling claims
Fariha Bhatti
News
North America’s Valorant scene has tons of budding rivalries that fans can latch onto, but TSM and Sentinels’ storyline tops them all. Team tussles and backstories are a classic part of any competitive game. Casual, back-and-forth banter between teams is a crucial element that attracts fans to watch the games and follow the scene. Riot Games’ tactical shooter is still in its formative days as an esport, but TSM and …
Excel building new Valorant team around G2 Esports’ Davidp
Nicholas James
News
Excel Esports is set to join the Valorant esports circuit according to Esportmaniacos. The team is reportedly built around former G2 Esports in-game leader David “Davidp” Prins. The Belgian has been under contract with G2 Esports since his benching in December 2020, but is currently allowed to negotiate with other teams. I can’t wait to reveal you guys what’s my future gonna be, I am over motivated about the work …
shroud shows off Valorant bug that lets you see enemies anywhere
Olivia Richman
News
Former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro Michael “shroud” Grzesiek has consistently proven to be a beast at Valorant during his streaming career. But he was able to get an even bigger advantage on an unsuspecting opponent thanks to a strange and powerful bug. During a recent stream, shroud was enjoying a game of Valorant when he encountered a potentially game-breaking glitch. The streamer decided to peak while defending Haven’s C Site. …
Version1 organization enters Valorant with roster of CSGO players
Nicholas James
News
Version1, an esports organization with prominent teams in Rocket League and Call of Duty, has joined the competitive Valorant landscape by signing amateur squad NeverDone. Version1 + @ValorantEsports #V1VAL ⱽ #NeverDone pic.twitter.com/Op8ZNMFYw4 — Version1 (@version1gg) February 9, 2021 The organization is partly owned by the owners of the Wilf family, who own the Minnesota Vikings, along with investor Gary Vaynerchukand. The company also has its headquarters in the state of …
Info on Valorant’s lore may be hidden in Killjoy voice lines
Olivia Richman
News
Most of the story behind Valoranat is a mystery thus far. While developers noted that Episode 2 will reveal more lore behind the mysterious conflict and world behind Valorant, a lot of players have impatiently started coming up with theories on their own. Whether it’s parts of the map or voice lines, the Valorant community is always looking for clues that will reveal more about the game’s backstory. The most …
T1 kicks brax, AZK from Valorant lineup after signing autimatic
Nicholas James
News
The revolving door to T1’s Valorant team continues to spin with the news that Braxton “brax” Pierce and Keven “AZK” Larivière are leaving. This comes after the signings of former Cloud9 Counter-Strike: Global Offensive star Timothy “autimatic” Ta and a new coach. Today we say our goodbyes to @brax1wnl and @AZKcs_. Thank you for being such an integral part of T1 VALORANT – best of luck in your future endeavours …
How to forfeit a Valorant match during the game
Fariha Bhatti
News
Surrendering a game of Valorant wasn’t possible until a few months ago but not every match is fun and games. Taking in-game inconveniences into consideration, Riot Games finally introduced an option to forfeit a game. The tactical shooter’s developer has actively been working on nourishing a wholesome community. With the help of stringent chat rules and immediate bans, Riot Games has so far remained successful in its venture. However, in …
These Viper wall lineups prove she’s a viable agent on Split
Fariha Bhatti
News
Viper may be the least picked agent, but smart use of her abilities can easily win rounds. Her poisonous screen lineup proves her viability as a Controller. Initially released as a hotshot controller with a fierce persona and a deadly kit, Viper quickly became a likeable agent. However, Riot filled up the roster with agents who could do everything that Viper could and more. Her pick rate dropped drastically, dragging …
100 Thieves’ Asuna tops NA Valorant Leaderboard, secures two spots
Fariha Bhatti
News
100 Thieves’ Peter “Asuna” Mazuryk has emerged as the best player in North American region, as shown on Valorant leaderboard. The player secured two spots on the top with an excellent rating. Riot Games’ tac-shooter has all the right ingredients for a cut-throat first-person game. The developer’s recent addition of regional leaderboards only added to the competitive experience of its shooter. Players are sparing no effort to climb ranks and …
Pokimane blasts hater who accused her of boosting in Valorant
Olivia Richman
News
After leaving the OfflineTV Rust server, Imane “Pokimane” Inys started playing Valorant on Twitch, but not everyone believes that the popular streamer has any skills in Riot’s tactical shooter. It all began when a clip of Pokimane playing Valorant went viral on Twitter. The clip showed Pokimane walking through Viper’s wall only to come face-to-face with an opposing Jett. Pokimane’s reaction was to dramatically scream bloody murder. Who knew Valorant …
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.
