A new chapter is just around the corner in what promises to be a grand reveal of new game modes, agents and balance changes. With Masters Tokyo ending and a new battle pass coming with the chapter, the hype surrounding Valorant has never been more significant. The exciting new features and changes to the game could be promising but could also be redundant or harmful to the game’s ecosystem. Here’s to hoping the devs have made the right decisions on how to release new features and shake up the current competitive environment for the better.
Team Deathmatch
The new Team Deathmatch is the highlight game mode of Episode 7. Promising to be a fun free for all, TDM is high-octane and fast-paced. Respawning every one and a half seconds, TDM allows you to stay in the action. The whole game is set in 9 and a half minutes making it a short and sweet experience. The race to 100 kills is simple and can allow you to fall behind and still make it back with the power of adjustments and teamwork. I think the fast-tempo nature of TDM will lend itself well to part of a warmup routine.
Team Deathmatch should be careful as it risks being an over-glorified Deathmatch experience. How will a Sage ultimate be useful if someone can respawn one and a half seconds later anyway? Will agents like Controllers and Sentinels be as useful or will it be a Duelist-infested free for all? These same questions of making certain Agents more viable and others less so is a problem in the TDM system as these Agents were built for standard Valorant and not a race to 100 kills.
Evolution brings forth new opportunities for all players to enjoy.
Another interesting factor is the cooldown of the Agent abilities. An obvious one I can think of is if Raze’s Paint Shells are on cooldown, I think that would be almost too powerful given the damage and push potential that singular ability has. Will that be toned down in a Team Deathmatch-specific change or will they unify the cooldowns across all game modes of the game? This is a question of whether Riot sees Team Deathmatch as its own game mode, or if its primary goal is to have a tertiary function to the 5v5 game mode.
Team Deathmatch also forces players onto different guns which makes it easier to pick up more guns but it also wastes the time of players who want to work on specific guns. I think Riot’s introduction of TDM is exciting but it has a caveat of having the potential to fail spectacularly and be abandoned after its novelty fades.
I think TDM is a game mode that will help players get better at skirmishes and counters the angle-holding strategy that is oft seen in Deathmatch. Forcing players to be aggressive and swing should make the gameplay less frustrating. If this game mode conditions players to be more aggressive in certain situations, and teaches them to cover for each other, the level of Valorant in the player base will increase. I’m hoping TDM makes everyone more aware of the value of having each other’s backs and the power aggressive play has in taking map control.
New Agent
Norwegian Agent Deadlock is a Sentinel that excels at controlling areas in a different method than the other ones in the game. Her abilities allow her to control the area she defends by picking up enemy locations and putting them in unfavourable situations once her area has been pushed with aggression. Based on the gameplay trailer, she seems to be very good in small skirmishes rather than big 5 on 5 firefights, and I suspect her ability to trap flankers, slow down entries and gain passive information with map control and abilities make her an exciting new addition to the roster.
Sentinels are a diverse role that offers a lot of different utility with Sage being vastly different from Killjoy in how they control and command the space that they have. In a Developer Overview Agent Lead John Goscicki and Game Designer Alexander Mistakidis discuss Deadlock and the gameplay opportunities she brings to Valorant. Overall they emphasise Deadlock’s ability to adjust to situations on the fly and be proactive with her abilities to gain maximum value out of them. I like her design because this is a Sentinel that encourages fighting to happen and doesn’t give teams value without some sort of check.
Hop into the new Episode of Valorant.
Grav Net
This grenade is useful for stopping rushes and hurting the opponents’ ability to fight back. Specifically, any enemies caught within its vicinity will be forced to crouch and move slowly and cannot escape the net for a short time. Enemies have an option to remove the debuff of the net by pulling it off but it gives off a loud sound queue making it obvious to Deadlock and her teammates that somebody is there. The devs describe it as low-key as Deadlock will have to check for themselves whether they have caught someone in the net.
This is an interesting concept for a Sentinel ability as it ticks the boxes of slowing down enemies and making sure they are forced to fight unfavourably within that area. Equally, if Deadlock or her teammates don’t check the area, the ability doesn’t really do anything as it doesn’t guarantee information if an enemy just decides to sit in the net and wait for the ability to go away.
