Valorant fans from all over the world were excited to welcome Fade, the game's 19th Agent. The Turkish bounty hunter joined the roster as an Initiator, claiming her spot alongside Agents like Sova, Skye, KAY/O, and Breach.
Patch 4.08, which introduced the Agent, also brought forward the much-awaited Episode 4 Act 3, a brand new Battlepass, the RGX 11z Pro 2 bundle, and fascinating Agent changes.
Coming into the new Act, players can expect a shift in the game's meta as Fade introduces entirely new abilities. Her abilities feature a new debuff known as Mark, which helps track the movement and position of enemies affected by it.
Valorant community reacts to Fade, the Turkish Initiator Agent
Riot Games teased the arrival of a new Agent soon after the release of Neon in Episode 4, Act 1. After Fade finally made her way into the game through the latest patch update, the Valorant community quickly shared their thoughts.
The following are some notable comments made by pro players and streamers:
NRG Ethan, a former member of the 100 Thieves roster, was more than excited to try out Fade, addressing her as the best Agent in the game. Ethan is renowned for his flexibility with various Agents, particularly those from the Initiator class.
Team Liquid's ScreaM, one of the most skilled aimers in the pro Valorant community, was delighted to try out the Turkish Agent. He disclosed his opinions in the latest stream on the topic.
After seeing the effects of Fade's ability toolkit, ScreaM called the Agent a "broken" one. Upon seeing her ultimate (X) ability, Nightfall, he further commented,
"It's better than Breach. This is getting nerfed."
Meanwhile, yay from OpTic Gaming commented on Fade's image quality on the game's Agent selection screen. Compared to the other Agents on the roster, Fade's character icon appears blurred and of low quality.
Another member of NRG, hazed, appreciated the intricate character design of the Agent but was unhappy with the effect she had on Viper.
Initiators are an ideal counter for Controller Agents, mainly due to their recon and deterrent abilities. With Viper being one of hazed's go-to Agents, the dismay is one he shares with several other Controller players.
Team Secret, known for its success in the APAC region, shared an image that highlights the condition of Valorant's matchmaking in the coming days. Every time a new Agent is released, most of the community is keen to try it out, which increases the likelihood of Fade being locked.
North American organization, Version1's IGL Zander, also took part in amusing his Twitter audience with his thoughts. Jokingly, the player named Fade's signature Haunt (E) ability as "Ball," taking its appearance into account.
While a fraction of the community shared their thoughts on the Agent's arrival, the community is yet to see the impact on the game's meta. With Stage 2 of VCT just around the corner, audiences can witness the bounty hunter's prowess in a few weeks.