Valorant Set for New Sniper Rifle and Competitive Mode Overhaul.
Riot Games’ popular tactical shooter Valorant is poised for major additions and changes in upcoming patches. Most notably, leaked images reveal the FPS title will expand its arsenal with a new sniper rifle called Outlaw. Additionally, Riot has announced sweeping updates coming to Valorant’s Premier competitive mode.
Outlaw was glimpsed in a now-deleted video showcasing the Valiant Hero skin bundle. The buy menu displayed Outlaw as a third sniper option costing 2400 credits, positioned between the budget Marshal and premium Operator. This suggests Outlaw will be a mid-tier sniper for half-buy and full-buy rounds.
If Outlaw materialises as pictured, it would be the first entirely new weapon added to Valorant since launch. The current roster contains 18 guns across rifles, pistols, submachine guns, shotguns, and more. Fans have eagerly awaited Riot expanding the stable as new weapons significantly impact gameplay meta and economy strategy.
Outlaw would create a new mid-range sniper role compared to the Marshal’s early-round niche and the Operator’s costly power. At 2400 credits, Outlaw exceeds the similarly priced Guardian rifle. This implies Outlaw may boast enhanced damage or range to justify the higher cost over the Guardian in full-buy situations.
Riot could position Outlaw as an alternative option bridging the Marshal and Operator, granting flexibility in sniper playstyles. Players who find the Operator’s premium price too limiting but desire more impact than the Marshal may welcome Outlaw as a happy medium. Its addition opens new economic loadout considerations and shakes up the balance between the hero shooter’s existing sniper choices.
However, Riot has not officially confirmed Outlaw’s existence or details, so the sniper’s design remains speculative until formally unveiled. But data-mined leaks frequently contain accurate insights into upcoming Valorant content. The leaked menu image provides convincing evidence that Outlaw is likely real and in development as the title’s first new post-launch weapon.
Revamping Premier Mode for Competitive Play
While waiting on official Outlaw announcements, players have another major update to anticipate – a comprehensive overhaul coming soon to Valorant’s Premier competitive queue. Introduced last year, Premier provides structured seasonal team play culminating in divisional playoffs, contrasting the standard open qualifier system.
Riot plans to elevate Premier with quality-of-life improvements based on community feedback. Premier Practice will enable teams to queue rehearsal matches on off-days, helping strategize outside the stakes of real Premier matches. Updated playoff seeding ensures top teams earn advantageous bracket placement. Enrollment updates provide more flexibility for new teams to jump into Premier mid-season.
Additional changes include a 15-minute playoff queue seeding phase for refined matchmaking, extra overtime timeouts, and redesigned Premier crests as evolving badges of honour. Riot hopes these fan-requested enhancements will refine Premier into Valorant’s premier competitive ladder, potentially even replacing open qualifiers for major tournaments.
The steady evolution of Valorant’s weapons and systems highlight Riot’s commitment to meaningful innovation. New guns like Outlaw will create novel tactical dynamics for the FPS’s passionate community to master. Meanwhile, the Premier upgrades aim to deliver the pinnacle of organised competitive play.
Just over a month ago, popular streamer Shroud claimed that newly released Counter-Strike 2 was much easier than the Valorant. The devs have obviously seen these comments from a key influencer and decided to act.
Riot’s avoidance of complacency and willingness to reinvent core components ensures Valorant’s gameplay stays fresh and engaging. The Outlaw sniper and Premier changes represent the latest bold strokes in the tactical shooter’s expanding canvas. More bold experiments will likely follow as Riot pursues their vision of the ultimate tactical FPS esport.
For now, eager marksmen await taking Outlaw for a deadly test run. And aspiring pros look forward to heightened competition in a polished Premier system. Both milestones will drive the first-person hero shooter forward as one of gaming’s premier shooters.
Valorant is out now on PC.
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Stephen is the proud owner of a popular gaming news website GLN, where he provides the latest updates on everything gaming-related. With a passion for video games that dates back to his childhood, Stephen is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and expertise with fellow gamers around the world.