As Riot Games attempts to shake up the game with even more intriguing elements, Valorant is receiving a new agent. Every Episode of the free-to-play FPS – which may get a mobile release in the future – adds at least one new Agent for players to choose from, and Episode Four: Disruption will see Neon join the team. Neon, like most of the Agents in the game, is from Manila, a specific city in the world.
Filipino Agent Neon
As she unpacked her room, she provided fans with a lot of insight into her personality. She was even shown talking with Sage, a Valorant agent. According to the lore, the two may have known each other before the Valorant squad was formed. She brought plush animals and a photo of a cute dog.
From her character’s electric blue color scheme to the music she listened to, electrifying was a recurring theme. It also described her powers, which were all electrically charged.
Character Design
Neon was the first Agent to arrive from Manila, and many of the Agents in Valorant have homes all around the world. Vanille Velasquez, who plays Neon’s voice, took to Twitter to praise Riot for their work on the game.
Any way we can get “salamat Riot” trending? This truly would not be possible without the wonderful people at @riotgames. I have never seen a Filipino character in a video game this carefully created before. Hearing Tagalog on a AAA title is a massive win for 🇵🇭 representation (+)
— Vanille Velasquez (@vanillevela) January 6, 2022
She went on to explain that Neon’s character had a lot of thought put into it and that she was glad to see so much love and diversity in Valorant. The trailer’s soundtrack was also created by a Filipino artist, Ylona Garcia, and fans couldn’t get enough of it.
Abilities
Neon’s talents cater to players who prefer rushing around the area, as she focuses on fast-paced gunplay and movement. On January 12th, she will be available on servers. Her reveal video showed off her moves, including a slide that might be a free ability in her kit, akin to Jett’s floating powers.
- After performing an ability that left a trail of sparks behind her, Neon was shown moving faster than other Agents in the trailer.
- She also built two walls that obstructed lines of sight in one direction, allowing her and her colleagues to get access to a location while obstructing opponent visibility.
- Since Neon traveled in and out of the walled area, it resembled Viper or Phoenix’s walls in the game. Unlike Sage’s wall, the wall did not appear to be a solid barrier that separated two areas.
- Neon’s stun grenade was also seen off in the trailer. This, when combined with her zappy movement, might be used to free up space for her comrades and split opponent lines apart.
- Her ultimate power was also shown in the trailer. Neon’s body sparkled as an electrical charge surged through her as Sage resurrected her, and she began dashing around zapping enemy health lines in her field of sight.
While Neon’s talents and gameplay appeared to be promising, her portrayal as a Filipino character was just as impressive.
Fans were quick to point out on YouTube that the unveiling video contained a lot of details of Filipino culture. They say the ordinary viewer could miss some, but nothing felt stereotyped or insulting. Overall, people are pleased with Riot’s portrayal of Filipino culture.
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