Valorant agent VYSE’s broken abilities explained

Valorant agent 26 has officially been revealed as a damage-dealing sentinel, and here are all of VYSE’s abilities explained.

On August 23, Riot Games lifted the curtain on VYSE, a masked agent who has some sort of connection with Omen’s past. The short teaser showcases her disarming powers and ends with Omen holding a gun to her head. At first glance, VYSE is really tall, wearing a metallic suit and a mask with glowing eyes that make her look even more intimidating. But her toolkit is even more deadly. VYSE uses liquid metal to isolate, trap, and disarm her enemies.

Here are all VYSE’s abilities in Valorant explained.

All of VYSE’s abilities in Valorant

VYSE’s abilities paint her as an area controller that can take away enemy guns mid-round.

VYSE may be a familiar crowd controller, but her ultimate ability throws a wrench in Valorant’s gunplay. In simple words, VYSE basically nerfs weapons, forcing players to rely on their abilities and pistols.

VYSE’s abilities are tailored for area control, making her a valuable asset for defenders on larger maps, where securing territory is crucial. Meanwhile, attackers will find her skills essential for post-plant scenarios.

Razorvine (C)

Razorvine is a Molotov and a slow, which works like a cross between Chamber’s Trademark and Killjoy’s Nanoswarm. Once deployed, Razorvine blends into the surface, becoming completely invisible to enemies. Upon activation, it turns into a bundle of damage-dealing spikes. Two Razorvine charges are available each round.

Similar to Nanoswarm, Razorvine can be planted at site entrances. It’s destructible, so make sure it’s not in plain sight. As soon as enemies are spotted, press F to turn the gadget into a nest of spikes. Enemies who walk through it will take damage over time, Razorvine’s AoE will also slow them down.

Shear (Q)

Shear helps VYSE isolate duels and pick one enemy at a time. It’s an indestructible wall that activates only when an enemy crosses the hidden trap. The wall lasts for a brief time before dissipating.

That means if VYSE sees an incoming rush of five enemies and she has deployed her Shear on the entrance, a bulletproof wall will appear after the first enemy crosses the trap. That would allow her to take down a single enemy and call for backup. Only one charge of Shear is available at a time.

Arc Rose (E)

Arc Rose is VYSE’s free ability, and it just may be the most potent flash in Valorant. VYSE may attach the rose device to a surface using her mouse, and it will blend with the background. By pressing alt fire, Arc Rose can slide through a thin surface and attach itself to the other side. By pressing the equip key again, the hidden device will turn into a flash, blinding all enemies.

If that doesn’t sound menacing enough, Arc Rose can be picked up and redeployed if it hasn’t been used. However, the flash’s duration is relatively short at only 2.5 seconds.

Similar to her other abilities, Arc Rose is also a tool that activates upon VYSE’s command. Paired with her other abilities, Arc Rose will not only allow her to keep enemies at bay but also help add kills to the scoreboard.

Unlike other abilities, Valorant currently lacks a deployable flash that can be activated at will, instead relying on instant flash pops that can be dodged by enemies.

Steel Garden (X)

Steel Garden is her weapon-disabling ultimate that will likely shake up the game meta in Valorant. When VYSE activates her X, a torrent of metal thorns erupt, jamming enemy primary weapons after a brief windup. However, enemies won’t be rendered unarmed. They may still use whatever other weapon they have in reserve, which is usually a pistol.

Enemies affected by the ultimate will have a prohibition sign on their screen, with a bar showing how long it takes until their primary weapons are functioning again.

Steel Garden takes away the guns for eight seconds and activates upon eight orbs, which is the maximum number of points needed to trigger an ultimate. Enemies will have three seconds to escape the ultimate or at least find cover before it locks primary weapons.

This ability heavily impacts Valorant’s economy, forcing players to invest in powerful pistols in each round, or at least when VYSE’s ultimate is ready to go. Chamber’s Tour De Force and Headhunter are exempt from all Steel Garden rules since those weapons are essentially abilities, not guns.

How to unlock VYSE in Valorant

Players can unlock VYSE through the Valorant Progression System introduced in Episode 7.

By participating in the event, players may be able to earn enough XP during the 28 days and unlock VYSE in Episode 9 Act 2. Those who missed the event and logged in to the game a month after the agent’s release can still unlock VYSE by spending 1,000 VP or 8,000 Kingdom Points in the in-game store. This method works for all agents released in Valorant.

VYSE will be played at a show match during VCT Champions on August 24. Fans can play her in their ranked games starting August 28, 2024.