German Robotics Genius Killjoy Introduced As Newest Agent In 'Valorant'

A new agent is arriving on Riot Games’ multiplayer tactical first-person shooter “Valorant.”

Killjoy, a German genius who loves building robots, was introduced as part of Act II (similar to in-game seasons in other games) that will debut on August 4. Killjoy brings the number of agents up to 12 says Engadget.

Basic abilities for Killjoy include Alarmbot, a sneaky assassin type that waits for an enemy to move within range and then tracks them down, detonating upon impact to leave them in a ‘vulnerable’ state. That’s similar to fellow agent Viper, who can debuff opponents the same way.

Alarmbot is versatile enough that it can be recalled from deployment by holding the Equip shortcut. Alarmbot also has a Turret ability that will fire in a 180-degree arc if you want to control the map or pressure opponents to move into a particular choke point.

Killjoy comes with a special Nanoswarm grenade that you can throw and subsequently activate to unleash a deadly group of robots.

Killjoy’s Ultimate is a tactical Lockdown that, after a certain period, ‘detains’ enemies caught in its area of effect. Riot confirmed, however, that the Lockdown device can be destroyed by the opposing team.

“Valorant” was released as a PC exclusive on June 2 and is set in the near future. “Agents” are what the playable characters are called, and they are based on several cultures and countries from around the world. In the main game mode, players are assigned to either the attacking or defending team with each team having five players on it.

Although Riot has always insisted that "Valorant" is built around gunplay, rather than match-altering powers similar to “Overwatch,” the addition of Killjoy doesn’t quite fit that statement. Every agent has head-turning abilities, however, the ones offered at the launch were mostly tactical, reducing the opposition’s visibility or pressuring them to move into your weapon’s sightlines, Engadget notes.

With both games having two teams of five attempting to plant a bomb, “Valorant” has been compared to Valve’s “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive” as well as Blizzard’s class-based shooter “Overwatch.”

The “Valorant” fanbase’s reaction to Killjoy’s introduction will likely decide if Riot Games will continue with these types of characters or veers back toward a straight-shooter like the previously mentioned “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.”