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The new Episode for Valorant is set to be live within the next couple of days, and the Valorant community will be treated to a plethora of new content, changes, and story information. Episode 4 Act 1, titled Disruption, is all set to introduce Neon, Valorant's latest speedster, to the Valorant roster.
Along with her, players will get the opportunity to avail themselves of a Battlepass that looks stellar at the moment. The Tier 50 Velocity Karambit knife is the first time the developers have featured the karambit in a Battlepass. The variants available make it an absolute must-buy.
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Along with the new updates and content, the home screen cinematic of the new Episode was also recently revealed. It unravels the overarching narrative of the Valorant universe further for the players to enjoy.
Valorant "Disruption": The Valorant Protocol, Neon, and the two Earths
Neon
Valorant's Filipina Agent was first hinted at by dataminers earlier in 2021. In the final few months of the year, there was a steady flow of information regarding the Agent, her temperament, abilities and how she was required for completion of the Alpha-Omega bridge.
The story went that after reaching Fracture, Killjoy was tasked to make the Everett-Linde bridge functional. In a voice-mail found in Brimstone's office at the Range, she says that she lacks a viable power source. Further voicelines added to Chamber after his release indicated towards him having found a Radiant that would solve the problem.
In an interview with The Philippine Star Life, Vanille Velasques, the voice behind Neon, revealed an interesting backstory about the Agent. The "elaborate localized backstory" focuses on how her powers came to be and how she grew up.
Her parents are an important part of her life, as one can see in her voicelines, and they, according to Cynprel, can also be seen in Tier 9 contract card - Eye of the Storm. The police car on the card also hints at the backstory revealed in the interview.
There is not a lot that can be discerned from Neon's Agent trailer. Viewers got a glimpse of the HQ of Valorant Protocol. Neon's powers can be seen interacting with the electronic gadgets in the room. She also wears a surge protector on her back which can be unlocked as a gun buddy by completing her contract.
The video shows a lively montage of Neon decorating her own room. Kai|Qgle on Twitter does an excellent job in describing in detail the stuff in Neon's room. It is also clearly indicated that Sage has taken on the role of nurturing and guiding the new recruit.
The Everett-Linde Portal
According to Cynprel on YouTube, there are new mails that can be found in Brimstone's office in the Range with the new update. There are voice-mails from three Agents to the leader.
Astra notifies Brimstone that she will "be slipping away between missions" to keep in check the ripples that might be caused due to their "building this bridge between worlds".
Killjoy's voice-mail reveals an exuberant and enthusiastic tone. Her and Neon's collaboration has yielded fruit in trying to reboot the portal. Killjoy explains that the bioelectricity in Neon's body is "enlaced with Earth's Radianite mesh," something that Killjoy finds impossible.
She further suggests that now that the stability of the connection between the Alpha and the Omega side seems possible, Brimstone should start planning on what they would do once the bridge is complete.
The final voice-mail is from Yoru, who is back in Icebox in search of his ancestral history. He states that he found dimensional scarring on the warship. This builds up to the fact that Radianite has been present in the distant past.
Yoru maintains that there are more things to be discovered and that he will keep looking. There is a chance that the reported Yoru rework will be given a story turn with this narrative.
Episode 4's home screen, which has now been released for the players, showcases Chambers, Brimstone, Killjoy and Neon. The shape of a triangle figures predominantly in the cinematic: on Chamber's card, on a holograph of the two Earths on Brimstone's arm, and on Killjoy's bracelet.
On a side note, a similar triangle is also clearly visible on the basketball backboard after Neon is finished redecorating her assigned room.
All the Agents are in a triangle-shaped hallway leading to a similarly shaped portal. Electricity surges through Neon, who directs it to the portal's top to charge it up and possibly open it. It looks like the portal is firing up for a moment when the power goes out and the screen goes dark.
The Alpha side of the two Earths is finally on the cusp of finishing their bridge with the Omega side. This is a massive moment for the Valorant Protocol in the lore, which intends to deal with the issue of the Agents coming over from Omega Earth. Hopefully, this Act brings us right to the very moment preceding it.
Branching storylines provided with this update also give players a look at other possible events happening in tandem with the main story. This development is in tune with what David Nottingham, the Creative Director at Valorant, had pointed out as their goal:
"A distinct and cohesive universe that sets up a central conflict, stakes, and goals that map the experience and stakes."
It remains to be seen how Riot develops this story and what they have in mind for the future. For now, players are eagerly waiting for January 11 to arrive when the new Episode finally drops.
