VALORANT Agent Deep Dive: Brimstone

Brimstone was the first to join the VALORANT PROTOCOL alongside Viper and is now the organization’s leader. He is a controller and tech-savvy veteran soldier armed with a bracer Killjoy designed. Brimstone has seen all kinds of battles and never leaves a wounded companion behind.

His stubborn nature and refusal to retire keep him actively involved in missions, ensuring his age does not define his contributions. With a bottle of scotch in one hand and an unwavering commitment to his team in the other, Brimstone remains a steadfast and formidable presence within the VALORANT PROTOCOL.

Background

Brimstone, also known as Liam “Brimstone” Byrne, hails from Baltimore, where his journey began. Initially, he served as a firefighter with the Baltimore Fire Department. His dedication and bravery in firefighting were just the start; Brimstone later transitioned into a military career, leading a group called the “Ragged Ravens.”

Throughout his life, Brimstone’s childhood friend, Tariq Porter, was a significant figure to him. They served together in the fire department and the military, forging an unbreakable bond until Tariq’s battlefield death. Brimstone carried Tariq’s body across a battlefield and was a tragic loss that profoundly affected him.

Brimstone then joined the Kingdom Corporation, eventually becoming a commander within the corporation’s militarized security division, K-SEC. Despite his loyalty and strong ties to the Kingdom, Brimstone left the corporation for unclear reasons. The turning point came after the First Light, which led to the founding of the VALORANT Protocol. Brimstone, along with ex-Kingdom colleagues Sabine Callas (Viper), Klara Böhringer (Killjoy), and the mysterious Omen, spearheaded this new organization. Under his leadership, the Protocol expanded, recruiting elite agents from around the world to counter the threats posed by agents from Omega Earth attempting to steal radianite from Alpha Earth.

Abilities

Incendiary

Incendiary requires Brimstone to equip a grenade launcher to launch an incendiary grenade that creates a lingering fire zone. The fire zone deals consistent damage to any agents within it, damaging those at the center of the zone more than those on the periphery. The incendiary zone lasts for 8 seconds and is effective for blocking off doors and hallways and controlling the battlefield.

The grenade can bounce off surfaces but has a maximum of two bounces before exploding. Its arc and velocity decrease after each bounce, and it detonates upon contact with horizontal terrain. Its long arc and initial launch speed allow for creative use, such as denying enemy movement through choke points or blocking off critical areas. With precise lineups, Brimstone can use the grenade to land on specific targets from different sites, stalling enemies or damaging them during crucial moments.

Stim Beacon

Brimstone can quickly deploy Stim Beacon to boost his team’s combat effectiveness. When activated, Brimstone throws the Stim Beacon in front of him to create a field granting the RapidFire buff to all allies within its radius, even if they leave the area afterward. This buff increases fire rate, reload speed, weapon swap speed, and recoil recovery. The beacon lasts 15 seconds and lingers for 4 seconds after leaving the area.

This ability maximizes damage output in high-stakes scenarios, such as rushing a bomb site to plant or defuse. The performance boosts for his teammates in the area also provide a significant advantage in firefights. To use the Stim Beacon effectively, deploy it in areas offering protection and line-of-sight on enemy breach points so teammates can benefit from the buff while remaining safe from enemies. The beacon is indestructible, so enemies cannot deactivate it, and they don’t gain the buff if they enter its field.

Sky Smoke

Sky Smoke is Brimstone’s signature ability that fires multiple long-lasting smoke clouds blocking vision in strategically chosen areas. Brimstone equips a tactical map through his gauntlet, selecting precise locations where the smoke clouds will land. He can then launch the smokes by confirming with an alternate fire. Each smoke takes around 3 seconds to deploy and lasts 15 seconds. Brimstone can simultaneously send out up to three smoke clouds, but only one is free per round.

For attacking, smokes should support a team push, blocking enemy lines of sight and securing safe passage through choke points. When defending, focus on cutting off critical enemy sightlines to disrupt their advances and control key areas.

Combining Sky Smoke with Brimstone’s other abilities can create devastating effects. For instance, placing an incendiary grenade in a smoke can stop enemies attempting to push through, transforming a harmless obstruction into a deadly trap.

Orbital Strike

Orbital Strike is Brimstone’s ultimate ability, calling in a devastating laser strike from orbit. When activated, Brimstone uses a tactical map to select a location to target. Upon confirmation, a powerful laser strike is launched at the designated area, dealing severe damage to anyone within its radius over time. The strike creates a lingering effect, making it almost impossible for enemies to escape if caught in the blast zone.

Brimstone’s Orbital Strike is best used when enemies are confined to a specific area, such as bomb sites during defusal attempts, at chokepoints, or in narrow passages. The ability requires a brief charge-up period before it fires, and a large red marker indicates the targeted area, giving attentive players a chance to evade. However, due to the high damage rate and the strike’s lingering effect, it is highly effective at denying areas and catching opponents off guard.

A well-timed Orbital Strike can synergize with the team’s actions by combining it with other crowd control abilities or during coordinated pushes. Using it with Sky Smoke and Incendiary can also create deadly zones where enemies are forced to make difficult decisions.

Best VALORANT Maps to Play Brimstone

Controllers play an essential role when it comes to VALORANT map strategy. If you’re playing any of the following VALORANT maps, Brimstone is the best choice for your team:

Fracture
Bind
Lotus
Split

Best VALORANT Team Comps for Brimstone

On different VALORANT maps, Brimstone’s abilities complement different team compositions. Based on Brimstone’s best maps mentioned previously, here are the best team compositions for those maps:

Fracture: Putting Brimstone on a team with Sage, Sova, Raze, and Phoenix is best for this map. His control over the map, combined with Sage’s healing abilities, Sova’s intel skills, along with Raze and Phoenix’s aggressive playing styles, balance each other out for success.
Bind: This map full of chokepoints and narrow passages means one of the best teams would be Brimstone, Skye, Killjoy, Breach, and Phoenix. Brimstone’s abilities are ideal for controlling enemies in smaller spaces, especially when combined with Skye and Killjoy’s crowd-controlling strengths. Breach’s ability to stun and Phoenix’s self-healing powers also offer great support on Bind.
Lotus: Creating a team of Brimstone, Sage, Chamber, Reyna, and Raze allows for a well-balanced team headed for victory. Brimstone’s smokes, Sage’s healing, and Chamber’s additional surveillance, combined with Reyna and Raze’s strength, create a powerful team.
Split: This map is best for Brimstone when working with Cypher, Sage, Raze, and Sova. Brimstone can get great intel from Cypher and use Sage’s healing abilities to help their teammates. At the same time, Sova’s recon bolt flushes out any enemies in hiding while Raze helps with clearing tight corners on the map.