VALORANT players don’t appreciate creativity, and it’s killing the game’s essence. Most players I meet are repulsive toward offbeat playstyles that cause even the slightest bit of inconvenience for them, and as someone who loves playing Harbor—an agent who can “slow” his enemies and teammates alike—I’m tired of this.
I have to think twice before deploying a creatively shaped Hide Tide or a slightly tilted Cascade when I play Harbor in VALORANT. Why? Because of “Jett mains” on defense, who choose to mindlessly push a bunch of attackers through smokes, die, and then blame me and Harbor’s wall for slowing them down. “Harbor’s trash, why the fuck would you play him?” they scream before proceeding to flame me for not knowing how to play a controller.
According to most players I’ve met in ranked VALORANT games, I should just “stick to playing Omen and Brimstone.” While I’m sure other Harbor players have had similar experiences, he isn’t the only agent who regularly receives hate for promoting a “different” style.
Take, for example, Gekko. No one wants Gekko on their team instead of Skye or Sova. He can be a bit difficult to find value out of, but that isn’t because he’s a weak agent. I mean, how many times have you managed to dodge that blue splash of his? And I shouldn’t have to highlight how strong the rest of his kit, including his adorable Wingman, deadly Mosh Pit, and an ultimate that can be used twice in one round, is.
For starters, Gekko players need their team to help capitalize on his unlimited flash and scouting abilities. He should have a duelist like Jett or Raze trying to take advantage of Dizzy’s nearly undodgeable flash to secure a kill, and later, help him pick up the orb for a second flash. Granted that the player who runs him has to know how to use his kit, the team should also not sit in the corner while his abilities go to waste.
Another agent I want to highlight here is Deadlock. She’s consistently hated because of her Sound Sensors, which don’t work like Killjoy’s Alarm Bot, Cypher’s Trap Wires, and Chamber’s Trademark—a flank detector. Well, I don’t see players picking on Sage for not having a trap that can detect flanks. You still want her on Split mandatorily to “wall mid.”
I’m not saying Deadlock doesn’t need changes; she certainly should have the ability to pick her Sonic Sensors up like her peers can. But her traps are not meant to watch flanks as effectively as Killjoy’s or Cypher’s. You can still place her sensors in spots where the enemies would least expect, and catch a flanker in the process. Or, just have someone watch the flank and use her abilities to delay a retake. It’s that simple to just appreciate Deadlock’s style.
Why can’t VALORANT players just play around an agent’s strengths? It seems they have an idea of what an ideal agent should look and work like, and they want Riot Games not to think beyond it. They don’t want out-of-the-box agents like Harbor, Deadlock, Gekko, and even Iso that demand team-based or creative efforts.
The “meta culture” is slowly deteriorating the VALORANT experience, eliminating the creativity that is needed to keep a video game alive and fun. And to fix the downfall, we’ve got to accept creative agents for the playstyle they’re meant to display and keep the meta evolving.
Sticking to one tried-and-tested VALORANT comp might be good for ranking up a few tiers and building a winning streak, but it isn’t going to get you to Radiant either; your aim, game sense, and teamwork will. Try getting creative and appreciating peculiar plays once in a while: you’ll have fun, trust me.
