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Cloud9 announces new Valorant roster with vanity return Valorant Cloud9 announces new Valorant roster with vanity return By Tokoni Uti Here’s the first official teaser for Valorant agent 24, a sharp duelist Valorant Here’s the first official teaser for Valorant agent 24, a sharp duelist By Fariha Bhatti Sayf released by Team Liquid Valorant Sayf released by Team Liquid By Tokoni Uti
Kyedae says she’s completed her chemotherapy for cancer Twitch
Kyedae says she’s completed her chemotherapy for cancer Tokoni Uti Popular Twitch streamer and content creator Kyedae Alicia Shymko has said that she’s off chemotherapy and will continue her other treatment on her road to recovery.  A few days ago, Kyedae said that she’s finished chemotherapy, which is used to treat cancer by utilizing chemicals to kill the cells in the body. She still has other treatments to complete, but she shared the good news with her fans and the …
ardiis move to Natus Vincere edges closer Valorant
ardiis move to Natus Vincere edges closer Tokoni Uti European Valorant player Ardis Svarenieks is set to return to the region by joining Natus Vincere, following weeks of speculation surrounding his future, it was revealed today.  ardiis was added to the global contract database with Na’Vi, which confirmed that the British-Latvian player will compete in the EMEA Valorant Champions Tour for the Ukrainian-based organization next year.  ardiis is set to complete the roster following the replacement of Mehmet “cNed” …
All the VCT Champions and winners so far Valorant
All the VCT Champions and winners so far Fariha Bhatti Valorant Champions Tour is one of the biggest esports events, which takes place every tail end of the year. With the 2024 season approaching, it’s worth looking back at the winners of all VCT finals so far.  Valorant Champions Tour filters out the best teams worldwide and then pits them against each other on the grand stage at the end of every year. Since 2021, this event’s trophy has been …
How to fix Valorant voice chat not working Valorant
How to fix Valorant voice chat not working Fariha Bhatti Are you trying to speak in the game, but noticed Valorant voice chat is suddenly not working? Here’s how to fix it.  Communication is crucial to winning a game in Valorant, at least at higher ranks. However, players often encounter random issues and assume Valorant’s voice chat is down. It’s worth noting that voice chat rarely goes down from the game’s end, and if your microphone isn’t working, it’s probably …
Is Valorant agent Sage getting a mass res like Mercy in OW? Valorant Is Valorant agent Sage getting a mass res like Mercy in OW? By Fariha Bhatti Valorant Mobile’s leaked feature leaves PC players envious Valorant Valorant Mobile’s leaked feature leaves PC players envious By Fariha Bhatti Oxygen Esports sign former Sentinels player Dapr Valorant Oxygen Esports sign former Sentinels player Dapr By Tokoni Uti
Aspas linked with move to Leviatán Valorant
Aspas linked with move to Leviatán Tokoni Uti One of the best Brazilian Valorant players Erick “aspas” Santos is linked with a move away from LOUD to Leviatán, according to a report by Blix.gg. The report says that aspas has reached a verbal agreement with Leviatán and will compete for the team next year in the Americas Valorant Champions Tour if the deal goes through. Other teams were interested in aspas, including Team Liquid, FURIA, and some Pacific …
Valorant pro meL responds to reports of gender bias in team trials Valorant
Valorant pro meL responds to reports of gender bias in team trials Fariha Bhatti Valorant Game Changer player Melanie “meL” Capone has finally responded to reports of being denied opportunities in T1 because of her gender. Opinions have been pouring in from all directions since esports journalist Rod Breslau shared on Sean Gares’ stream that storied GC player meL has been denied trial with top teams due to being a woman. According to him, at least one player didn’t want to play with a …
The first look at reported Lotus changes coming to Valorant Valorant
The first look at reported Lotus changes coming to Valorant Tokoni Uti Today, a dataminer has revealed the first look at some new changes coming to the map Lotus in Valorant.  Well-known and reputable dataminer Floxay has posted a video showing several changes coming to Lotus, which will open up the map significantly and change different parts of the sites around the map.  Changes to the map were reported earlier today by Mike from Valorleaks on social media.  https://twitter.com/floxayyy/status/1704188475040256172 Several changes will …
High ranked players can no longer carry Golds in Valorant Valorant
High ranked players can no longer carry Golds in Valorant Fariha Bhatti Riot Games has lifted the curtain on a new anti-carry rule that prevents skilled players from boosting noobs. As harsh as it may sound, not everyone deserves the rank they’re repping in Valorant. Boosting is likely more common in Valorant than in any other FPS game. Skilled players often hit Radiant and then restart their journey on a new account, ultimately boosting their teammates. Those with valuable items in accounts usually stick …
Valorant’s latest bundle Intergrade has been leaked Fariha Bhatti Valorant Winter is coming to Valorant with new Intergade skins dipped in silver and blue.  The poster of the latest Valorant bundle has slipped through the cracks, revealing ice-blue skins. The gradient bundle is simple and perfect for fans who don’t like frills attached to their weapons.  Not much is yet known about the Intergade bundle, but the community response so far has been mixed.  Riot has maintained a balance of …
