Riot Games might face challenges with agent design in Valorant, both now and in the future. The release of Waylay sparked strong reactions from the community, particularly on the Valorant subreddit. Many players expressed concerns that Riot is simply combining existing agent abilities rather than introducing truly unique mechanics. Some of the comments included:
- “Are they just mix-and-matching agent abilities at this point? Breach plus Jett? Dash plus Clove? Decay plus Clove but in reverse?”
- “They created a new agent just to add other agents’ abilities to her. I expected more.”
- “It feels like they’re trying to cram in too much. We end up with Waylay, who’s just Jett with Breach stuns.”
This reaction was among the strongest seen for any agent release. The criticism stems from Waylay’s abilities closely resembling existing ones. Her dash appears to combine Jett’s Updraft with her Dash, while another ability functions similarly to a Breach stun but lacks the same visual effect. Even Valorant’s designers acknowledged the similarities.
The Increasing Challenge of Unique Agent Design
As more agents join the game, this problem will only grow. Valorant has limited design space, and every new agent must feel distinct. Waylay would likely fall into the same category as Jett, Neon, and Raze. This overlap leads to questions such as, “Isn’t this just another version of an existing agent?”
When Fade was introduced, she competed with Sova in the recon category. Iso challenged Reyna, and Deadlock filled a similar role to Sage. While these agents had unique differences, adding a third recon initiator, for example, would likely result in one of them becoming obsolete. If Sova, Fade, and a new recon agent all existed, the weakest of the three would likely see little to no play.
Riot will continue facing this challenge as Valorant evolves. Right now, Chamber stands out as a unique Sentinel, and Riot could introduce another aggressive Sentinel to compete with him. However, beyond that, most other agent archetypes already exist, making it difficult to introduce fresh gameplay elements.
Nonlinear Agent Design
To keep agent designs fresh, Riot should consider nonlinear agent design. Currently, most agents follow a predictable format:
- Four abilities with costs ranging from 100 to 400 credits
- An ultimate that costs between six and nine points
Nonlinear design challenges these norms by introducing mechanics that break from standard expectations. One of the best examples of nonlinear design is Gekko. When broken down, Gekko’s abilities resemble those already in the game:
- His flash functions similarly to Reyna’s Leer but moves.
- Wingman operates like a Boombot but can plant and defuse the spike.
- Mosh Pit is just another molly.
- His ultimate resembles Skye’s Trailblazer but detains instead of stunning.
Despite these similarities, Gekko plays entirely differently due to his orb-retrieving mechanic. His 10-second cooldown system forces players to think strategically about retrieving abilities and optimizing their usage. This made him feel fresh upon release, even though his abilities weren’t entirely new.
Another example of nonlinear design is Reyna, who combines healing and invisibility into a single ability. This slight deviation from standard design principles creates a distinct playstyle.
How Designs Can Shape Future Agents LIke Wayalay
Riot will need to embrace nonlinear design to keep agent releases innovative. While this is not a long-term solution, it can sustain unique designs for the short and medium term. Once all nonlinear ideas are exhausted, Riot may have to consider alternatives such as agent bans.
Some potential nonlinear design concepts include:
- An agent with a three-cost ultimate instead of the standard six to nine.
- An agent who interacts with weapons differently, such as having more ammo or modifying damage.
- An agent with a true passive ability that does not require activation.
- An agent whose abilities grow stronger over the course of a match.
While some nonlinear ideas may be too difficult to balance, many could create fresh playstyles without disrupting the game. For example, a three-cost ultimate would require careful tuning but could open new strategic possibilities.
The Balancing “Waylay” Act
Riot likely hesitates to implement nonlinear designs due to the risk of breaking the game. With linear designs, balance adjustments are relatively straightforward. In contrast, nonlinear mechanics introduce unpredictability, making them harder to fine-tune.
Take Gekko, for example. His 10-second cooldown could have been game-breaking, requiring restrictions like manual ability retrieval to keep him balanced. Riot will need to find similar ways to impose limitations on nonlinear agents to ensure they remain fair.
While extreme nonlinear mechanics, such as an agent altering gun damage or pausing the timer, are unlikely, Riot has plenty of room to explore other creative approaches.
