The next Valorant agent is confirmed to be an initiator, according to Riot Games.
A new State of the Agents blog post by Valorant Character Producer John Goscicki has revealed more details about Agent 20. But unlike Sova, whose Recon Bolt and Owl Drone allow him to gather information across a fairly large area, Agent 20 will offer more “localized initiation and recon tools”.
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The next Valorant agent will focus on more localized information-gathering
“So much of Valorant’s tactical loop revolves around information. Knowing where enemies are and exploiting that info to execute during that sliver of a window is key to many successful wins,” wrote Goscicki.
As a result, a new initiator has been top of mind for the Valorant team for a while now. Sova continues to be incredibly dominant in the Valorant meta, where he is among the top two most-picked agents in VCT NA and EMEA Stage 1 Challengers.
However, Riot wants every new agent to have a unique place in the game, which forces players to play differently against them.
To ensure that Agent 20 (codenamed Bounty Hunter) isn’t simply a Sova clone, Riot focused on “identifying unique gameplay differences within the realm of recon and info”, eventually settling on tools that allow for more localized information-gathering.
“This next agent should give you a more… intimate feeling when hunting down enemies,” teased Goscicki. Datamined files also show that a new Totem ability has been added to the game, similar to Skye’s Trailblazer.
This suggests that Bounty Hunter could rely on a similar tool to pursue enemies and reveal their locations.
Bounty Hunter is a Turkish agent centered on the theme of fear
A theme of fear appears to surround the new initiator as well. Goscicki finishes with a line in Turkish: “Herkesin bir korkusu var”, which translates to “Everyone has a fear”.
He also jokes about having a “recurring nightmare” that he will not finish the Act II battlepass, and that he is hesitant to reveal too much about Agent 20 because “the thought of giving away too much frightens [him]”.
The teaser image shows a desk with a steaming mug of coffee on it, beside a plate of Turkish delights. You can also see an open laptop showing what looks like a dossier on Sova, while a picture of Cypher is pinned right in the middle of a board behind it.
Further clues also appear to confirm that Agent 20 is in fact the blackmailer that has been threatening the Valorant Protocol. A ring is tucked beneath the saucer, with what appears to be an “evil eye” bead on it. According to Turkish custom, this bead or amulet functions as a protective charm.
This ties in neatly with the blackmailer’s calling card, which is the symbol of an eye.
You can read the full State of the Agents blog here.
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