'Valorant' 1.0 launch adds a new character, game mode and map

After all the teasing, jostling for keys and hyped up streams, Riot’s new 5v5 FPS Valorant is about to officially launch. The game is already live for players across the Asia-Pacific region, and and will go live in the Americas in about twelve more hours (if you’re tempted to VPN to another region and play early — the team reminds players it doesn’t currently support regional transfers).

When v1.0 of Valorant activates, players who were in the beta will notice some changes, ranging from small tweaks to all-new additions that are listed in the patch notes. Also, similar to the launch of the closed beta, Competitive Mode will not be available initially while the team focuses on stability first.

A new Spike Rush game mode is available in beta, with the intention of offering a more hectic, faster match. A brand new map is available, Ascent, that features a central area teams can control to open up different routes for attackers.

Reyna is the first new character Riot’s adding to the game. She’s described as a “big "get frags" agent” who needs to get kills to power up her special abilities. According to one designer “If she doesn't get kills, though, she's BAD. Like, near-useless. You're making a big bet picking Reyna.”

Existing heroes Sage, Omen, Phoenix, Raze and Jett have all had their abilities adjusted as well, hit registration has been updated and performance fixes should help keep framerates steady. Riot has also published a “community code” ahead of launch to lay out how they expect players to treat each other — it will pop up the first time new players log in. For those who break it, they can expect a 72-hour restriction that blocks “all” and “team” chat channels, although party chat will still let them communicate with friends.