Riot Games has chosen Pheonix as the firstValorantcharacter, or Agent, to receive anofficial gameplay tease. The first-look only lasts for about twenty seconds, though, so viewers will only get to see two of his four abilities in action.
To give some context to that,Valorantwill release with eight Agents to choose from, and each of them will sport their own unique toolkit, and as a result, their own way of handling a playstyle. Phoenix’s playstyle will center around rushing down enemies and controlling space through fire manipulation.
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The two abilities in the video are his “Curveball” and “Blaze.” Curveball acts as his Signature Ability. With the snap of his fingers,Pheonixconjures a small fireball that he can hurl around corners to surprise opponents. Once it makes contact with someone, or a certain amount of time passes, the ball will explode like a flashbang grenade, temporarily blinding any enemies caught looking at it. The HUD in the video shows Pheonix has two charges of this move per round.
The second ability, Blaze, works as one of the two abilities players will have to buy before the start of a match, kind of like the weapon-buying system inCS:GO. It summons a giant wall of fire that Phoenix can bend and curve at the player’s discretion. Its best use cuts off access to lanes around the map, as people can’t see through it, and take damage if they come in contact with it. The HUD for this ability seems to indicate that it can only be used once per match, but players can carry it for four rounds.
Valorantdidn’t show Phoenix’s “Hot Hands” and “Run it Back” abilities in this tease but has described them before. Hot Hands will be the second other ability players can purchase before a match. For this ability, Phoenix conjures a fireball that explodes on impact with something or after a delayed amount of time. The explosion will deal damage to anyone in the vicinity and set the area on fire. Anyone caught in the flames takes damage, but if Phoenix enters, he heals.
Run it Back serves as Pheonix’s Ultimate Ability and explains the character’s namesake. When triggered, it marks Phoenix’s current location. Should Phoenix die while this ability is active, he’ll revive at the marked spot with full health. Its likely players will get to see Run it Back and Hot Hands in action beforeValorantreleases, but for now, Riot Games will probably focus on other characters.
