Valorant
Valorant
Cloud9 Valorant secures victory with new roster at Red Bull Double Agent Tournament
Tokoni Uti
North American Valorant team Cloud9 won its first match following the major roster overhaul during the offseason at the Red Bull Double Agent tournament. Although the event wasn’t taken as seriously as a major VCT match, Cloud9 managed to score a victory against Moist x Shopify, two brands that merged together for the creation of a Valorant Challengers team. Cloud9 managed to take down MxS despite the disruptions, which caused …
Valorant
This iconic Valorant bundle is returning with a Phantom skin
Fariha Bhatti
Leakers have discovered that Gaia’s Vengeance 2.0 is the next Valorant bundle, and it looks better than ever. Riot Games has recently rolled out plenty of original, futuristic skins, but players still compare them to popular classic bundles. Riot often recreates hit bundles with small upgrades to satiate those who like over-the-top skins. This time, Gaia’s Vengeance is going back to the workshop for a facelift. Credible Valorant leakers have …
Valorant
Red Bull Turkey teases cNed to FUT Esports
Tokoni Uti
The Red Bull Turkey social media has teased the signing of former Natus Vincere player Mehmet “cNed” Yağız İpek to FUT Esports. CNed has been linked with the Turkish team during the offseason following his removal from the CIS-based team Na’Vi. It was reported that cNed was trialing for the team last month and was being heavily considered by FUT, according to Esporkolik. https://twitter.com/RedBullTR/status/1708422308723921342 Fans may get to see cNed …
Valorant
Valorant Mobile’s practice mode is better than PC
Fariha Bhatti
Players will either be pleased or enraged to know that practice mode in Valorant Mobile is tenfold better than the PC variant. Valorant Mobile is currently in the late stages of testing, and gameplay clips have been steadily leaking. A recent leak revealed an MVP animation exclusive to the mobile version, which has left PC players green with envy. Thus far, Valorant Mobile appears to be shaping up as a …
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 …
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” …
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 …
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?
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Rumors of Sage mass res are freshly swirling around. Is she really getting an ultimate ability like the old Mercy in Blizzard’s Overwatch? Mercy could revive as many as five teammates within her AoE ability in the good old days of Overwatch. The overpowered ability was later reduced to single teammate resurrection, which is more balanced. However, players have discovered clips of a possible Sage mass res in the wild, …
Valorant Mobile’s leaked feature leaves PC players envious
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
Valorant mobile hasn’t been released yet but it’s already stirring drama, making PC players envious of its exclusive visuals. Valorant Mobile has been under development for almost two years, and players eagerly await its arrival. Now, more details and snippets have started to slip through the cracks, and they’re so good that PC players are jealous. The data miners have discovered the MVP screen for Reyna from Valorant Mobile China, …
Oxygen Esports sign former Sentinels player Dapr
Tokoni Uti
Valorant
North American organization Oxygen Esports has signed former Sentinels player Michael “dapr” Gulino to the Valorant roster, the org announced today. Dapr has completed the roster at the time of publication and Rustun Lusk will be moved back to the assistant coach role as a result of the move. It is unclear if head coach Malkolm “bonkar” Rench will stay with the roster for Challengers next year since he has …
Aspas linked with move to Leviatán
Tokoni Uti
Valorant
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
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
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
Tokoni Uti
Valorant
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
Fariha Bhatti
Valorant
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 …
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.
