Varun Batra has finally been captured, as Protocol rolls out a headshot of a handsome, bearded man; he’s Valorant agent 21, Harbor. While his element symbolizes calm, he’s unironically most similar to the FPS game‘s queen of all things toxic, Viper. Harbor bends water to his will and might even block bullets.
Riot Games has pulled back the curtain to reveal a unique controller who draws power from water. The official poster features the wanted fugitive riding a bike on a backdrop of an ocean wall and a curious globe of smoke that seems to be swallowing bullets.
Harbor, whose real name is rumoured to be Varun Batra, hails from India. Leaks gave away his character class, but plenty of questions linger regarding the exact nature of Harbor’s toolkit. A water-based controller who’d imitate the nature of Viper’s abilities was an appealing concept, but it was equally confusing. There’s plenty to glean from the latest poster that features Harbor’s potential abilities.
“Aside from Viper, introducing Controllers that can cover large open areas is a blue ocean of opportunity,” Valorant’s state of the agents blog reads.
Echoing this, Harbor’s first look includes an interesting water wall that appears just as extended (if not more so) than Viper’s Toxic Screen. The ability to slice a large map into two is still rare in Valorant, so this ability would surely come in handy on Breeze and Icebox if it functions like Viper’s wall. But, the water bubble outshines it due to the the tiny swirls on its surface.
Behind Harbor is a globe of water that’s most likely his smoke and star of the toolkit. It looks like any other smoke, but a quick zoom into the image unveils an interesting mechanic. The tiny swirls resemble the bullet marks on Astra’s Cosmic Divide, suggesting that Harbor might be able to wrestle with the bullets and even block them. If that’s the case, Harbor might finally bring a cure for the post-plant meta in Valorant.
However, these are all speculations, and the true nature of his kit remains a mystery until Riot lets players in on more intel. What we do know for sure is that Harbor loves heavy bikes and a good plate of samosa chaat.
Looking to flex a fist bump gun buddy to your friends? Here’s how you can get a Valorant first bump gun buddy for free. Additionally, if you’re looking to master Viper and Astra ahead of Harbor’s debut, be sure to check out our rundown of all Valorant characters and their abilities.