Valorant Lore Explained: The Story Behind the Agents and World
Along with being a fun first-person shooter, VALORANT has a world of lore that RIOT Games continues revealing through the game, its cinematics, and the agent trailers. Since there is plenty of lore to explore, it can be overwhelming where to begin. This guide provides a general overview of VALORANT’s backstory about the world and its agents.
VALORANT Backstory: Important Events and Details
VALORANT unfolds in a near-future version of Earth shaped by a cataclysmic event known as First Light, ushering in significant changes to life, technology, and governance across the planet. While the specifics of First Light remain unknown, its impact on Earth and its inhabitants shapes the backdrop of the VALORANT saga.
Two of First Light’s primary outcomes are the creation of Alpha and Omega Earths and the discovery of Radianite.
Radianite is said to be a clean, renewable energy source, symbolizing the potential and mystery surrounding the world’s transformation. When it comes to Radianite, the Alpha Earth agents’ goal is to protect the people from Radianite. At the same time, Omega Earth agents go to Alpha Earth to steal more. Based on the VALORANT cinematic “Shattered,” one of the reasons the Omega agents are interested in Radianite is to use it for life support, possibly for the planet, although this isn’t confirmed.
VALORANT Lore Explained: Events
- First Light: As a result of First Light, select individuals known as Radiants began to manifest extraordinary abilities, marking a new era of human evolution.
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- Formation of VALORANT Protocol: In response to the aftermath of First Light, a clandestine organization known as the VALORANT Protocol emerges. Composed of agents from diverse backgrounds, including Radiants and those wielding Radiant technology, the VALORANT team maintains stability and combating threats in this altered world.
- The Venice Incident: This is one of the first events we witness in VALORANT lore. Phoenix and Jett fight each other to retrieve “the Spike,” located in Venice. However, the Spike explodes, sending Venice up in the air and becoming the map known as Ascent.
VALORANT Lore Explained: Key Terms
- Alpha Earth: Known as Earth-1, Alpha Earth is the primary location in VALORANT. All the maps take place on Alpha Earth except for two.
- Omega Earth: Known as Earth-2 or the Mirror Earth, Omega Earth is an alternative universe of Alpha Earth. The maps set on Omega Earth are Pearl and Lotus.
- Kingdom: Kingdom is a powerful corporation that first rose to prominence by harnessing radianite following the First Light. Controlling three-quarters of the world’s energy production, Kingdom touted Radianite as “beyond safe” in its advertisements. The Kingdom once employed agents Brimstone, Viper, Omen, and Killjoy before joining forces to establish the VALORANT Protocol.
- Astral Guardians: A group whose sole purpose is to protect reality and space-time from total ruin and collapse. Only one agent, Astra, has so far been identified as a guardian.
VALORANT Lore: The Agents of VALORANT
The VALORANT story wouldn’t be complete without the backstory of the VALORANT agents. Each agent has a unique background and abilities that impact the story. The agents comprise different groups, including humans, robots, and radiants.
VALORANT Lore Explained: Radiants
Radiants are individuals fundamentally altered by exposure to radianite. This exposure grants them extraordinary abilities, often called hypernatural or supernatural powers, which vary widely among Radiants, including elemental manifestations to more abstract or otherworldly forms.
The Radiants can harness these abilities without needing external tools or equipment since they have an innate connection to Radianite. Their connection is the reason behind their abilities, such as Omen’s teleportation and Sage’s creation of Radianite walls from thin air. With their abilities, Radiants are a minority within society but are generally accepted during the time of the game’s events.
Agents who are currently known radiants include:
- Omen
- Astra
- Sage
- Phoenix
- Jett
- Reyna
- Skyw
- Yoru
- Neon
- Fade
VALORANT Lore Explained: The Agents Backstory
The agents of VALORANT drive the story, and understanding how they came to be involved in the events of VALORANT adds further depth to the lore.
Duelists:
- Phoenix: A duelist from the UK, he boasts a toolkit including walls of fire, fireballs, and the ability to resurrect at a chosen spot.
- Raze: A Brazilian demolition expert who wreaks havoc with explosive gadgets like Boom Bots, Blast Packs, and her rocket launcher.
- Jett: Known as the master of the skies, this South Korean duelist utilizes her agility and precision to dominate from above.
- ISO: A versatile Chinese fixer who excels in dismantling opposition, his abilities reflect his adaptability and strategic prowess. He was initially ordered by the Scions of Hourglass to assassinate Omen but ended up joining the VALORANT Protocol instead.
- Yoru: A Japanese duelist known as the master of deception, Yoru can manipulate reality with rifts and mirror images to confuse and outplay his enemies.
- Reyna: Reyna is a dark and ethereal force on the battlefield and can become an unstoppable powerhouse with her Empress ability. Originally from Mexico, she can use soul orbs to heal herself and become invulnerable.
Initiators:
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- Skye: Skye is a versatile support agent from Australia who uses trinkets and animals to heal allies and track enemies.
- Fade: A Turkish bounty hunter using dark mist and illusions to disorient and control her enemies.
- Gekko: Gekko is from Los Angeles and commands a mischievous band of creatures whose chaotic energy disrupts enemy formations.
- Neon: This Filipino agent harnesses the power of electricity to blind and incapacitate her opponents while enhancing her speed and strength.
- KAY/O: KAY/O is a robotic powerhouse that kills Radiants using flash and explosive grenades to suppress their enemies.
- Breach: Breach is a Swedish bionic whose powerful energy waves blind and disorient his enemies.
- Sova: Sova is a Russian reconnaissance pro who uses drones and arrows to gather intel and disrupt enemy movements.
Controllers:
- Harbor: This Indian controller commands the power of the ocean, using waves and geysers to protect allies and disorient enemies.
- Viper: An American chemist, Viper is a toxic adversary, using poison clouds and toxins to disorient and damage her enemies. She seems to know more about Omen and his backstory than she lets on, although time may tell why she is keeping these secrets.
- Brimstone: Brimstone is one of the prominent leaders of the VALORANT Protocol and a relentless attacker. This American uses grenades and smoke clouds to control space and bombard enemies with deadly force.
- Clove: Clove is the newest agent in VALORANT, originally hailing from Scotland. A mischievous immortal, she defies death with abilities that manipulate essence and project vision.
- Astra: Astra is a Ghanaian who wields cosmic power, manipulating stars to control the battlefield and shape the course of the match. She is the only known Astral Guardian on Alpha and Omega Earth.
- Omen: Omen is a shadowy figure who uses orbs and teleportation. He was sent initially to assassinate Viper due to her work as a Radianite chemist but ended up joining the VALORANT Protocol after failing. Omen’s memories from before Viper’s assassination attempt were wiped, so the pair have a tense relationship.
Sentinels:
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- Killjoy: Killjoy is a genius inventor from Germany whose nanoswarms and alarmbots can control enemy movements and lockdown areas.
- Cypher: Cyper is the go-to for any information on the enemy, as this Moroccan has a robust surveillance network and is always watching.
- Deadlock: Deadlock is a Norwegian operative specializing in securing areas and neutralizing threats with advanced nanotechnology. After losing her arm in a mission, Deadlock befriended Killjoy, who made her a prosthetic.
- Chamber: Chamber is a French weapon designer whose versatile skillset ranges from scanning traps to summoning powerful weapons and creating teleportation anchors.
- Sage: Sage is a healer from China who controls the battlefield with barriers and slowing fields.
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