Valorant Episode 7 Act 2 will come out on August 29, 2023, in North and South America, followed by the rest of the world on August 30, 2023. It will add a new map called Sunset to the game as well as bring back Breeze to the competitive map pool. Jett, Astra, and other Agents are also getting their ability kits adjusted to create a more balanced gameplay experience.
All that aside, the arrival of a new Act is always accompanied by a brand-new premium skin collection. This time, it is the Imperium skin bundle, a revamped version of the eponymous skin collection from the Closed Beta.
The design is based on the myth of the four Dragon Kings of China. The skin will be available for approximately two weeks after it hits the in-game shop. If you can't decide whether you should get it, this article will help you with just that.
Highlights of Valorant's Imperium skin collection
To determine whether the Imperium skin collection is worth buying or not, it is important to take a look at the following factors:
- Weapons covered
- Quality of the melee skin
- Visual and sound effects
- Variants
- Finisher
- Cost
Read on for a brief overview of each of these factors.
Imperium skin collection - Weapons covered
The following weapons are included in the Imperium collection in Valorant:
- Sheriff
- Vandal
- Judge
- Operator
- Melee
Sheriff and Vandal
Judge and Operator
Imperium skin collection - Quality of the Imperium melee
The Imperium melee looks good enough as a stand-alone skin. It is a dual-wield blade and has decent enough animations. The one thing that holds it back in terms of appeal is its similarities with the Blades of Sarmad skin.
The absence of a unique take on the melee skin definitely pushes the Imperium bundle down on the "must-get" scale.
Imperium skin collection - Visual and sound effects
The Imperium skin collection looks like a mix between the Forsaken bundle and the Oni collection. The face of the dragon at the helm of each of the guns looks too similar to the Oni mask in those skins.
Moreover, the audio cue and the smoke trails left by the gun when inspecting and shooting it resemble those of the Forsaken collection.
Imperium skin collection - Variants
The available options for the Imperium skin collection in Valorant are:
- Green (default)
- Ruby
- Pearl
- Obsidian
Even though the variants are named after different stones, they are nearly the same as the Oni bundle, with there being a green, red, white, and black option to choose from.
Imperium skin collection - Finisher
The one truly remarkable aspect of the Imperium collection is the finisher. The animation, which is triggered by getting the last kill in a round, launches a full-sized dragon into the environment. It also encases the last enemy killed into a gemstone cocoon.
Additionally, each variant has a different colored dragon and a unique gemstone in the finisher, which further adds to the appeal. However, this is nothing new, with skins as far back as Gaia's Vengeance having finishers based on the variant.
Imperium skin collection - Price
Valorant's Imperium skin collection is part of the Exclusive tier of skins. The gun skins will cost 2,175 VP, while the melee skin will cost 4,350 VP. The price of the entire bundle will be 8,700 VP.
Pros and cons of the Imperium collection in Valorant
To conclude, if you own other Valorant skins, especially the Forsaken or the Oni 2.0 bundle, you can easily give the Imperium bundle a skip. It would only make sense to acquire this collection if you don't own skins for any of the weapons included in it and want one right away.