VALORANT player discovers how to avoid getting blinded using outside edge of smokes

There’s no need to look away or close your eyes, VALORANT fans. One player found a way to counter all flashes.

VALORANT bug catcher TPAXTOP discovered that the outer edge of a smoke provides an anti-flash, posting a video showcasing the odd interaction today. The exploit allows players to not get blinded from a flash while still being able to see enemies. Dot Esports tested this out with different agent variations and found similar results.

By standing on the outer edge of a smoke, players can avoid being blinded by enemy agents. This adversely affects VALORANT’s competitive integrity because an enemy who believes they’ve blinded you can swing and be met with your bullets.

This strat doesn’t appear to work with every controller, however. While it was easy to replicate with Astra and Brimstone, it didn’t seem to work with Omen and Viper. Astra and Brimstone’s smokes were able to counter flashes from Phoenix, Yoru, Breach, and even Reyna’s Leer.

Pulling this off in a game is relatively easy since you can set up your smoke prior to the enemy team pushing. Whether it’s the best use of those coveted smokes is up in the air. But this is likely an unintended interaction that Riot will patch out in the future.

Lead character designer Jay Watford discussed these unintended interactions earlier this week, explaining that devs determine which abilities are “enriching or breaking the tactical game.” But with 15 different agents that each have their own unique kits, these sort of glitches are bound to happen. Another player discovered that Yoru can hold Bind’s Hookah Teleporter open from the outside using Fakeout, for example.

Make sure to follow us on YouTube for more esports news and analysis.