The Outlaw was recently introduced with the release of the new act in Valorant, and it’s been receiving mixed reviews from the entire community. Firstly, it’s important to note that this isn’t a cheap gun by any means. Priced at 2400 credits, the Outlaw is considered an ideal weapon for light-buy rounds and is specifically targeted at players who prefer to save for an Operator in the later stages of the game. There’s a lot to discuss about this new gun, and we’ll cover as much as we can about the Outlaw and how well it fits into the current Valorant meta.
Outlaw Fundamentals
- The biggest selling point of the Outlaw is the fact that it deals 140 damage to the body with a fast fire rate for the second shot.
- The Outlaw has only 2 rounds per magazine, and the reload time for loading up both bullets is a whopping 3.8 seconds.
- For a single bullet reload, it takes only 2.3 seconds, which is a bit more feasible in tight situations.
- Aimed at dominating during the light-buy rounds, the Outlaw works like an overpowered Operator against those half-shield opponents.
In terms of guns in the same price range, the Outlaw is competing with the Guardian, and to be honest, the Guardian might still be a better option for many.
Best Scenarios to Use The Outlaw
- Buying the Outlaw after winning the pistol round allows players to snipe opponents who have most likely not invested in buying full shields.
- After winning the second round as well, the Outlaw can be used as an effective bonus round weapon, allowing players to save up for an AWP.
- Shoot the second bullet only in urgent scenarios. This allows players to save 2 seconds per reload.
Operator players are probably already accustomed to the delay between shots; hence, a similar playstyle is best suited with the Outlaw.
The Outlaw’s Overall Impressions
I honestly feel Riot is trying to create an independent meta when it comes to using the Outlaw in Valorant. Firstly, we all have to understand that this weapon isn’t an eco-round buy. It is expensive and it does have severe effects on future rounds if you force-buy an Outlaw. To put things into perspective, the total budget spent on an Outlaw but with full shields is pretty much the same as buying a Vandal/Phantom with half shields. I personally would go for the rifle with light shields unless I’m committed to carrying the Outlaw to the next round and saving up for an Operator.
Riot’s intention here is pretty clear; they want to provide more options to sniper players. Saving up for an Operator forces players to play with eco-weapons for too many rounds, and that does get frustrating at times. With the Outlaw, if you manage to win the pistol round, you can now buy a sniper-style gun which you could use for two more rounds. The downside to this strategy is that it completely favours sniper-styled players, and most players would prefer alternate options like a Guardian or a rifle with a light buy. Let’s not forget that the Guardian does 190 damage to the head and is still an underrated gun during force-buy rounds.
There are a lot of factors to be considered when using the Outlaw, and as more acts are played out, I’m sure pros will find a way to make use of this gun in a more effective way. For now, make sure you win the pistol rounds before thinking about fragging with the Outlaw.
