VALORANT Episode 2 Act 1: Release Date, New Agent, & Leaderboard

Riot Games first-person tactical shooter, VALORANT, is one of the most popular games right now. VALORANT’s Episode 1, which consisted of three wonderful Acts, is coming to an end. Now, players are excited for the grand arrival of VALORANT Episode 2 Act 1.

The next VALORANT update will launch Episode 2 along with a bunch of new content. So, players are eager to learn more about the game’s upcoming update, including the VALORANT Episode 2 release date. So, in this post, we’ll cover VALORANT Episode 2 leaks to give you a glimpse of what’s coming.

VALORANT Episode 2 Release Date

It’s confirmed that VALORANT Episode 2 Act 1 update is releasing on January 12, 2021. However, if you’re in the EU, you’ll see the update on January 13’s morning.

Valorant Leaderboard

In the recent VALORANT devs Livestream on Twitch, developers confirmed that the much-awaited Valorant Leaderboard is coming tomorrow with Episode 2 Act 1.

According to the developers, players at or above Immortal 1 rank will be placed in the VALORANT leaderboard. Also, what’s amazing is that the Leaderboard will change in realtime. So, you can see the change in your VALORANT Leaderboard position right after playing a match.

Yoru: New Agent In VALORANT Episode 2?

Rejoice, VALORANT enthusiasts! It is confirmed that a new agent will arrive in the upcoming update 1.15. VALORANT’s 14th agent, Yoru, comes with a combination of both offensive and defensive abilities. Here’s a short description of Yoru’s abilities.

Bait: Launches fake footstep sounds to confuse enemies.
Flashbang: Throws flashbang orbs, which can also stick to walls and blind enemies.
Uninvited Guest: Like Phoenix’s “Run it back,” this ability allows Yoru to release an orb and teleport back to the orb’s location after surveying an area.
Spatial Drift: Yoru’s ultimate allows him to be invisible for a few seconds.

VALORANT Episode 2 Act 1 New Lobby & Battle Pass

The battle pass for the upcoming Episode has also been teased. Along with that, there is a new lobby in Episode 2, which flaunts the new agent Yoru along with Cypher, Viper, Jett, and Phoenix hanging around on the Icebox Map.

Regarding the Battle pass, in the gameplay video, you can see amazing skins for multiple guns, including Phantom, Shorty, Frenzy, Sheriff, and more. As for battle pass rewards, players will get their hands on several amazing sprays, player cards, and 10 RADIANITE points.

You can take a glimpse of everything in VALORANT Episode 2 Act 1 battle pass-through this video:

What’s New In VALORANT Episode 2?

Of course, with the launch of Episode 2, VALORANT will introduce many significant changes in the game. There will be several buffs and nerfs for both weapons and agents. The developers will also release bug fixes while making some changes to the gameplay. However, the upcoming change in VALORANT’s ranking system is worth talking about.

Straight Forward Ranking System

Interestingly, the VALORANT devs confirmed that the Episode 2 Act 1 update would eliminate arrows in the ranking system. To make the VALORANT ranking system straightforward, developers are introducing the points system. So, you’ll get points between 0 to 100 after winning a match; once you reach 100 Elo, you’ll rank up. Also, when you reach the next rank, you’ll automatically start with 10 ELO. So, it will take you two consecutive losses to rank down.

What’s Beyond Episode 2 Act 1?

In the Twitch live stream, VALORANT devs confirmed that sometime after the Episode 2 Act 1 update, they would work against the smurfing, which is the most talked-about issue in VALORANT since the very start.

Other than that, VALORANT devs confirmed that Brimstone might get some buffs very soon. The developers confirmed the upcoming change by responding to fans on Reddit who were asking for Brimstone buffs for a long time.

Unfortunately, as of now, we don’t know what kind of buffs Brimstone will receive. However, depending on the Reddit users’ request, Brimstone’s smoke ability might go through some improvements.

Finally, if you want to learn more about VALORANT Episode 2 Act 1 and what content is planned after it, then go ahead and watch their Twitch Livestream.