All Neon's Abilities Explained

Last week, we had the pleasure of testing Neon, the new Duelist Agent, and while we can say it's pretty fun to play, her abilities don't work at all as transparently as you might think. These are not just 2 phoenix walls, concussion grenade, fast boots, and Jett's Blade Storm cosplay; there's much more behind them. And as we all know – official descriptions often leave countless questions, which is why today, we're going to describe all of Neon's abilities to make you understand how she works a little better. Maybe some additional information about her skills will change your opinion about her power? Let's get right into it!

• Check out the official descriptions of Neon's abilities:

We had the chance to check out the newest Valorant agent. Here's a rundown of her abilities. #VALORANT pic.twitter.com/AIMK5ZCFru

— EarlyGame (@earlygamegg) January 7, 2022

Fast Lane

• Cost: 300 Credits
• Charges: 1
• Keybind: C

Fast Lane is an ability that is often compared to Phoenix's wall and considered much better. However, it is an entirely different skill if you look at it a little closer. First of all, its maximum range is about 40-50 meters; it's hard to tell, but one thing is for sure - it's pretty long. One thing you can't do with this wall is split the Spike Site in half, which you can do with pretty much any other wall in the game, and that's a big downside. Here you are making yourself a narrow tunnel that has minimal use if you think about it. Moreover, these walls only hold for 6 seconds, so you have to act fast if you want to get value out of them. The wall damages enemies (30 damage per second) as well as our teammates (10 damage per second), and you'll be immune to it. In contrast to the Phoenix wall, we don't get any additional benefits from it, such as heal.

Relay Bolt

• Cost: 200
• Charges: 2
• Keybind: Q

Relay Bolt is a stun grenade that leaves a magnetic field on the ground that, after one second, causes a concussion (like Breach's) to all who come within its range. What is unique to this ability is that whenever this grenade bounces off the wall, it electrifies the ground beneath it, leaving a magnetic field that also stuns all players in its range. It's also worth noting that Recon Bolt can also concuss enemies behind the wall, which can create some really interesting lineups, as you can stun up to 4 different locations if you use 2 charges of it at once.

• Are you ready for Patch 4.0?: Valorant Patch 4.0 Notes: Weapon Buffs, Map Changes & More

NEON STUN and SLIDE is OP pic.twitter.com/aZ9uqrk8DV

— KCP Equus | GFUEL (@EquusHorsley) January 8, 2022

High Gear

• Cost: Free (Signature Ability)
• Keybind: E

And this is the one skill that is essential in the entire Neon design - it's that famous "sprint". It makes you move 30% faster as long as you don't run out of energy in your meter. Neon's meter is recharged when you are not using Signature and Ultimate Abilities or whenever you score frags; one kill fills up your energy meter by +50%.

Note that while using High Gear, you can't equip any weapons, although you can use your other abilities. If you want to stop sprinting, just use your left mouse button to equip a weapon, and you'll immediately come back to your normal Valorant gameplay.

Speaking of stopping sprinting, one fact that can be counterintuitive - after you get hit, you don't stop; you keep sprinting. You do get tagged, but when you're moving 30% faster, it will still be hard for your enemies to catch you.

Moreover, it takes about 15 seconds to drain the entire meter just by sprinting, and that's quite actually pretty long. While sprinting, your steps are much louder than usual, and trust us - you always know it's Neon when you hear them.

Sliding

But High Gear is not only about sprinting! This ability also offers access to a one-time CoD-like "sliding" that lasts for 4-5 meters and (like Jett's Dash) refreshes after scoring two kills. You simply activate it with a right-click, and it also stops your sprinting because right after you slide, you also automatically take out your weapon. Your character's hitbox is exactly the same as when crouching, so it gives you virtually no additional advantage in that matter. It's a perfect skill for a Duelist Agent, and is ideal for fast picks and aggressive pushes.

Overdrive

• Cost: 7 Ult Points (Ultimate Ability)
• Keybind: X

Lastly, Neon's ultimate ability allows us to kill enemies with our finger. It is similar to Jett's Blade Storm, but it is definitely not the same ability. When you activate Overdrive, you get a 20-second boost which gives you a sprint (the same as when you use High Gear) and a lightning beam, that can kill your enemy with about 4 "zaps". Regardless of the part of the body you hit, Overdrive deals the same amount of damage and the only factor that affects the amount of damage dealt is the distance (the closer you are to the target, the more damage you deal). While we are on the subject of distance, it is worth mentioning that Overdrive has an unlimited range, and the only thing that can stop it is either a wall or a character model.

Neon's Ultimate Ability is also super accurate, and just like with Blade Storm, you will maintain your accuracy regardless of whether you jump or run. Overdrive uses Neon's energy meter the same way as the High Gear ability, except that it renews to 100% after killing an enemy with the lightning beam.