Riot just revealed a new agent heading to Valorant – Neon. The character has the potential to become one of the most unique and powerful characters in the game due to his unique sprint as well as his ability to slide, which is a departure from Valorant’s usual pace.
Typically, Valorant has been one of the more methodical and slow shooters, and introducing a character that can run and slide could shake things up a lot. Neon will head to Valorant at the very end of Episode 3 on January 10th. The character is originally from Manila and can use the power of electricity to sprint and slide around the map quickly.
Neon, the new agent in Valorant, will debut in episode 4.
While information on Neon’s exact abilities is scarce, there is palpable concern in the Valorant community about whether Neon’s sprint and slide abilities could prove to be game-changing. From what the trailer might suggest, the character’s spring is disconnected from the stim, similar to how Octane may work in Apex Legends.
The cooldown of the sprint ability will be a major factor in whether Neon negatively impacts game balance. Riot will likely share more information about the character closer to launch, but right now Neon is easily shaping up to be one of the most exciting agents in the game.
According to most reports, Episode 4: Disruption will start on January 12, 2022 and Neon will debut right then. It will be interesting to see how the Valorant community reacts to Neon and whether Riot can strike the right balance right after leaving the game.