28 July 2020

Killjoy, the abilities of the new Agent have leaked

We now know that Valorant will get a new Agent every 2 months. The developers have already teased the arrival of the next Agent on several occasions, but a leak threw a spanner in the works. That night, the official website of Valorant mistakenly made available a character presentation page. Killjoy will therefore be the new Agent of Valorant! And failing to know her look, we now know her abilities.

Please note, all of the following information is taken from the page that has since been taken offline, but there is not evidence that this is indeed the intended Agent, as they will be released in a few weeks.

Killjoy is a Sentinel from Germany, with a sparkling and colourful personality. Unlike Brimstone, she doesn't take herself seriously and sees combat as a game already won.

Her abilities are based entirely on tools and accessories with very powerful effects, but which require some preparation time.

Alarmbot

Killjoy deploys a robot that makes itself invisible and waits for opponents to pass by. When Alarmbot detects an enemy, it rushes at them and explodes in their face. In addition to the damage dealt, the opponent also suffers a debuff that doubles all damage taken.

It's more of a proximity mine than a real robot. It's perfect for controlling an area, as it allows you to be alerted as soon as someone approaches. It also forces opponents to stay in cover while waiting for the effects to wear off, while also creating excellent attack timings for Killjoy and her teammates who temporarily have a clear advantage in combat.

Turret

Killjoy deploys an automatic turret, able to shoot opponents. The turret targets enemies in a large 180 degree cone. Killjoy can pick up the turret and re-deploy it at another location during the round.

The turret has 125 HP and deals:

8 damage up to 20 meters.
6 damage up to 35 meters.
4 damage over 35 meters.

This turret is perfect to control an area, without being there. It also allows blind spots to be monitored in case you're outnumbered.

Nanoswarm

Killjoy launches a silent grenade that stays on the ground without exploding. When Killjoy activates the grenade, it explodes into a multitude of nanodrones in an area around the grenade. Nanodrones deal continuous damage to opponents in the area of effect.

This grenade is a formidable and effective trap, especially when set around the Spike. It's so powerful that it will allow a team to stall for time when the Spike is planted.

Lockdown

This is Killjoy's Ultimate. She places a huge device on the ground. This device begins to store energy for about 15 seconds before exploding over a very large area. Enemies caught in the blast take no damage, but their movement is severely impacted for 8 seconds.

The device has 150 HP and costs 7 Ultimate Points.

Using this ability looks rather complex, considering the very long delay before it activates. On the other hand, it imposes a real time trial on Killjoy's opponents. Either they find the device and destroy it before it goes off, or their hide and wait for its effect to pass. In either case, the situation becomes very risky.

Killjoy therefore seems to be a new alternative to Cypher, due to her ability to control an area very effectively. All the timings around Spike's planting and attacking then become difficult for her opponents.

We have every right to be concerned about the power of her turret, but we will wait until we see it in action to decide. In any case, we'll have to see what the pros can get out of Killjoy to get an idea of her full potential.

Since Riot Games has actively started teasing the Agent, this should be confirmed or denied very soon. If all goes well, Killjoy should be available at the launch of Act II, early in August.