We’re only three months into 2023 and Riot Games has already whipped up a storm of new Valorant content. Following the launch of Lotus earlier this year, a new Agent has arrived in the form of Gekko. The Mexican/American initiator looks to shake up the meta with a very unusual belt of utility that more closely resembles a Pokemon Trainer than a Valorant Agent.
Over the past two days, Twinfinite was given the opportunity to check out what Gekko brings to the roster, and though not have enough time to get a full picture of how strong his impact is likely to be I’m pretty certain of one thing: Gekko feels as though he’s going to prove strong in pro play, but not so much in ranked.
First, for those who haven’t checked out our detailed overview of all Gekko’s different abilities, let’s run through what exactly his band of bizarre little creatures actually all do. Put simply, Gekko has a molly, stun, flash, and the ability to detain people in the same fashion as Killjoy using his ult.
He’s closest to Breach in terms of how his abilities perform, but Skye is probably more similar in terms of how he plays. That’s because instead of the point-and-click nature of Breach’s utility, Gekko is like Skye in the sense that his little creatures need to be thrown on piloted onto the target. Here’s a look at the Ultimate, Thrash:
That makes him quite clunky to use and better suited to setting up teammates, rather than punishing enemies solo — save for the example above! Of course, this all makes sense given that he’s an initiator, but he’s definitely not the same package as KAY/O, Skye, or even Sova in terms of how fluidly he can frag out for his team after laying down utility.
Still, there’s no doubt Gekko’s abilities are useful. The most novel of them all is Wingman, which is first and foremost a stun but can be used in Alt Fire mode to actually have the wee critter either Plant or Defuse the Spike. This is the facet of his kit that is likely to produce the most intrigue amongst players of all levels but in particular the pro scene. I’m very much looking forward to watching how the esports scene utilizes Wingman in upcoming VCT tournaments.
Dizzy, Gekko’s flash, also functions in a unique from the rest of the Agent roster. Instead of the conventional flash or blind, it splatters goo over the eyes of enemy players. But that’s not actually what sets it apart; Dizzy has an infinite range, which is unusual for a flash, and like every Gekko ability except for Mosh Pit, can be reclaimed and used again later in the round.
Again, though, you’re unlikely to be using Dizzy to pop-flash enemies around a corner and then swinging to score multi-frags. It’s the sort of ability that combos really well with a controller Agent, or when used in the chaos of a push to assist a duelist. Even Gekko’s molly, Mosh Pit, takes a couple of seconds to charge before actually inflicting damage, so it really needs to be used in tandem with another Agent ability, such as a Sage Slow or Fade Seize.
This reliance on utility combinations is my big takeaway from the short time I’ve spent with Gekko; he has massive potential in the scrim and tournament environment, where the synergy of pro teams will get the most from what he can provide. In ranked, though, I’m not so sure. I think Gekko will win over plenty of hearts thanks to his cutesy creatures and novel playstyle, but I don’t see him as the key to ranking up fast or earning MVPs in the same way other initiators do.
None of that is necessarily a problem. Valorant is a game that always puts its esports and pro scene first, which is a massive reason why it provides such a robust competitive experience and continues to make waves in the esports scene.
Still, it’s something to be aware of. If you’re into running it down and fragging out, Gekko isn’t your man. He’s a supportive Agent through and through who’s destined to become a ranked Spike-mule similar to Sage on Icebox. In any case, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing him and I do see the Agent being used as the key ingredient in the complex strategies pro teams will be cooking up throughout 2023.
Gekko goes live for players in the U.S. and Americas today, while those in Europe will have access tomorrow.