In this sense, it differentiates itself heavily from something similar such as an Alarmbot in that it is more reactionary but doesn’t give guaranteed information unless you actually check if someone has been caught. I think this will force Deadlock to peek into her Grav Net which makes for active gameplay rather than passive information gathering as Killjoy can do.
Swing on opponents after throwing the Grav Net for maximum effectiveness.
I think Grav Net is a bit of a downgrade on the Seize ability Fade has. Seize has a decay and deafening effect over a similar area, and while it doesn’t hold players for as long as Grav Net, it has more concrete advantages if someone is caught. To me, it’s a bit disappointing that Riot is recycling the idea that has been used in other Agents.
I think the Devs adding more short-duration area control abilities like this without much differentiation isn’t the way to go. While all of these abilities are unique, they accomplish basically the same thing, and I’d like to see them try out something more unique such as a blind or an inability to equip primary guns while walking through.
Sonic Sensor
Sonic Sensor is a flank-watching trap that sticks onto walls and catches enemies that make noise by stunning them. I use the term flank watch loosely because if enemies don’t make a noise, then the Sensor doesn’t activate and people can walk through for free. I think the Sensor will be used in a way that the devs have not intended as it does have potential as a flank watch ability but its outplay is just to sneak, and flankers are slow walking without making noise 90 per cent of the time anyway.
As someone that has played lurkers such as Cypher, players will crouch walk going through areas where there are a lot of sightlines or through major lanes in the game. This means the Sensor has the potential to become null and void as a flank watch item. I think it won’t have much potential to stop long flanks and am underwhelmed by its theoretical power.
Keep quiet. Deadlock’s got her eyes on you.
The Sensor may become a plant delay option by sticking it in Main or near default plant positions to delay or stun enemies and combo it with damage abilities such as Paint Shells to kill enemy planters or to shoot them if they pop out of the plant spot. This seems like a fun way to delay plants and catch enemies during the plant phase. Having the enemy swing after trying to plant and Sonic Sensor activating guarantees a favourable fight and sounds very frustrating to play against.
I think they could have done more with the idea of Sonic Sensor, but it is exciting to see an audio-based trigger has been added to the Valorant game. All the abilities in the game have been reactionary upon area breaching or active for short durations after casting. If Riot is going to add more gimmicks that trigger after different enemy actions for Sentinels, this may make this role the most fun, diverse and rewarding type of Agent to master. If Riot keeps going in this direction with Sentinels, I’m excited for the future of new Agents in the game.
Barrier Mesh
Deadlock’s signature ability is a tossable projectile that explodes in an X-shape that denies enemies from going through but does not stop bullets from going through them. Barrier Mesh creates four different barriers that can be destroyed if damaged. The devs remark that while it stops enemies from physically pushing the area, they want to incentivise the fights on site to happen which is why the Mesh is designed to let projectiles through.
I think Barrier Mesh could be fairly weak as a signature ability but it remains to be seen how other agents will interact with these barriers. Destroying the full barrier through the core in the middle takes more than a full phantom clip which is significant given the ammo reduction that happened a short while ago.
Solo pushing through Barrier Mesh seems difficult and disadvantageous but pushing through as a team seems relatively easy. As a defender, Barrier Mesh provides no inherent advantage other than knowing they haven’t pushed through a certain area.
Stop pushes but fight opponents through the Barrier Mesh.
I think the devs wanted to create a Sentinel that is forced into taking more proactive gunfights without guaranteed information or advantages, but those guarantees are what give the Sentinel players power in their roles so it seems like a counterintuitive design concept. As a signature ability, I think Barrier Mesh lacks personality compared to something like a Sonic Sensor, so it’s disappointing that they didn’t make a new gimmick for her signature ability.
Despite its mundane effect, I think it makes her ability to deny aggression very powerful. I think the ability also encouraging fights will make both teammates and enemies aware of the need for cover fire, which means it could potentially build better habits for more players. I like the theoretical benefit and good habits this ability will force players to learn.
Annihilation
If only Valorant didn’t make another click and delete Ultimate, please. I’ve been killed way too many times by Raze’s Showstopper. Anyway, Deadlock’s Ultimate is as cool as it sounds as it has the potential to kill an enemy for free if enemy teammates don’t free the Agent trapped within the projectile before it reaches its destination.
