All eyes have turned toward the next agent and duelist coming to VALORANT, Iso, since the lethal assassin and his ability kit were revealed yesterday. And with the official gameplay reveal now released today, it’s clear that hopping in Aim Labs is more of a requirement than a suggestion.
Riot has made its goal of building a duelist agent that’s reliant on precision and confidence clear, and that goal is certainly reflected in Iso’s kit, namely in his Double Tap ability. Double Tap activates a focus timer window, similar to the timing window Jett now has for her dash. During this “flow state” window, killing or damaging an enemy generates an energy orb. Shooting the orb grants Iso a shield that absorbs one single instance of damage.
This damage instance can be anything, from something powerful like a Raze ultimate, Operator shot, or Vandal headshot, or something minor like a single Classic leg shot or Skye’s dog. Notably, though, Iso can continue to deal damage, generate and collect orbs, and shrug off damage as long as the focus timer remains active. The focus window also resets when he shoots an orb.
The potential plentifulness of orbs during hectic gunfights gives a massive advantage to the most mechanically gifted VALORANT players. Some of the gunfights shown in the official gameplay trailer look like they’re edited highlights from a Gridshot routine from Aim Labs.
While Iso’s ultimate garnered the most attention following his kit reveal, Double Tap and Contingency appear to be the most critical parts of what he brings to a team composition. An Iso player on a hot streak could use Double Tap and just never die, and the Contingency shield is a valuable tool for closing off angles.
While his relevancy in pro and competitive play is yet to be determined, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Iso produce high stats across several ranks once he joins VALORANT with Episode Seven, Act Three on Oct. 31.
Published: Oct 20, 2023 11:25 am