Valorant devs hint Episode 3 agent will have EMP device

In the last State of the Agents released by Riot Games, Valorant devs gave their thoughts regarding the roles and utilization of certain heroes. Included in this brief update are possible changes to the kits of Yoru, Breach, Skye, and Astra, as well as their opinions on how Viper has been received after her massive rework. Lastly, John Goscicki, a Valorant character developer, has hinted that a new agent will be released alongside patch 3.0, with his words being:

“Our hope is that the @*&#*&!(&H! #$ &*! *%# &@! *U&^A! “@*!!*(@@*&^” (@&* ^@!^& &@! *&# &^C#^ANG W*^@ $O )(E&# *N@! S!T#$”

Simple, right?

New Valorant Agent in Episode 3?

With the crystal clear message mentioned earlier, Riot has teased a new champion in the works. They have also stated that this new champion will have to rely on his or her gunplay above all else but should also have unique abilities within the Valorant universe.  

Based on the strange string of text, we can assume that the new agent can disrupt other agents’ functionality. This could range from disabling other agents’ abilities or messing with the movement/aiming inputs of the afflicted character. Riot has stressed the importance of abilities creating opportunities for gunfights rather than straight-up killing your enemy (Raze says hello). This champion is looking to follow this philosophy to the extreme.

Viper’s Resurgence

With Viper’s newfound utility upgrades in nearly all aspects of her kit, professionals and casuals alike have spiked her playrate to respectable levels. Viper is a near 100% pick rate for at least one side when playing on Breeze and Icebox, with some players also opting to take her into Bind to cover Hookah and Short. The developers have reiterated that although they are happy that she is being played more, they worry that her playstyle may be oppressive and “there are rough edges they have to smooth out”.

Balancing the Current Roster

Players can rejoice – Breach and Skye’s triple blinds are being investigated. Developers have listened to those voicing their concerns over the triple consecutive blinds and are aiming to move some power from the blinds into a more ‘self-sufficient’ part of those agents’ kits.

When Astra was released, many players thought that her kit was interesting and average at best. However, to top-tier players, Astra was predicted to be a highly contested Agent to pick due to how well she would shine in cooperative play. As such, Riot has stated that they will most likely reduce the effectiveness of some of Astra’s playstyle in such settings. Even ex-CS:GO player Shroud has commented in a previous video:

“I think with Yoru being a huge disappointment, the reason why [Astra] is so extreme is because they want to see a new character played in pro matches. Astra is one that probably will.”

Which brings us smoothly into our third point, Yoru’s kit being scrutinized for its inability to find a pragmatic niche in the world of Valorant Agents. Riot has admitted that Yoru’s kit has been underwhelming and is improving his ‘unique playstyle’ and increasing aspects of Yoru’s Fakeout (footstep ability) to cause more problems for the enemy team.