Meet Valorant’s New Agent Waylay: Abilities, Playstyle, and More

The Dawn of the Duelist is here with the arrival of Waylay—Valorant’s newest high-mobility Duelist from Bangkok, Thailand. Players eager to expand their playstyle and dominate the battlefield now have an exciting new agent at their fingertips.

Waylay introduces a fresh approach to the space-taking Duelist subclass, being the first addition of this kind since the game’s initial launch with Jett and Raze. Riot Games saw an opportunity to innovate in this area, bringing unique movement and engagement mechanics to one of the most crucial roles in competitive play.

“We saw an opportunity in this space since it’s been so long since we’ve created a Duelist like this,” explains Waylay’s Design Lead, June “Riot Junebird” Cuervo. “We wanted to add some more variety to this role since we see one on basically every team, especially in Pro play.”

Waylay’s Abilities

Refract (Signature Ability)

Refract allows Waylay to instantly place a beacon of light on the floor. Upon reactivation, she travels back to the beacon’s location as a pure mote of light, making her invulnerable to all damage and abilities during the transition. This gives her an escape plan, allowing her to disrupt enemy positions while keeping herself safe.

“With Jett, once you’re on the site, you’re on the site. With Raze, once you’re there, you live or die. But Waylay has this backup plan,” says Riot Junebird. “She can break angles, displace crosshairs, and draw attention but still have a safety net.”

Light Speed

Light Speed enables Waylay to dash twice in any direction. However, only the first dash can be used to move upwards, providing her with creative positioning opportunities.

“I wanted movement to be the focal point of Waylay’s kit,” says Riot Junebird. “Raze is an example of an Agent with really expressive movement utility, but with a high mastery curve. Waylay offers similar skill expression but is more accessible.”

Saturate

Saturate is a throwable cluster of light that debuffs enemies in its area of effect with a new status effect called Hindering. This slows vertical movement and reload speed without causing blurred vision, making it a strategic tool to weaken opponents before engagements.

“We felt it would be too powerful for a Duelist to have both high mobility and a strong Concuss ability,” explains Riot Junebird. “Hindering is a softer, more balanced version that complements her Duelist role.”

Convergent Paths (Ultimate Ability)

Waylay’s ultimate ability creates an afterimage of herself that projects a beam of light. After a short delay, she gains a burst of speed while the light expands, applying Hindering to all enemies in its path.

“Waylay is still a Duelist. The delay in her ultimate ensures she remains the first one pushing onto the site, leading engagements for her team,” says Riot Junebird.

When Can You Play Waylay?

Waylay is set to debut with the launch of Valorant Season 2025 Act 2 on March 5. Players can unlock her through the recruitment event or instantly via an active Xbox Game Pass subscription linked to their Riot Games account.

With her high-speed movement and strategic abilities, Waylay is poised to shake up the meta and offer players a dynamic new way to take control of the battlefield. Get ready to jump in and master the art of the Duelist!