The next VALORANT Agent is expected to make their debut later in Episode 5. Riot Games hasn't fully revealed the next Agent, and we already know some details, thanks to some leaks and in-game clues. Fade, a Turkish Radiant Initiation, is the latest addition to the popular tactical shooter but she won't have the distinction for much longer, as Agent 21 should be joining the roster in the near future.
Here's everything we know so far about Agent 21, including their codename/full name, rumored abilities, release date, and other updates.
VALORANT Agent 21 Name, Codename & Full Name
Ahead of Riot's official reveal, Agent 21's codename was leaked. According to Valorleaks, Agent 21 is internally called "Mage".
This is a term with direct connections to Riot's League of Legends, and could possibly indicate another crossover between the two gaming titles like with Neon and Zeri.
Just a few weeks after the codename was leaked online, an early teaser from Riot seemingly revealed Agent 21's full name. As shown in an in-game email in the Practice Range on July 30, "Varun Batra" was mentioned, hinting a new "REALM operative" on the way. The name suggests that Agent 21's ethnicity is Indian. The emails also used the pronoun "he", confirming that the next Agent will be a male.
On Oct. 10, Riot officially confirmed that the new Agent's name is Harbor and reveals his first look:
VALORANT Agent 21 Abilities
The next VALORANT Agent is confirmed to be a Controller type with water manipulation powers.
On Oct. 13, Riot released the gameplay reveal video for Harbor:
Here are the official descriptions of Harbor's abilities:
C - Cascade
EQUIP a wave of water. Fire to send the wave rolling forward and through walls. RE-USE to stop the wave. Players hit are slowed.
Q - Cove
EQUIP a sphere of shielding water. FIRE to throw. ALT FIRE is underhand throw. Upon impacting the ground, spawn a water shield that blocks bullets
E - High Tide
EQUIP a wall of water. FIRE to send the water forward along the ground. HOLD FIRE to guide the water in the direction of your crosshair, passing through the world, spawning a wall along the water's path. ALT FIRE while bending to stop the water early. Players hit are SLOWED.
X Reckoning
EQUIP the full power of your Artifact. FIRE to summon a geyser pool on the ground. Enemy players in the area are targeted by successive geyser strikes. Players caught within a strike are concussed.
Here's a clip that demonstrates Harbor's abilities well:
VALORANT Agent: Harbor Release Date
Update: Riot Games has launched VALORANT Episode 5, Act 3, and the new Agent, Harbor is now available to unlock.
The official VALORANT Twitter account confirmed that Harbor was not planned for Act 2, but expect him to arrive this month.
Riot will release the new Agent in Episode 5, Act 3, which is expected to arrive on Oct. 18, 2022.
Riot Games already released the cinematic trailer for Harbor, titled Turn the Tides:
You can also check out the official audio for Harbor, titled RAJA here:
VALORANT Agent 21 Clues
On Oct. 17, the developers at Riot Games discussed the new Agent, Harbor, and the new Ion 2.0 skins.
One of the clues was seen on the bulletin board of the PBE's Range. the new symbol, which looks similar to Hamsa Hand, could be linked to Agent 21's powers and abilities, similar to how Neon's abilities were teased by having her energy backpack appear in one of the player cards in the Episode 3, Act 3 Battle Pass.
On Sept. 13, Riot Games published a State of the Agents blog in which VALORANT Character Producer teased the upcoming Agent with new art while confirming that they will be a Controller type.
"As the game has evolved with shifting metas, new maps, and an increase in general game knowledge, we’re always identifying potential new opportunities for Agents 12–14 months ahead of time," Goscicki explained. "We have seen that Controllers are in a bit of a drought, and it feels like we have to go all the way back to ancient times to our last new Controller release with Astra. Aside from Viper, introducing Controllers that can cover large open areas is a blue ocean of opportunity."
"We’ve let this soak long enough, and Agent 21 is almost ready to go out," he added. "I don’t want to flood you with too much information in this blurb here, so I’ll hold off on saying much more."
The update also comes with the message: "Jald hi milte hain", which means "Let's meet soon" or "See you soon".
On Oct. 5, the official VALORANT Twitter account reminded fans of the clue they can find on The Range about the next Agent.
On Oct. 6, a new VALORANT video that features Killjoy and Astra, and the map of India is shown in the screen that Killjoy is looking into.
In October 2022, Riot also shared two more teasers that hint Harbor's water-manipulating abilities. Check them out in these tweets: