First-person shooters remain a consistent premise for many titles within modern gaming, yet most developers need to differentiate themselves from the ever-growing crowd in a bid to stay relevant. As depicted withValorant, the inclusion of countless abilities, casted within a diversified roster of uniqueAgents, allures the likes of various gamers, granting them an exclusive experience each match.
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Alongside this eminent genre’s switch-up comes an even further alternation, as Riot Games' prudent decision to encompassPassiveabilities within their cherished title totally reshapes the playing field, enhancing the endless possibilities players may face each round. From mobility-based passives to passives that set up an Agent’sBasic,Signature, andUltimateabilities, this band of default attributes could make a substantial difference for those climbing the competitive ladder.
Duelist
Mobility
Harnessing the elemental power of wind is theDuelistAgentJett, a youngSouth Koreanmember of theValorantteam whose witty, sarcastic attitude fuels the rage in those she dominates. Although her cheeky personality may draw fans towards selecting her, Jett’s pick-rate mainly lies within her unstoppable maneuverability and vision-blocking Basic ability ‘Cloudburst’.
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WithJett’s powers revolvingaround her intricate mobility, it is only right her Passive does too, as seen within her ‘Drift’ ability. Once a player activates her Basic ability ‘Updraft’, Jett’s Passive Drift allows them to glide through their airborne descent, reducing any fall damage from heightened positions. Although this is one of the best Passive abilities seen within the acclaimed cast, it still remains a risky one, as enemies are granted a slower, therefore easier, target to shoot at.
Initiator
Setup
In terms of wacky skill sets,Valorant’s twenty-second newcomerGekkotakes the cake, carrying around a group of mythically eccentric creatures. Dubbed by some as a rather adorable addition to the game is his Basic ability ‘Wingman’, a miniature owl whose planting and defusing capabilities surpass his cute appearance.
Adding to Gekko’s already overpoweredSignature and Ultimate abilities’Dizzy' and ‘Thrash’ is his Passive, an attribute which grants him the ability to retrieve his accomplices once expired. After his henchmen have activated their special powers, they revert into a dormant ‘Globules’, allowing fans of theCalifornianInitiatorto collect them and reassign their effective allies back into their deadly arsenal.
Controller
Decay
Argued by many as the bestControllerAgent in the game isViper, a day one member to the beloved title whose expertise lie within blocking off certainareas ofValorant’s maps. Brandished as a fearlessly callous individual, Viper’s links to poisonous venom are clear, as seen through her Basic ability ‘PoisonCloud’ and Signature ability ‘ToxicScreen’, two definitively blinding powers.
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Although her main abilities are sufficient on their own, Viper’s Passive ‘Toxin’ leaves a sting on those who try to interfere or deter her game-bending plans. Similar to the aftermath of a serpent’s bite, an intoxicating poison would riddle the enemy’s body if they come into close contact with any of her abilities, inflicting them with an immensely fatal damage decay and firmly securing the areas in which she holds.
Reining the universe’s cosmic energy is theGhanaianControllerAstra, a joyful Agent capable of concussing enemies with her ‘NovaPulse’ Basic ability and blocking all incoming damage with her ‘CosmicDivide’ Ultimate ability. Despite these efficient tools on the battleground, Astra’s Signature ability ‘Stars’ takes the limelight, placing down pinpoint blockades that can be activated early or later on in challenging rounds.
RegardlessofAstra’s abilities soundingout of this world, players must utilize her Passive ‘AstralForm’ in order to access this overview of the map. While airborne, fans of this compelling character are not only able to locate the exact position they wish to place their Stars, but also dictate the most hindering area to control against their opposition. However, players must also realize Astra’s Astral Form renders her vulnerable to incoming fire, placing them in peril if they aren’t smart about their positioning.
Sustain
Birthed within thePeckhamdistrict ofLondonis the firery hot-headPhoenix, a pyrotechnic Duelist whose impulsive confidence shields him from fear. Regardless of his head-on damage output, Phoenix also retains elements seen within Controller Agents, as his Basic ability ‘Blaze’ manages to erupt a wall solely out of flames, blocking all incoming fire and distorting the enemy’s visibility.
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One may think all the flashy inferno powers would not only cause issues for teammates on the battleground, but also Phoenix players themselves, however, they would be mistaken. Once fans of thisCockneyarsonist come into contact withPhoenix’s hot abilities, their Passive ‘HeatingUp’ kicks in, wielding the strength of the flame in order to heal them instead of damage them, making this one of the best Passive abilities seen within all ofValorant.
Hailing from central Mexicois the wildly viciousReyna, a ruthless Duelist who won’t let anyone get in the way of what she wants. Mobilizing powers onlyRadiantAgents withhold, Reyna’s capabilities stretch far and beyond the arena, homing in on aspects such as her Ultimate ability ‘Empress’ in which her rate of fire and reload speed increase rapidly.
Nevertheless, fans of this cut-throat individual relish in her soul-sucking attributes, made possible only through her Passive ‘SoulHarvest’. Once Reyna has confirmed her victim’s demise, they will drop a ‘SoulOrb’, granting her one of two options, either ‘Devouring’ it, or ‘Dismissing’ it. Regardless of the player’s choice, both are immensely useful, with ‘Devour’ gifting them a regain in health, or ‘Dismiss’ cloaking their whereabouts and shielding themselves from any incoming damage.
Intel
Similar to Reyna in terms of her Radiant powers is theTurkishbounty hunterFade, an Initiator Agent whose nightmarish abilities strike fear into the hearts of her opposition. Harnessing an exceedingly informational Signature ability, being that of ‘Haunt’,Fade’s creepy skill setgrants her team an accurate depiction of where their enemies may be, setting up the deciding eliminations between a triumphant victory or diminishing loss.
Donning a Passive entitled ‘TerrorTrail’, Fade’s ghoulish counterpart spots and marks the victims it comes across, latching a darkened trail onto them. Highly useful for clutches, late rounds, and peaking corners, this Passive could arguably be deemed the best, most efficient abilityValorantcurrently has, ensuring those who utilize this deadpan Agent countless wins along their competitive journey.