Despite my jest, Annihilation doesn’t seem to be a click-and-kill ability, and I am very glad that they didn’t make it so. There is room for counterplay and it forces enemies to stay coordinated or Deadlock will just get a free pick. Valorant players don’t help each other at the best of times so if this ability forces teams to cooperate, it would make me very happy.
Annihilate your opponents with Deadlock’s Ultimate.
While everyone will look at the kill potential of Annihilation, I actually think the ability to grab an enemy and displace them is what is most powerful about this ultimate. Realistically, enemies will free their Agent trapped within the cocoon. But if they are pushed into the open before the cocoon breaks, then that’s effectively a free kill.
Catch an Omen pre-push with Annihilation and they won’t have vision denial. Sova and they won’t have recon. Annihilation has the potential to be mega-powerful and cripples the enemies’ ability to defend or attack the way they want to. Depending on who you catch, you can plan around the enemy you catch and plan executes. If Sova is always defending A, catch him and enemy post plants will be less effective. These kinds of strategies will make this ability easy to use but difficult to master.
Agent Lead John Goscicki and Game Designer Alexander Mistakidis give an overview of @PlayVALORANT’s newest Agent, Deadlock, and her abilities! pic.twitter.com/bOEVWPrxr5
— VALORANT Champions Tour (@ValorantEsports) June 25, 2023
New progression system
The new progression system aims to better reward players for their time spent playing Valorant with new formats to Daily Missions which grant both XP and Kingdom Credits. The new format includes 4 checkpoints (Diamonds) consisting of 4 charges (sides of the diamond). Each checkpoint grants bonus XP towards the Battle Pass, Event Pass, Agent Recruitment Event and Kingdom Credits.
Dailies also stack which means playing a lot of Valorant after a few days off the game allowing the player to effectively catch up. I think with the addition of the Agent Recruitment Event and the introduction of Kingdom Credits, the new changes address an effective way for players to work towards the new reward systems.
The Kingdom Credits are also another new feature that will be added to the game upon the update going live. Kingdom Credits cap at 10,000 points and are used for the following rewards such as:
- Agents from the Agent Store
- Agent Gear
- Previous Battlepass Accessories: Gun Buddies, Player Cards, Sprays, and Titles
I think a free way to access cosmetics and Agent gear will be super welcome to both veteran players as well as new players to the game. Outside of the limited-time skins, these Kingdom Credits facilitate a way for players who missed out on previous seasons to get these items and allow for a less exclusive economy in an already very expensive game. The fact that Riot introduced a free system to earn cosmetic rewards gets a huge thumbs-up from my side. Now if they could tone down the price of weapon bundles and guns, that would be much appreciated.
Kingdom Credits offer a new free way to unlock cosmetics and Agents in the game.
Balance changes/shakeup to the meta
While most Agents and game features are generally balanced, Valorant should consider making adjustments to the meta and giving the limelight to Agents that are currently overshadowed. Despite numerous nerfs, Killjoy still remains the quintessential Sentinel pick on most maps. Her ability to delay pushes, hold multiple sites, counter aggression and be powerful in the post-plant give her versatility which cannot be underestimated.
In comparison, other Sentinels such as Cypher and Sage remain map specific and their individual abilities are less powerful than Killjoy’s. I think giving her some nerfs or making her kit more expensive is the way to go. Another way to counter this phenomenon would be to buff the other Sentinels so they become more viable. The new Agent Deadlock could provide another premier Sentinel option for players. Hopefully, her introduction puts an end to the Killjoy meta.
Another change that should be considered is changes to the map design. Specifically on Pearl B long, while they have adjusted the area before, I think it is still way too long and open. I understand Riot want places for Snipers to shine, but at that range the Operator is king and despite lessening magazine sizes on rifles, post-plant spam is still very effective.
Another underrated feature of B site in the post-plant is once Attackers have the spike down, it’s actually very easy to play post-plant with or without abilities. If a map is built so Attackers have a massive inherent advantage after the Spike is planted, it becomes difficult to defend especially considering the size of Pearl for the Defenders. They should consider shortening the long corridor or putting more places for defenders to be able to hide behind and effectively play out from.
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