VALORANT has just released the trailer for its 19th agent; a high-octane, fast-paced Duelist named Neon. Hailing from the Philippines, it seems like Neon is designed to be an alternative to Jett, who was previously the game’s only speedster. Curious what Neon’s deal is? Don’t worry, we’ve got the full breakdown of her trailer and all her abilities right here.
VALORANT’s newest agent Neon is young
Look, I get it. Everyone’s skipped an audio message that was way too long. But, if I were just joining an elite international agency whose mission was to protect the world from evil mirror versions of ourselves, I might want to give that introductory message a listen.
This little bit of character building speaks to Neon’s youth, though, which was previously implied in Chamber’s voice lines regarding her. It seems like speed isn’t the only thing she’ll have in common with Jett; they’re both likely to be among the youngest members of the roster as well. And besides, Jett is impatient and a little rude, too. These two will either get along fantastically or they’ll be at each other’s throats.
Getting a lot of ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ vibes from this …
A blue-and-yellow color palette defines Neon’s look, from her hair to the lightning crackling off her skin, evoking vibes of beloved classic video game character Sonic the Hedgehog. That, and the fact that she can run super fast.
As showcased in the trailer, one of Neon’s abilities appears to be sprinting. This could make her an effective entry character who would work well with any team that likes to push onto sites and take space quickly.
But that’s not all. Neon can’t just run; she can slide, too.
Currently, it’s unclear exactly how these movement abilities will work. But, from the trailer, it appears that the slide will be something Neon can do while sprint is active. It also seems like sliding will end the sprint duration.
*Breach voice* Concussing!
As seen in the trailer, Neon also has a throwable ability that bounces like Yoru’s Blindside and lands with a similar area of effect as KAY/O’s FRAG/ment. This ability concusses anyone caught inside it at the moment of impact. We don’t know yet if it does any damage along with the concuss.
This makes Neon the fifth agent (after Breach, Cypher, Skye and Astra) to have a concuss ability. Neon can angle this ability by bouncing it off a wall, which could make for some interesting plays and increases her viability as an entry fragger.
What if it’s a Phoenix wall, but there were two of them?
Neon’s final regular ability is literally two Phoenix walls. It’s unclear, as of yet, whether the walls will damage others, and it’s unlikely that they’ll heal Neon the same way Phoenix’s abilities heal him. However, it cuts off sightlines from both sides and provides a handy little tunnel that a team can push through before their opponents can blink.
The downside of this double wall is that everyone on the team will be funneled into the same area, should they all choose to go through it together. Still, there are many ways a team could play around this wall, and it will no doubt be useful for taking space and forcing enemies to take disadvantageous fights.
The ultimate finger gun
Finally, Neon’s ultimate ability causes her to, for lack of a better term, go Super Saiyan. She begins to glow all over and acquires a finger gun the likes of which has never been seen before.
Basically, she can shoot lightning from her fingertips. It’s unclear whether this lightning will be a continuous beam that is 100% accurate or if it will lock on to targets. We also don’t know yet if it operates on a timer or a special ammo gauge. However, it seems like an ability that, if utilized well in combination with Neon’s other abilities, could be devastating for enemy teams.
When will VALORANT agent Neon be released?
Neon is set to burst onto the scene when VALORANT Episode 4: Disruption begins. The exact date for this has not been announced yet, but with Episode 3 Act 3 concluding on Jan. 11, it is likely that Episode 4 will begin the next day.
