The 24th agent and new weapon skin bundle in Valorant has been revealed for Episode 7: Act III, releasing with the new patch this Tuesday.
Earlier in the year, Riot Games explained that Valorant Episode 7 would get two agents and a new map before the end of 2023. We learned two out of those three things already, the new agent Deadlock and the new map Sunset. Now, the newest Duelist agent will be called Iso (from China), changing up the meta again. With a new Act, a new weapon skin bundle called Valiant Hero will be added to the Store. Teasers appeared a few weeks ago, on October 19, when the cinematic was released. It also showcased his abilities. We were able to try Iso out firsthand, and here is what we learned.
Iso will be the seventh Duelist to join the Valorant Agent lineup. In September, Valorant’s Character Producer John Goscicki introduced Iso’s agent class and explained their objectives for the character. Essentially, he described Iso as an agent that would heavily focus on gunplay, saying that, “At its core, Valorant is a team-based Tac Shooter where gunplay shines. For some of you, that means aspiring to plow through enemies like Jinggg and putting in hours in clicking those orbs with aim trainers for that clean 5k.” Many community members have already compared Iso’s vibes to Gojo Satoru from Jujutsu Kaisen for his colourwaves and abilities!
Goscicki also teased that the Agent would have a special ability that some people “never thought would make it into Valorant”, which should surprise players. So, what are the abilities?
- Contingency (C): Equip to assemble prismatic energy. Fire to push an indestructible wall of energy forward that blocks bullets.
- Undercut (Q): Equip a molecular bolt. Fire to throw it forward, applying a brief FRAGILE to all players it touches. The bolt can pass through solid objects, including walls.
- Double Tap (E): Start a focus timer. Once completed, enter a flow state during which downed enemies you kill or damage generate an energy orb. Shooting this orb grants you a shield that absorbs one instance of damage from any source.
- Kill Contract (X): Equip an interdimensional arena. Fire to hurl a column of energy through the battlefield, pulling you and the first enemy hit into the arena. You and your opponent duel to the death.
I felt like Contingency was about as useful as Harbor’s pushable wall, but does not limit vision nor slows. Its tradeoff of blocking bullets was a better advantage, in my opinion, compared to Harbor’s wall. Undercut can be a good scare tactic when challenging someone you know is hiding around a corner, or even suspect. The decay could be a broken mechanic similarly to Viper Pit, but more targeted. Iso’s E ability (Double Tap) feels like Reyna’s Devour, but might be a bit stronger depending on how you use it.
I think the game changer that Goscicki teased was Iso’s Kill Contract, experiencing this was surreal. It was like Mordekaiser’s Ultimate Ability in League of Legends meets Call of Duty Warzone’s gulag. The first enemy Killing Contract hit teleports both Iso and the opponent into a separate realm where they duel to the death. Iso’s overall abilities and truly isolates his enemies, sort of like how Deadlock’s ultimate could single out an enemy. However, this ability cannot be broken by teammates once it hits. Is it broken? Only time will tell. Again, gunplay and having the ability to click heads is pivotal for Iso’s successful use.
As for the skinline, Valiant Hero looked to be based on the Monkey King aka Wukong. This would be very on-brand for Riot as its sister game League of Legends has the character Wukong in it. Although, it would also be on-brand with the new Agent who is based in China, and the Monkey King has a major significance in Chinese culture and folklore. When you inspect the melee weapon, which is basically the Monkey King’s staff, the music goes crazy! Definitely check it out in the Store; this might be my personal must-cop item.
Since this is a premium skinline, it will carry that $70 price tag with it. Here is everything included in the bundle:
The Valiant Hero bundle in the game includes the following:
- Bundle Cost: 7,100 VP (comprising four gun skins, one melee weapon, one gun buddy, one player card, and one non-animated spray).
- Edition: Premium
Weapons included in the bundle:
- Ruyi Staff (dual-handed melee): 4,350 VP
- Ares: 1,775 VP
- Operator: 1,775 VP
- Ghost: 1,775 VP
- Vandal: 1,775 VP
Variants for the Valiant Hero weapons:
- Red design with a custom Wukong in the finisher
- Purple design with a custom Wukong in the finisher
- Blue design with a custom Wukong in the finisher
Iso will be available in the new patch of Valorant, starting from October 31, 2023, in Episode 7 Act III.Let us know what you think of Iso, his abilities, and outlook of how he will fit into this Act’s meta.
