Tolerance and equality are becoming more prevalent in the gaming industry, and Riot Games has made its contribution to the promotion of LGBTQ+ themes. Valorant is an inclusive game that is loved by people of all colours and creeds, because the developers don't forget about the community's representatives. Today, our editorial team has prepared for you a list of Valorant Agents with non-traditional orientations.
Raze
Brazilian duelist Tayane Alves is one of the first agents in Valorant, added during the beta-testing phase. She stands out for her simple yet effective skills with which one can easily deal with multiple opponents. For a while after her release, the developers did not confirm her orientation, so players were unaware that Raze is a lesbian. In patch 1.05, Riot Games added the German Sentinel Killjoy, and after that, the community began to speculate about the involvement of both girls in the LGBTQ+ community.
The main confirmation of Raze's orientation are the in-game phrases that the agent voices during the match and during encounters with Killjoy.
- “Killjoy! Thanks for letting me borrow your Alarmbot. It’s so much better with explosions! Why did you never try that?”
- “Killjoy, gatinha, there’s no one else I’d rather fight beside, or dance with.”
- “Killjoy, after this you wanna do some tinkering?
- “Killjoy, don’t overthink it! Sometimes, you just need to hit them with explosives.”
- “Killjoy. You and me until the end.”
Killjoy
German agent Klara Böhringer, plays the role of Sentinel in the game and was added to Valorant in patch 1.05. As we mentioned above, right after her release, players analyzed the phrases of both girls and concluded that they might be in a relationship. In her voice lines, she refers to Raze as "little mouse" and invites her over to listen to a new music album together.
- “Raze, I found a new album you just have to hear! Maybe you could… come over after the mission? But, only if we survive!”
- “Sure, but if anything explodes again, you are telling Brim.”
- “Drive them crazy, Raze! You’re good at that.”
- “Be safe, Raze.”
- “The enemy Raze’s tech is just spare parts and duct tape. It’s a wonder she hasn’t blown herself up.”
- “Sorry little mouse.”
READ MORE: 15 Best Vandal Skins in Valorant
Following numerous inquiries from the community, Riot Games released an official confirmation regarding both heroines. On their Twitter account, the developers published an image of Raze and Killjoy kissing against the backdrop of a festival, confirming that both girls are lesbians and belong to the LGBTQ+ community.
So far, they are the only known LGBTQ+ representatives in Valorant. However, game fans have theories about several other agents. There's a theory that Yoru and Phoenix may officially be recognized as community representatives in the future. Players analyzed various phrases and their content from both agents and speculated that their rivalry might evolve into something more.
It's worth noting that LGBTQ+ fans often criticize Riot Games for the limited representation of the community. As an example, they reference another Riot Games discipline - League of Legends. It is officially confirmed that it has 12 community representatives, whereas Valorant has only two2. However, it's important to understand that LoL has over 100 characters, while Valorant only has 22.
It's worth reminding you that Riot Games recently announced a new agent, the 23rd within the game. This will be the Chinese duelist ISO, more details about whom you can read in our article. It's still unknown if ISO will be a representative of LGBTQ+, but given his origin, the chances are minimal.
Most likely, the limited number of LGBTQ+ characters is tied to the company itself. In 2011, the Chinese corporation Tencent Holdings acquired all shares of Riot Games and became its owner. In China, there's a negative attitude towards the community members. Therefore, it's unclear when Valorant will see new characters with non-traditional orientations or official coming-outs of past Agents.
Comments