The latest agent from Riot Games’ upcoming first-person shooter Valorant to receive gameplay footage is Sage, with a new tweet showing off her fairly diverse kit. Sage is one of the only two characters with a healing ability. This, combined with her other unique abilities, may very well make her a staple of any team.
In the clip that Riot released, Sage starts off by stating that she is “both shield and sword,” and she is right. Sage is shown attacking and defending with her three different orbs. Each orb comes with unique abilities ranging from healing allies to creating massive barriers. The clip does not show her ultimate ability, but it’s a resurrection similar to Mercy’s ultimate from Overwatch.
SAGE /// China
"Let them try to get through me."#VALORANT pic.twitter.com/zJMeaaUi2P— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) March 26, 2020
Without further ado, let’s take a look at what Sage brings to the team as an agent.
Sage ability breakdown
Sage’s signature ability is her Healing Orb. This teal orb can be shot at allies to heal a set amount. In the clip, Sage is shown healing a friendly Jett from a pretty significant distance. The amount of health that players recover isn’t detailed in the clip, however. Regardless, since Phoenix is the only other character revealed to have a healing ability, Sage’s healing orb will make her essential to many team comps.
Next comes her Slow Orb ability. Sage tosses out a glowing ball and creates what looks like a green ice or goo field that slows down the movement of enemies. The exact radius of the field is unknown, but from the clip, it appears to take up a fairly significant portion of the ground. Enemy agents will be forced to trudge through the orb’s effect, making them vulnerable to counter attacks. Interestingly, this ability makes enemy players’ footsteps louder as they pass through the field.
The last of Sage’s abilities shown is her Barrier Orb. Sage tosses an orb on the ground in front of her and creates a wall from the same ice goo material as the Slow Orb. In the clip, Sage uses it to block off the path of two attacking agents. She is also able to ride the wall up as it rises and shoot down at the enemies from above.
Riot Games has taken a lot of notes from previous hero shooters like Overwatch. Of the characters revealed for Valorant so far, each one feels unique, not only in gameplay but also in personality. While there are still more agents to reveal, Riot Games is in a pretty good position to take on other first-person giants right now like Apex Legends and Counter-Strike.
As more information is released about Valorant and its agents, make sure to follow Daily Esports for all your hero shooter news.
