'VALORANT' Launches With New Content, Patch Updates

After a successful closed beta test, Riot Games' tactical shooter "VALORANT" has officially launched. With the release comes new content and a list of changes and updates.

New Agent, Map And Game Mode

Reyna is a brand new Agent that delivers a fun high-risk, high-reward playstyle. The character promotes aggressive gameplay to help fuel her abilities. Two of her abilities, both of which help heal and produce invulnerability, require Soul Orbs which can only be earned by obtaining kills.

• Dismiss – Consume the life force of a killed enemy to turn invisible and invulnerable for a short duration.
• Devour – Consume the life force of a killed enemy to restore your health.
• Signature Ability: Leer – Send out an Ethereal, destructible Orb that Nearsights any enemies that look at it.
• Ultimate Ability: Empress – Enter a heightened state of bloodlust, giving you Rapid Fire and making enemies easier to see for the duration. Scoring a kill resets the timer.

Ascent, the new map, is a futuristic vision of Venice that promotes more verticality compared to the other three maps. In addition, the new characteristics featured in the map will help shift gameplay. It has two objectives (A and B), and contains lockable doors and destructible walls. The 1.0 update makes Ascent more common in matchmaking to allow players to get to know the map.

In addition to the new Agent and map, "VALORANT" has also released a new game type. Spike Rush, currently in beta, promises quicker gameplay compared to the game's default modes. Players can warm up and play aggressively in a mode that feels more casual. Games last around eight to 12 minutes, with every player on attack carrying a Spike to plant. Random weapons are utilized for matches, and all basic abilities are free. Kills and deaths offer two ultimate points.

Buffs, Nerfs And Fixes

Patch 1.0 comes with a list of changes and fixes to known bugs that plagued the closed beta. Power changes have affected Agents like Phoenix, Omen, Jett, Raze, and Sage. Riot also approached the subject of Competitive Play, stating that it wouldn't be available right away.

"Similar to our closed beta launch, our initial focus is making sure our service is stable before activating competitive matchmaking. This is also a way to give new players the same courtesy that closed beta players had to learn the game ahead of turning on Competitive,” Riot stated on "VALORANT's" website. “We’ll also make some adjustments to Competitive based on remaining closed beta player feedback. Our plan is to turn on Competitive a few patches into our launch."

Image Courtesy Of Riot Games