Valorant is currently in its Episode 2 Act 2 and the latest character to join the roster that came with it was Astra. What about the next agent? Here's all we know about Valorant agent 16.
The number of agents in Valorant keeps growing with the release of every new episode so far and currently sits at a total of 15 agents. Astra was the newest agent in Episode 2 Act 2, bringing a breath of fresh air into the shooter. What do we know about agent 16 though?
- Read More: Valorant: How To Get the Duality Player Card
When is the Agent 16 Release Date?
We think Agent 16 will release on June 22. If there was one thing we were certain about before, it was that Valorant will get another agent with the next episode. Valorant's Episode 2 Act 3 came out on April 27, and while it introduced the brand-new map Breeze, a new agent was nowhere to be found. It looks like the data miners were right after all.
There is no new agent with Act 3, There is only a new map | #VALORANT
— Mike - Valorant Leaks & Info (@ValorLeaks) April 23, 2021
It felt super weird that Riot didn't release any teasers about an upcoming agent. Since the new agent didn't arrive with Act 2 Episode 3, the next best guess would be Episode 3 Act 1. The current Battle Pass in Valorant is set to end on June 21 and this means we should expect Agent 16 on June 22 with the start of Episode 3 Act 1.
then who is this? pic.twitter.com/RqjvVy1kHC
— lais (@whoredemsz) April 23, 2021
Which Country Will the Next Agent Be Coming From?
Previously, players saw a mysterious trailer posted on the Valorant page.
— VALORANT // Arabia (@VALORANTar) March 16, 2021
It got many players speculating it'll be about the new agent. Sadly, it turned out to be just a teaser for the Strike Arabia tournament.
It is your time to dominate the battlefield and ace your way to the first Arab championship title... and perhaps the global one too!Gather a team of skilled shooters and register now: https://t.co/2SVsEiQrTI
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) March 18, 2021
This doesn't exactly rule out the possibility of an agent from the Middle East. Considering Valorant tries to be inclusive, we'll probably see agents from every side of the globe so why not the Middle East? We don't know yet, but Riot will be revealing more over the course of the next few weeks.
What is Agent 16's role?
Agent 16 is probably going to be an Initiator. When it comes to roles, agents are well-defined in Valorant. We have four classes - Duelist, Initiator, Controller, and Sentinel. The 15 agents so far are split as follows:
- 5 Duelists
- 4 Controllers
- 3 Initiators
- 3 Sentinels
Considering the last two agents that got released were a Controller and a Duelist, we're probably going to get an Initiator or a Sentinel next. But again, our bet is on an Initiator as the current meta for the class is heavily in the favor of Sova. It'd be nice to get a viable alternative. Then again, getting a Sentinel won't be too bad either.
Agent 16 – Codename and Abilities
The name of Agent 16 in Valorant was revealed to be "Grenadier". Keep in mind that this might not be the official name of the character but just a placeholder in the game's files.
New Agent Codename: "Grenadier" | #VALORANT
— Mike - Valorant Leaks & Info (@ValorLeaks) May 11, 2021
Judging by the agent's name we should probably expect some serious firepower. In a recent blog post Valorant Character Producer John Goscicki revealed more about the new agent:
This time around we are throwing in some abilities that should feel familiar to folks who’ve played traditional FPS games their whole lives, but with added elements that will make those recognizable abilities unique within our roster. This is an Agent who’s utility can create moments where you must rely on your gunplay.
"Moments where you must rely on your gunplay" - it certainly seems like the new agent will have some sort of silence/disable that can prevent enemy abilities.
Agent 16 First Teasers
Hints of the new agent are already in-game, as noticed by players. The first thing that fans noticed was a knife sparkling with power that's stuck in a crate.
Next Agent TeaserHere's a better look at the knife!Judging by the setup here, this may be the ability that disables other abilities.| #VALORANT pic.twitter.com/mlb3zsSUO6
— Cynprel // VALORANT Lore // Art (@cynprel) June 8, 2021
In addition, a sign on Breeze now reads "Arrival Imminent". The knife in the tweet above is probably a teaser of the new agent's abilities. Fans are already theory crafting that it might allow Grenadier to "silence" enemy skills. That's certainly a good guess, and we're curious how that'll fit with the whole "classic FPS" type of agent. Another teaser was released during the Summer Game Fest.
Spotted @summergamefest pic.twitter.com/JBYWJvaEk4
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) June 10, 2021
It's the first glimpse at the new agent and by the looks of it, it's a robot made by Killjoy? In the last few days, the official Valorant Twitter account was taken over by Killjoy and the agent has been posting quite often. Is the new robot agent 16? Most likely. Another tweet basically confirmed that the new agent will probably have some sort of skill that'll disable other abilities.
Variable removed, Alarmbot down. pic.twitter.com/AKl9EVEgOR
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) June 10, 2021
Furthermore, the code name was leaked to be "Bounty Hunter" and not the previously mentioned "Grenadier". These are just codenames and the final name of the agent can be quite different. From what we know so far it's going to be a robot, made by Killjoy? Riot dropped another hint in the last State of the Agents blog post:
Our hope is that the @**&!(&H! #$ &*! *%# &@! *U&^A! “@*!!*(@@*&^” (@&* ^@!^& &@! * &^C#^ANG W*^@ $O )(E *N@! S!T#$Huh, I’m sorry my keyboard just stopped working there… oh well. The new Agent is coming soon enough, and we’re looking forward to seeing what you think when they finally say hello!
At this point, the first sentence is an obvious clue that the new agent will be able to scramble enemy abilities. "When they finally say hello" could be a reference to the "Hello, World" program which is often used as an introduction to programming aka the next agent is a robot.
New Agent Name and First Screenshots
KAY/O is the next agent heading to VALORANT in Episode 3. KAY/O will be an Initiator | #VALORANT pic.twitter.com/dyGEKZhjVs
— Mike - Valorant Leaks & Info (@ValorLeaks) June 17, 2021
The first screenshots of the new agent were also leaked, along with the name - Kayo. The new agent is definitely a robot, and we're curious to find out more about the backstory. The one thing that we can't help but notice is the number "17", when in fact, this should've been the 16th agent in the Valorant roster. Is Kayo truly the next agent in Valorant? Is Kayo the same agent as Grenadier? Are Riot hinting at a double release?
Agent 16 will be aimed at all the traditional FPS players and disabling enemy utility is definitely one way to force gunplay. The new agent will be arriving with patch 3.0, which is coming with Episode 3 Act 1 on June 22.
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