Now that the VALORANT Champions 2021 event is over, fans are wondering what the popular tactical FPS shooter has in store for 2022 and beyond. Of course, players are expecting to see Riot Games add new maps, and more agents to the roster, and we're already getting clues for the next VALORANT agent.
Note that the next VALORANT agent will be the 18th playable agent in the game, but technically, she's known as Agent 19 because Agent 8 is still unknown, and it's still unclear when Riot will introduce Agent 8. Riot officially revealed Neon on January 5, 2022.
Table of Contents
- VALORANT Agent 19 Teasers: Did Riot already tease the next VALORANT agent?
- VALORANT Agent 19 Appearance: What does the next VALORANT agent look like?
- VALORANT Agent 19 Abilities: What abilities does she have?
- VALORANT Agent 19 Release Date: When will the next VALORANT agent arrive in the game?
- VALORANT Agent 19 Lore Details: What else do we know about the next VALORANT Agent?
Here's everything you need to know about VALORANT Agent 19, Neon:
VALORANT Agent 19 Teasers: Did Riot already tease the next VALORANT agent?
During the VALORANT Champions finals on December 12, a teaser for the next VALORANT agent was revealed, and the clip features a silhouette made out of coded strings of letters and numbers, while a woman’s voice speaks in Filipino and English about her powers.
Chamber's voice-line interactions with other agents in the game also shared some insight into what the next VALORANT agent will be like. In the voice lines, Chamber refers to the agent as "she", confirming the suspicion that the next agent will be female. Chamber also hints at the fact that Agent 19 may be younger, potentially one of the youngest agents we've seen yet.
In a voice line to Reyna, Chamber says, “Reyna, radiant as always. Speaking of which, I have an impressionable young mind for you to corrupt. A gift from me to you.”
This is also mirrored to Chamber's voice when he asked Sage to be a mentor for a new student he has found for her, so these clues suggest that the next agent will be younger.
Jan. 5 Update: Riot has released a new trailer to highlight Neon's abilities. The character is voiced by Vanille Velasquez.
VALORANT Agent 19 Appearance: What does the next VALORANT agent look like?
Back in March 2020, Riot Games released an exciting teaser for VCT Stage 1 Masters, and some fans are pointing out that the female character featured in the video resembles the blurry figure shown in the teaser above.
Prior to the release of the teaser for the VCT Champions final broadcast, Riot teased the origin of Agent 19 in various ways. In the latest Night Market released in VALORANT, players can see star-shaped lanterns, which most likely are parols, traditional Filipino lanterns displayed during Christmas season.
Based on these teasers, it looks like the next VALORANT agent will be from Manila, Philippines, and on Dec. 31, Riot officially revealed the name and first look of the new Agent: Neon. The image above shows her official first look. As you can see, she's lightning based, and she looks like a Filipina character with futurstic shoes.
VALORANT Agent 19 Abilities: What abilities does she have?
Riot Games has already revealed the abilities of VALORANT Agent 19 in the new trailer, and she's confirmed to be a Duelist. Her powers were hinted to be linked to electricity because she refers to "lightning" in the teaser. More specifically, she says, "hope they like getting hit by lightning." She also says to "get ready" because she "goes fast," probably hinting at the nature of her abilities.
The last three agents released were Sentinel (Chamber), Initiator (Kay/0), and Controller (Astra), so it makes sense that the next VALORANT Agent is a Duelist
The codename is also known to be "Sprinter" so this fits well to what Riot teased so far.
Riot Games also teased the new Agent's abilities. The developer said that she can "outpace the rest of the roster, shocking the competition, and sliding into the fight", so it looks like she will be able to perform a sliding move, and use a speed-based ability similar to Jett, and use electric-based powers.
Update: The trailer for Neon revealed that the new Agent could sprint and slide. She can also release a spark that acts like a molly that stuns. Neon's third ability lets her release two electric-blue walls similar to Phoenix's but on both sides instead of just one.
Finally, her ultimate lets her have the ability to zap enemies while being able to move fast and slide.
VALORANT Agent 19 Release Date: When will the next VALORANT agent arrive in the game?
Don't expect Riot to add Agent 19 by the end of 2021, but expect her to be released by early 2022. Following Riot's traditional release schedule, the next VALORANT agent won't be released until Episode 4, Act 1, which is expected to launch on January 12, 2022, after Episode 3, Act 3 ends.
However, with the developers currently working on buffing Yoru, there's a slight chance that Agent 19 could be delayed beyond the release of the next VALORANT Act, but if Riot officially reveals the new VALORANT Agent by the first week of January, there's a good chance she will be released when the new Episode 4, Act 1 launches.
Related: How to Get Free VALORANT Points From Riot Games
VALORANT Agent 19 Lore Details: What else do we know about the next VALORANT Agent?
VALORANT lore enthusiast Cynprel shared a few interesting details about Neon. According to the post, Neonis a Radiant, and that her powers deal with electricity. She also plays a role in the Alpha-Omega Bridge, which is the teleporter the Earth-1 VALORANT Protocol is currently constructing in order to bridge the gap between Earth-1 and 2. The trailer also revealed more of Neon's role in the VALORANT protocol.