Valorant rank distribution explains why you’re stuck in Silver Fariha Bhatti Valorant Valorant’s recent stats have revealed that both noobs and pros are rare, showing Silver as the most crowded rank.  It’s no secret that most Valorant players are Silver, but which rank is the least crowded? According to recent stats, skilled and new players are rare in Valorant, taking up only 1% of the space on the chart combined. Tracker.gg has revealed an updated rank distribution in Valorant, and it doesn’t …
Monyet joins Paper Rex, Benkai transferred to Global Esports Tokoni Uti Valorant Today, Pacific organizations Paper Rex and Global Esports announced the mutual transfer of Valorant players Cahya “Monyet” Nugraha and Benedict “Benkai” Tan.  As revealed today, Monyet will complete the Paper Rex Valorant lineup for next year’s roster with the release of Wang Jing Jie. Meanwhile, Paper Rex has transferred former in-game leader Benkai to Global Esports as part of the organization’s rebuild efforts for next year’s roster.  https://twitter.com/GlobalEsportsIn/status/1702676147413078066 Both teams …
Cloud9 formally releases Leaf and Runi, Xeppaa and Jake remain Tokoni Uti Valorant North American organization Cloud9 has formally announced the release of several Valorant players, including Dylan “Runi” Cade and Nathan “leaf” Orf, while two players remain on the team at the time of publication. Cloud9 is set to rebuild around Erick “Xeppaa” Bach and Jake Anderson next year, with three players reportedly set to join the team, some of whom would be familiar to Cloud9 fans. As previously reported by Flynn …
Valorant player hits Immortal without a traditional mouse Fariha Bhatti Valorant If you thought you were a ranked demon for hitting Radiant, you must watch this Valorant player who reached Immortal using a drawing tablet.  Valorant ranked is cutthroat, especially past Diamond. The real competition begins in Ascendant ranks, where lobby rules differ slightly from lower ELO in Valorant. As you reach Immortal, the criteria for ranking up shifts entirely, making Valorant a whole other game and a way more difficult …
Zellsis re-joins Sentinels after leaving Cloud9 Tokoni Uti Valorant North American Valorant player Jordan “Zellsis” Montemurro has re-joined his former team Sentinels following his release from Cloud9, it was announced today. At the time of publication, Zellsis has joined the team as the sixth player and will, therefore, not be on the starting lineup, WIN.gg understands. But this could change prior to the start of the season next year since there are several months before the 2024 Valorant Champions …
S0m parts ways with NRG Tokoni Uti Valorant North American Valorant player and content creator Sam “s0m” Oh has parted ways with organization NRG, it was announced last night.  S0m is leaving NRG after three years with the organization where he pursued competitive Valorant and competed at the highest level. He will return to content creation during this offseason but did not rule out another stint in competitive Valorant, he said in a video for NRG.  https://twitter.com/NRGgg/status/1702107355176112428 “Since …
Fnatic parts ways with Valorant head coach Mini Tokoni Uti Valorant European organization Fnatic has parted ways with Valorant head coach Jacob “Mini” Harris after two years with the team, it was announced today.  Mini played an integral part in the team’s success. Most notably, with the scouting of talent in the European region, such as Emir “Alfajer” Ali Beder and Nikita “Derke” Sirmitev, both of whom went on to become the best players in the world for a period of …
Hilarious Valorant bug has players asking Riot for Fortnite-style skins Fariha Bhatti Valorant Not all Valorant bugs are just frustrating. Some apparently turn your agents into golden characters with music blasting in the background. Valorant has had plenty of skin-related bugs in the past, but most of them resulted from poor clipping. The recent Champions skin bug is unlike any other, and while it’s royally annoying, it has still inspired an idea among the Valorant players. A Valorant player shared the bug on …
Run and gun accuracy in CS2 looks worse than Valorant Fariha Bhatti Valorant If you thought run and gun was bad in Valorant, wait until you see this video shared by a CS2 analyst. Popular CS personality Jacob “Pimp” Winneche took to X to share a snippet from his CS2 playtest. In a practice server, the analyst demonstrated just how accurate shooting while running is in CS2. FPS players know that Valorant had a severe run and gun issue which took Riot almost …
Valorant Champions Tour 2024 rules explained, season start date, transfers, and more Tokoni Uti Valorant The rules for the Valorant Champions Tour for next year have been released to the public, with the circuit set to begin at the start of 2024. The VCT season is expected to begin next year following the conclusion of Valorant Champions last month, which saw North American team Evil Geniuses crowned as the best team in the world. There is expected to be a series of smaller off-season events …
Riot finally buffs Astra in Valorant patch 7.05 Fariha Bhatti Valorant Astra has received a long-due buff to her toolkit, which is crucial enough to convince controller players to give her another shot.  Riot has finally buffed the overly-overlooked agent in Valorant, Astra. The spacefarer will now stay conscious and alert in her Astral form, making her less vulnerable to enemy attacks and movements.  Valorant’s spatial controller, Astra’s use, has been strictly limited to those who don’t mind putting some extra …

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.