Neon Guide: Valorant Episode 4

Neon – The New Agent

Valorant’s Episode 4 is here, and with it comes the game’s newest agent: Neon. This electrifying Duelist is a welcome addition to the Valorant roster and provides a fast-paced, agile playstyle that’s sure to shake up the meta.

The release of Agent 18 has proven to be one of Valorant’s most successful agent launches, causing server overload issues as players flocked to experience Neon’s unique abilities. Whether you’re jumping into the fray immediately or waiting for the hype to settle, this guide will provide a comprehensive overview of Neon’s abilities and tips to master her electrifying gameplay.

Who is Neon?

Neon, codenamed “Sprinter,” is a Radiant with electric-themed abilities, enabling her to zip and slide across the map with lightning speed. She’s designed to challenge the dominance of Jett and the Operator meta, offering a new dynamic for aggressive Duelists.

More than just a powerful agent, Neon represents an important milestone for Valorant, as the game’s first Southeast Asian agent. Hailing from Manila, Philippines, Neon embodies Filipino culture, from her voice acting, design, and even the music featured in her official trailer. Riot Games has taken great care to ensure authentic representation, and with Neon’s introduction, a significant portion of the global Valorant community now sees themselves represented in-game.

What are Neon’s Skills?

Neon’s abilities bring a new level of speed and agility to Valorant, making her a formidable force in close quarters combat and pushing the limits of traditional FPS gameplay. Here’s a breakdown of each ability:

• Fast Lane: Neon raises her hands to summon two lines of energy, creating a wall of electricity that extends forward. These walls block vision and deal damage to enemies who pass through them. (Cost: 300 credits)
• Relay Bolt: Neon throws a bolt of energy that bounces once, electrifying the ground at both its initial bounce and the final landing point. This creates a concussive effect, stunning enemies caught within the area. (Cost: 200 credits)
• High Gear: Neon channels her energy to boost her sprinting speed, allowing her to rapidly cover ground. Pressing Alt Fire triggers an electric slide, granting a brief but powerful burst of speed. This ability is free but can only be used twice per round. (Cost: Free)
• Overdrive: Neon unleashes her full potential, gaining a significant speed boost and the ability to fire high-damaging lightning bolts from her fingertips. These bolts offer good accuracy, but the duration is limited, replenishing with each kill. (Cost: Ultimate Point)

Tips on How to Play Neon

Mastering Neon’s abilities requires understanding their unique nuances and finding creative ways to use them to your advantage. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Use High Gear to quickly enter sites or reach unexpected positions. Her increased speed makes her difficult to predict and gives you a tactical advantage.
• Utilize the slide for wide peeks, as her lower hitbox and rapid movement speed during the slide make her less vulnerable.
• Remember that the slide can only be used twice per round, so use it strategically.
• Relay Bolt is effective for clearing multiple angles and peeking corners.
• The concussive area of Relay Bolt can penetrate walls, making it a powerful tool for flushing out enemies.
• Fast Lane functions similarly to Phoenix’s wall, but it doesn’t heal Neon, so use it wisely.
• Fast Lane can damage various objects, including Cypher’s cameras and traps, Skye’s dog, and Sova’s drone, but it cannot destroy Killjoy’s gadgets.
• Overdrive consumes the same fuel as High Gear, so use them carefully to avoid depleting your fuel too quickly.
• Kills only replenish a quarter of Overdrive’s fuel, so avoid spamming the ability.
• Neon performs a brief animation when her Overdrive ammo runs out, leaving her vulnerable. Be aware of this animation and don’t let your ammo run dry.
• Overdrive deals damage evenly across the entire body, making it effective against large hitboxes.

Neon’s arrival in Valorant is sure to be a game-changer. With her fast-paced and aggressive playstyle, she brings a new dimension to the game. Embrace her unique abilities, experiment with different strategies, and run circles around your opponents.