It was just a few days ago that teasers began surfacing online, revealing VALORANT’s ‘Agent 21’ to be a water-bending Indian national. While it had been on the cards for quite a while, Riot was playing its cards close to its chest regarding the official reveal. Now, just days before Episode 5, Act 3 is due to begin, Harbor, the all-new Controller, has been announced in full. He’s a debonair, suave character that can change the face of the battlefield with his dominating water-powered abilities, and he’s coming very soon.
Recently, Riot released a short trailer that explains how Harbor picked up his abilities and ultimately joined VALORANT. If we look past the lore for a moment, we can safely say that Harbor is going to make a real splash in the game when he appears in Act 3, which is due to kick off on October 18th. There’s no doubt that the Controller mains will adore him, and those with the ability to flex will fight them to insta-lock the smooth and charming character.
Harbor Washes Over VALORANT
Harbor’s arrival was accompanied by an exciting 50-second clip, revealing him to be quite the action hero. Since then, Riot has expanded on the reveal, publishing a video to Twitter that breaks down how Harbor will act in-game. It turns out that he isn’t just a pretty face – he’s also a gifted tactician with the ability to control water in numerous, strategic ways:
Here’s a breakdown of Harbor’s core abilities:
Cove: Equip a sphere of shielding water that blocks bullets.
High Tide: Equip a wall of water – guide the water in the direction of your crosshair, spawning a wall along the water’s path.
Cascade: Equip a wave of water and send it rolling forward and through walls.
Ult – Reckoning: Summon a geyser pool on the ground – enemy players in the area are targeted by geyser strikes that concuss them.
Controller players will certainly have a brilliant time splitting the map up with Harbor’s abilities. He’ll make for a great alternative to the likes of Viper and Astra, and post-plant, he’s sure to be an absolute beast of a character, but how popular a pick will he be in VALORANT esports?
Episode 5, Act 3 Comes Closer
On October 18th, Act 3 will launch, bringing Harbor into the VALORANT line-up. There are also rumours of a new game mode set to surface – an ability-enabled team deathmatch mode that sees players race to be the first team to land 100 kills in total. There’s also a vast UI update coming, which impacts the main menu and the post-match screens to a great extent.
Of course, Act 3 will also bring the usual assortment of skins, buddies, and an entirely new battle pass for players to rank up through. Reportedly, Riot has gone all-in with this update, enhancing the game engine where possible, re-working visual flows, and deploying a range of fixes where needed.
Here’s to whatever awaits us in Act 3 – if you need to brush up on your abilities, feel free to check out our guide to the best VALORANT settings.