5 Takeaways from the T1 x Nerd Street Gamers VALORANT Invitational

The way VALORANT works is quite simple. Two teams of five players will face off against each other in a match of best to 24. Essentially, the first team to reach 13 wins will be victorious. Each round, one team defends while the other atta

Sage’s Barrier Orb ice wall may just be the most useful ability in the game. Whether attacking or defending, Sage can lock down an entire avenue with a massive wall. Additionally, when enemies use the teleporter on Bind, she can trap them in. Her Slow Orb is simply a great way to delay enemy pushes, rendering a large area almost completely untraversa

It’s still far too early to tell how much longevity _ VALORANT _ might hold as an esport, especially when competing with games that have established scenes like _ DoTA 2 _ , _ CS:GO _ and _ Starcraft II _ . However, with its recent introduction of a ranked mode , it’s obvious that Riot is eager to continue to fashion _ VALORANT _ into a highly competitive game, with the hope that such an emphasis will translate into esports succ

Phoenix is unarguably one of the best offensive characters. His Curveball ability is quick and maneuverable, completely obfuscating opponents’ screens. If a Phoenix player knows where you are when attacking, surviving his “flash-peak-shoot” combo is very diffic

The event, which featured shout casters Alex “Goldenboy” Mendez and Chris “Puckett” Puckett, had a total prize pool of $25,000. Gen.G, to the surprise of many, took home the first place prize of $20,000 and Team Brax, which featured T1’s own Braxton “brax” Pierce, Keven “AZK” Larivière and Austin “crashies” Roberts, finished second over

The event also saw some teams lose their matches due to the mismanagement of their economy. Even for pro players who have been spending the last month or so playing the game non-stop, VALORANT is hard. It’s a game that’s easy to grasp and hard to master. As the game matures, we as a community will increase our understanding of it, and the meta will change with

Currently, VALORANT has unveiled three different maps, each of them presenting their own unique gameplay features and challenges. Haven is a shrine themed map which was first seen in gameplay footage. Bind is the second map, which has teleportation portals allowing for some interesting fla

Brimstone – Possesses abilities that can be called in anywhere on the map, creating advantages wherever they are needed. He can launch an incendiary grenade to seal off an area, or call down a Stim Beacon anywhere to give everyone near it rapid-fire. His signature ability is an orbital drop smoke grenade, and his ultimate is an orbital strike that deals heavy area dam

One of the Best competitive multiplayer Games features so far in the game is its training grounds, which allows players to practice in a multitude of different ways. Players can load up bots with different difficulty levels to practice aiming, as well as use targets to measure weapon spread at different distan

Breach’s abilities pack a massive punch. Even with slow actuation times, they have impressive range and can completely disorient opponents. He’s one of those characters that I almost put up in the top 3, but his abilities are non-vital. Phoenix’s flash ability seems to be a bit more versatile and athletic than Breach’s, and while his ultimate is powerful and flashy, Brimstone’s seems to have the edge with its killing po

It’s not an overstatement to say that T1 and Nerd Sreet Gamers’ tournament was incredibly fun to watch. From Hiko’s insane 1v4 clutch to EliGE popping off at every possible moment, VALORANT proved that it can live up to the hype as an esp

Overall, Brimstone’s abilities are suited for a more mid-range playstyle. His abilities don’t require him to be close to get the most out of them (unless you’re trying to tag a very specific area with the Incendiary), and since they generally take a couple of seconds to set up accurately, it’s best if you’re out of harm’s way when activating them. Brimstone specializes in dictating the terms of the fight, and in the right hands, can create a truly uneven situation that your team is going to greatly benefit f

Despite the tournament being loaded with legendary names and top talent, Gen.G proved that as spectators, we’ve seen nothing yet. The young squad in their first major VALORANT tournament went out and beat some of the most accomplished players in espo

All of this points to Riot’s hope and expectation that VALORANT will be the next top-tier esport. And, with good reason, too. Esports are more popular than ever. With the amount of money now changing hands in competitive gaming as well as projections around the long-term outlook , it’s no surprise Riot Games continues heavily investing in esports after is success with League of Legen

The core four of Sage, Cypher, Brimstone, and Breach dominated the event. Mostly every team ran this composition, choosing Sova for the fifth spot if they wanted more information, Omen if they wanted utility or a duelist (Pheonix, Raze, Jett) if they wanted more dam