VALORANT’s loudest and deadliest weapon, the Operator, is a one-shot, one-kill menace. But it also comes at a cost. Investing in this bad boy will set you back 5,000 creds, breaking the bank and potentially your economy if you’re not careful.
If you’re confident with the Operator, though, you know your angles, and you’re not afraid to take risks, why not bag yourself a skin? Here are the best Operator skins to choose from if you’re looking to show off.
The best Operator skins ranked
You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to the Op. There are shiny reskins with all sorts of colors, but there are also various animations, sounds, and more to get excited about.
10) Glitchpop
The Glitchpop skin line is one of Riot’s best—no matter what weapon you’re wielding—and the Glitchpop Operator is one of its best offerings.
The cartoon-like nature of the Glitchpop skins somehow complements the solemn and dangerous one-shot sniper rifle, creating a magical mismatch in the process. The Glitchpop is loud and ferocious, yet strangely pleasing to use. The colorful, cyberpunk aesthetic is a joy to look at.
When not blasting your enemies into a splash of colors, you can observe the skin’s holograms dancing around on your screen: There’s never a dull moment with the Glitchpop Op.
9) Sentinels of Light
A beautiful weapon to brighten up your inventory, the Sentinels of Light (SoL) Operator skin is adorned with mesmerizing relic stones—a precious, weapon-building material tied to a League of Legends lore.
The SoL collection was added to VALORANT as part of Riot’s Sentinels of Light event, shedding light on the League story surrounding the Ruined King Viego’s inauspicious return to Runeterrra and the Sentinels of Lights’ revolt against him.
Each of the weapons in the collection features a unique SFX design, inspired by existing and former Sentinels of Light members related to the event: the SoL Operator represents the very determined and devoted Akshan.
8) Origin
Origin combines elements of science fiction with ancient technology—and it surprisingly delivers what players want in an Operator skin effectively.
“If someone from 100 years ago were to see an iPhone in their world, they would think it’s just straight magic,” Riot art lead Sean Marino said in an interview in 2021. “We wanted to have this gun feel like it was magical, but it really is just really advanced technology.”
The Origin’s geometrical design is simple but aesthetically pleasing. What makes it such a worthwhile skin though is its unique inspect animation, coupled with its pleasing bullet sounds. Inspect it and you’ll see the rifle float between your character’s palms and the bullet magazine separate, spinning around in charismatic green circles.
The finisher animation is quite intriguing as well, with the deceased player disappearing into a vibrant beam surrounded by rings.
7) Prelude to Chaos
Riot’s obsession with science fiction as a theme for VALORANT’s cosmetics finds an excellent outcome with the Prelude to Chaos collection, which was launched in Episode Five, Act One. The Prelude to Chaos Operator features a balanced design, excellent for those who don’t like distracting skins.
Energetic but not too loud, the Prelude to Chaos Operator is the epitome of not-so-distracting skins in the tactical shooter. Using an energy orb as a power source, the weapon fires a heavy-sounding beam of energy.
The seemingly unstoppable sci-fantasy energy harnessed from the orb core runs through its body when you equip, inspect, or reload the skin. Chaotic yet gorgeous.
6) Forsaken
Drenched in a dark, corrupted aura, the Forsaken collection made its way into VALORANT in Episode Two, Act Three, and brought with it one of the most exquisite Operator skins.
The Forsaken Operator is known for its mystical design. You’ll love the green, bright light the skin emits and the intriguing, sinister background audio when reloading the weapon. The finisher animation converts the deceased enemy into a black angelic form, which crumbles into dust as a flock of ravens flies past.
Despite the powerful message it brings, the Forsaken Operator is mild; perfect for those who aren’t looking for distracting skins to put on their favorite sniper. While there are two variants, you’ll find the white Forsaken Operator, which is decorated with golden borders, emits blue light through its cracks, and flaunts a blue stone, to be the most enchanting.
5) Ion
The best skins are often the simplest and the Ion operator is an exemplar of the same. Flaunting classic shades of white, blue, and black, the Ion offers a premium look, yet doesn’t overdo it; it doesn’t even have color variants.
Naturally, every Operator main seeks to have this sophisticated skin listed on their inventory, essentially making it the iPhone of VALORANT cosmetics.
That being said, the biggest selling point of the Ion operator is undoubtedly its sharp, satisfying firing audio and the blue energy orb that seemingly powers it. When you equip the Operator, its power source pulses, buzzes, and hums, waiting for you to shoot, all while rotating silently. Upon pulling the trigger, it lets out a loud blast of energy, leaving behind a blue trail of smoke.
Related: 10 best Phantom skins in VALORANT
4) RGX Pro 11z
Representing the intricacies of modern RGB gaming hardware, the RGX Pro 11z collection is one hell of a creation. And it includes one of the best-sounding Operator skins in VALORANT.
The RGX Pro 11z Operator skin, lovingly known as the RGX Operator, is adorned with reactive RGB lamps set inside its transparent body. Its laser-like firing audio is extremely satisfying, and so is its inspiring reload and inspect animations.
Besides a catchy finisher animation that traps the enemy between charged pillars, the RGX Operator comes with an intriguing Level Five upgrade, which adds a kill counter for every match you play, saving you the pain of opening the Tab stats page multiple times.
3) Reaver
The Reaver collection allows you to tap into the limitless, conjuring powers of a dark, other-worldly realm. It’s designed to give you the creeps but, at the same time, is bundled with the pleasure of revenge.
The Reaver operator is just one of the collection’s most influential offerings to VALORANT’s huge cosmetic database. There’s something about the Reaver operator’s grip that no player would want to miss. The powerful ambiance Reaver creates on your screen is unlike any other cosmetic in the game.
If you are looking for a skin with dark, attractive tones and a magical aura to wrap your Operator in, there’s nothing better than the Reaver.
2) Radiant Entertainment System
Built for gamers who wouldn’t mind shelling out a premium price for densely animated skins and a childhood recall, the Radiant Entertainment System (R.E.S) skin line features not only the costliest Operator skin in VALORANT to date but also the fanciest one.
With three vibrant variants, each celebrating an iconic arcade game, the R.E.S Operator just hits different. Each variant flaunts a distinct SFX and VFX design, depending on the game they represent: Bazooka Badger, K.nock O.ut!!, and Dance Fever. You’ll get to experience unique animations and firing audio for each.
There’s nothing not to enjoy with the R.E.S Operator, considering its colorful body, lively graphics, and adorable mini-game setups. That being said, its reload animation is the most exciting—a video game cassette resembling the ammo cartridge is pulled out and fitted back in.
1) Elderflame
Upon its release in Episode One, Act One, the Elderflame collection landed in the crosshairs of several players for the highly distracting dragon that leads it, not to forget its premium price. But it’s undeniably exciting to command and nurture the feisty legendary creature with your weapon, isn’t it?
Despite its flaws, the Elderflame Operator has a significant fan base and it’s evidently due to its lively animations, thrilling sound effects, and of course, the feisty dragon. The elegant creature gets really energetic when you’re equipping or reloading, inhaling breaths of fire in style as if getting ready to shower your enemies with blazing bullets.
The finisher animation is equally fascinating: As the last enemy killed kneels down, a large form of the dragon appears above them and blows a powerful breath of fire, burning them to the ground. There are plenty of skins for the potent sniper, but the Elderflame Op feels special to hold, like a priceless relic, making every shot, and every kill, that much more satisfying.
Related: All weapon skin bundles in VALORANT
Published: Aug 24, 2023 05:30 am