On June 2, 2020 “Valorant,” a competitive addition to PC gaming, hit the market. 

“Valorant,” released by Riot Games, is a first-person shooter multiplayer game that currently involves 16 different playable agents and seven unique maps each with their own unique features. Valorant, also known as “Valo,” is constantly releasing brand new exciting content, including new agents and maps that continue to draw current players closer to the game while simultaneously bringing new players to the fanbase. 

In this competitive video game, two ambitious teams of five players fight to be the first team to win 13 rounds. One team is the defenders, and the other team is the attackers. Each team works to hold up their roles and after 12 rounds, the teams switch places. 

Each round, the attacking team holds a device known as “the spike” and has 100 seconds to advance on a designated site and attempt to plant that spike. If the spike is successfully planted, the attacking team can win in two ways: by killing all of the defenders before their opponents can defuse the spike or by holding off the defending team for 45 seconds. If the spike is not planted within the 100 seconds, however, the attackers lose the round. 

The defending team on the other hand, guards the designated site and tries their best to prevent the attacking team from advancing on site by either killing all of the attackers or stopping them from planting “the spike” within the 100 seconds time limit. If the spike is planted before time expires, however, the defensive team needs to rush the site and defuse the spike within 45 seconds.

“Valorant” currently offers players four types of agents: duelists, controllers, initiators, and sentinels. Each agent type possesses unique abilities to accomplish his or her goals.

Duelists are the characters that push in and help their team reach the site to plant the spike. They tend to use their abilities to seek intense engagements with the enemies and get kills to help their team secure the victory. This group is composed of agents named Reyna, Jett, Phoenix, Yoru, and Raze.

Next are the Controllers. Viper, Omen, Astra, and Brimstone are all controllers whose purpose is to block off certain locations on the map to set their team up for success. Their main abilities are to place large opaque spheres placed on the map that visually block defenders’ visions on the attackers and the spike, and prevent them from advancing on the site todefuse the bomb. 

Initiators are unique because they stay on site once the spike is planted and use their specific abilities to deploy flashes that blind enemies to stop defenders from advancing. Breach, Skye, Kay-O, and Sova form the initiator group in “Valorant.”

Finally, there are the Sentinels. Sage, Cypher, Chamber, and Killjoy all use their abilities to set temporary traps that reveal an enemy’s location or to release orbs that decrease the walking speed of opponents, all which allow them to lock down sites while keeping a keen eye on the nearby enemies. Sentinels tend to stay back like initiators and have a similar play style to Controllers.

As for the multiplayer aspect, “Valorant” allows players to team up with four additional players, whether it’s friends or random strangers. This aspect of the game plays a large factor in keeping players entertained and captivated.

Valorant is extremely fun, but there is a specific audience that would enjoy this game more so than others. I recommend this game to players over the age of 13 because the battles can be intense and violent at times, and to gamers who enjoy first-person shooter games.

These 30 to 60 minute games can be played with anyone of your choosing, and with a desire to succeed, can be extremely entertaining for hours on end.

With new content updates almost every month, “Valorant” is constantly improving and gaining a larger audience. The strategy, teamwork, and competitiveness all draw players to this entertaining video game and help maintain a very positive fanbase. After playing for over 12 months, I still find myself enjoying this game with my friends, and with how unique this game is, I encourage you to give it a try.