The dawn of a new day arrives in Valorant as Act 7, Episode 3 is just around the corner. The latest Episode brings new Agent Iso into the fold. He'll be the 24th Valorant Agent to be added to the game, with his release date being October 31, 2023. The new Duelist Iso has been revealed to be a Chinese fixer for hire, using his technological advancements and gun skills to become an unstoppable killing machine on the battlefield!

Here's a brief rundown of the upcoming Valorant Agent, Iso. Read on for his release date, abilities, and tips for playing him. 

New Valorant Agent Iso: All Abilities

Upon first impressions, Iso is a character that focuses on pure aggressive plays, playing into his Duellist nature with his self-sustain and sheer damage output. He'll be best utilized on players who know what they're doing in terms of fragging, and likely not a character for beginner players. Iso's abilities are: 

  • Double Tap
  • Upper Cut
  • Contingency
  • Kill Contract

Riot Games Game Designer for Valorant, Nicholas Smith, says he wanted Iso to feel unique compared to other Valorant Agents on the roster: "We had a few outputs we wanted to avoid, specifically mobility and healing. It's why we created the shield and that he'd run a team through and keep on going without mobility or healing."

(E Ability) Double Tap

Activate a focus timer. When it runs out, Iso enters a flow state where he can harvest energy orbs from damaged or downed enemies. Once an energy orb is shot, Iso will receive a shield that absorbs one instance of damage from any source.

(Q Ability) Undercut

Throw a molecular bolt that can pass through walls, terrain, and other solid objects to catch enemies behind obstacles. When the bolt touches a player, the FRAGILE status effect will be applied to them, a new debuff specific to Iso.

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(C Ability) Contingency

Iso uses prismatic energy that can be fired as an indestructible wall of energy that blocks bullets and other damaging abilities to protect himself and his team while walling off control points. It can be used offensively or defensively. 

(X) Kill Contract

Throw a column of energy into the battlefield. This teleports Iso and the first enemy hit by his Ultimate into a 1v1 inter-dimensional arena where other players cannot enter. Only one Agent can leave alive as Iso and his opponent duel to the death. This ability is akin to Mordekaiser's Ultimate, Realm of Death, in League of Legends, allowing Iso to take a key player out of a team fight.

New Valorant Agent Iso: Gameplay Tips

While Iso isn't out on live servers yet and we still have around a week until the new Agent launches, we still have some gameplay tips to consider when trying Iso out for the first time. 

Play tactically with his Ultimate

It may be tempting to whiff Iso's Ultimate Kill Contract on the first enemy you encounter, but you should save it. It can be a guaranteed kill if you play your cards right. Use it on a high-priority opponent with high utility, like Sage, Killjoy, and Skye, to name a few potential targets. 

Use Contingency offensively and defensively 

In his reveal and gameplay trailer (check it out below), Contingency looks to be a massive, moving wall of energy, effectively acting as a blockade. You can use it to block off control points and bomb sites, making it difficult for the opposing team to challenge. It also blocks sightlines, allowing your team to make plays your opponents won't see coming. 

Undercut makes enemies easier to take down

Using Undercut on an enemy makes them "fragile" for a short period. While we don't know the ins and outs of this status debuff, we can assume it makes any enemies hit more vulnerable to fatal damage, making them easier to take down. 

Double Tap for sustain

Iso's Q ability is his primary method of self-sustain, allowing him to gain a shield from enemies he's downed or damaged. It'll be great for turning the tide of a fight back in your favor, even when the odds are against you. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, Valorant Agent Iso seems like an absolute menace in the Duelist category, focusing on high-damage output, aggressive plays, and 1v1 combat with his Ultimate ability. It'll be interesting to see how he impacts the meta in ranked play and the Valorant tier list in the coming weeks. 

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