Leaks of possible updates to the Valorant Agent select screen may change the game for insta-lock players.
Valorant’s competitive gameplay starts way before the first weapon buy screen—it starts at the agent select phase. Most players are well-adapted to the current version of the agent select interface, which rarely had significant changes aside from the agent additions.
However, it seems like Riot Games is trying to spice up their first-person shooter title’s user interface with some changes, as leaks of a possible new agent select screen go around in social media.
In the updated agent select screen, the agent selection hub is on the lower end, and a new selection screen is on the left. Meanwhile, a new addition includes introducing agent role categories in the selection interface.
The changes also include swapping the individual agent animations to a background of the current map. Some players comment that this may be useful for some Valorant players who have been AFK during the game map screen or for those who do not have the map pool memorized.
While the old agent select screen is still well-loved by the Valorant community, the agent selection hub may be getting too crowded as the family of agents expands.
Riot Games usually alternate between adding new maps and agents, with Clove coming soon in Episode 8, Act 2. Given this frequency of additions, it is high time that the Valorant devs introduce a new interface that accommodates more agents and helps players remember the growing map pool.
However, the new agent selection screen may also be the fall of insta-lockers. Many insta-lock players have memorized the location of their favorite agent in the old agent selection hub, but this may now be impossible given the updated version’s “scroll-down” interface.
Meanwhile, some players suggest that the interface leak may be for the upcoming Valorant mobile instead of the PC version.
What do you think of the possible new Valorant agent select screen? Do you like the option to choose according to agent role, or do you agree that Riot Games should not fix what is not broken?