The Valorant Closed Beta started exactly one year ago today – on April 7th, 2020. So Riot’s Tactical Shooter is now one year old . What has happened in the last 12 months? Here’s our recap of Valorant’s birthday :
When Valorant came out, people couldn’t wait to try Riot Games ‘ tactical shooter. The game was hailed as a CS:GO killer and was huge on Twitch right from the start. Twelve months later, a lot has changed in Valorant . We’re looking at all the changes for the anniversary.
What has happened in Valorant in the last year?
agents
Originally the number of agents in the closed beta was only 10. A year later and players now have 15 agents to choose from . As is usual with Riot, more and more agents will be added: So far, Riot has released a new agent with every new act and it will probably continue to do so for a long time.
How many maps does Valorant have?
Not much has happened with the maps yet. In closed beta, Valorant had three maps : Bind, Haven, and Split. Ascent was added with the official release in June, and later in November 2020 the Icebox map was added. That’s a total of five cards in one year . No matter what angle you look at it from… it’s rather weak. Similar competitive multiplayer titles had significantly more maps at the same time:
- CS:GO had 6 maps at the start and after a year more than twice as many
- Overwatch launched with 12 maps and is now at over 30
Valorant is probably the most card-poor competitive shooter ever. There has to be more in 2021. But considering that it’s already April and there is no news about a new map yet, you could assume that there will be at most one new map this year…
Balancing in Valorant
Difficult subject: back in closed beta, Raze was the greatest OP character of all time. A year later, some agents like Sage have received nerfs, while Raze can still shred your entire team. It’s just as fun now as it was then. While Valorant is making an effort to balance, some characters don’t feel like Riot is listening to the community.
Skins / Battle Pass
If there’s one thing Valorant isn’t lacking in, it’s definitely skins . Sure, this is where Riot earns all the money with the free-to-play shooter. Overall, the monetization system is a bit odd and rather… money-hungry. But it’s ok, because none of the skins in Valorant offers a playful advantage and the Battle Pass is absolutely not mandatory.
Das Vanguard Anti-Cheat
Last but not least, Riot’s anti-cheat system called Vanguard. It has been widely announced that Vanguard will stop cheaters forever. The catch is that it doesn’t have that. Absolutely not.
Players are reporting issues like FPS drops, sudden reboots, and more due to Vanguard. That would all be fine if at least there were no cheaters in Valorant, but the opposite is true. We’ve even seen pro players get manually banned in pro matches because the anti-cheat software didn’t detect the cheaters’ hacking software…
OVERWATCH 2 – A VISUAL EVOLUTION
Overwatch 2 takes the world and gameplay to a new level: the environments are more dynamic, the battles are more comprehensive, improved effects and shadows enrich the atmosphere in the game. You will be immersed in the story of Overwatch in gripping events. All heroes will get a completely new, even more detailed and authentic look in Overwatch 2.
The five best Overwatch skins
As really cool – so you could title the new Overwatch skins. Because Blizzard Entertainment has really put a lot of effort this time and gifted the community with new cosmetics.
The OverwatchEcent Archives is in full swing. And once again, it takes us back to the original Overwatch team that used to fight in the streets of King’s Row against the rebellion started by the Null Sector. We also remember eight years ago when we took control of Blackwatch, a terrorist organization bent on destruction. But besides all the nostalgia, there’s something else that makes this event: the Archives skins. Here comes the top 5 of the best Cosmetics.
5th Place: Zarya’s “Workout.”
Giving us a bit of workout reality is Zarya’s “Workout” skin at #5. At a young age, Zarya identified a lot with athletics and here she shows that she’s a tough woman. But we honestly expected something more from the professional weightlifter. Still, the skin turned out quite nice.
4th Place: Roadhog’s “Militia” Look
Blizzard has done a good job of mixing the scout and military outfits, so Roadhog’s “Militia” skin lands in 4th place. We especially love the patches attached to the dungarees, but this skin isn’t as colorful and fancy as, say, other skins in the ranking. For that, it gets a solid 4th place.
3rd place: Junkrats “King Jamison
Majestic and bold in 3rd place is Junkat’s “King Jamison” skin. After being banished from Junkertown by the queen, he’s back and presents himself as a real eye-catcher that the queen would be jealous of. We were taken with the golden leg, but so much potential was lost with the rather plain shirt. That’s why Junkrat only makes it to number 3.
2nd place: Pharah’s “Aviator” style
Lieutenant Fareeha “Pharah” comes flying in at number two, in a stunning look that should wow anyone. The aviator sunglasses plus jetpack give her a thematically badass appearance that still makes her look cool and beautiful.
1st Place: Ana’s “Sniper” Skin.
Ana breathes new life into us with her “Sniper” skin and is unrivaled our No. 1 spot. During the Omnic crisis in her earlier years, Ana slayed the Omnics in this color stunning outfit. Her red scarf, headset and many other smaller accessories add the finishing touches to the skin that have us excited.
We’re excited to see when and with which skins Blizzard will wow us again. For more info on Overwatch and everything else about the world of Esports and gaming, check out Early Game.
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