First ‘official’ look at new VALORANT weapon appears in hands of popular agent

The official arrival of the first new VALORANT weapon is imminent, with the gun now appearing in official art and posts on the game’s social media channels.

A post today shared across the different regional VALORANT accounts on X/Twitter shows the beloved and broody controller Omen holding what appears to be the leaked Outlaw sniper rifle, indicated by its size and double-barrel. The rifle matches the Outlaw icon that has appeared in various leaked images.

Its size is pretty noteworthy; length-wise from the end of the stock to its barrel, it’s almost as tall as Omen himself. Even if Omen is a short king, which is currently unconfirmed, the Outlaw appears to be the longest weapon in the game.

The Outlaw will hold a special distinction and place in VALORANT history as the first new gun to be added to the game since its launch in 2020. According to various leaks, the Outlaw sniper rifle will fire two bullets at once and deal 140 body damage at any range, which will kill half-shielded enemies with a single shot. At a leaked price of 2,400 credits, it costs more than twice the amount of its sniper counterpart the Marshal, but costs far less than the Operator and its superior damage.

Whether or not the Outlaw becomes a staple of a meta dominated by automatic rifles, and one where there are already two viable sniper rifle options, remains to be seen.

The Outlaw is expected to be released at the start of VALORANT Episode Eight, which is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. The Outlaw will be one of several new changes coming in the game’s eighth episode, which also include tweaks to Lotus and the returning Icebox, in addition to the customary episodic features like a new battle pass and new skins.