Gekko, first impressions

Just three months into 2023, Riot Games has already released multiple new content for Valorant. After the launch of Lotus earlier this year, Agent 22, Gekko, has now arrived. Straight from Los Angeles, the new Demoman leads a tight-knit group of tiny creatures ready to disrupt the game schemes used in the game so far.

How important is synergy

Gekko has great potential on a competitive level, or in general in environments where cohesion between players is consolidated and in-game communication is clear. Team synergy is a necessary factor to bring out Gekko’s full potential in the game, on the other hand it can be more difficult to use the 22nd agent in solo games. Gekko’s little friends break into enemy territory by jumping, running and hovering in the air, always with Gekko on their heels, ready to retrieve them and start again. With his full gang, Gekko has access to a molly, a stun, a strobe, and the ability to block people in the same way as Killjoy’s ultimate.

The analogies with other agents

In terms of gameplay, Gekko is very close to Skye, except that his ultimate, Thrash, must be thrown and flown to the target. But the most innovative ability that adds a new element to Valorant is undoubtedly Wingman, the cute little yellow animal is primarily a stun, but it can also plant or defuse the Spike. Dizzy, Gekko’s flash, also works uniquely when compared to similar abilities of other agents. Instead of the traditional flash or blind, Dizzy sprays blue goo on enemy players’ eyes. Dizzy also has infinite range, which is a bit unusual for a Valorant flash. It’s the kind of ability that works really well with a Strategist agent, or when used in the chaos of an attack to aid an Assassin, like Jett or Neon. Gekko’s molly, Mosh Pit, also takes a few seconds to charge before actually dealing massive damage in the area where enemies are. To optimize its use, it would be best if used in conjunction with another ability, such as Sage’s Slowing Crystal or Fade’s Capture. All of Gekko’s abilities, except Mosh Pit, can be recovered and used again during the game round.

Its potential

Gekko is an agent that fits into Valorant in a unique way, and at first seems to be well balanced. Being able to restore your abilities is very situational, Mosh Pit’s timing offsets the damage, and Wingman is extremely useful, but also extremely vulnerable. The ability to place and defuse the Spike requires you to have a clear line of sight in order to launch Wingman, and therefore carries the risk of being exposed and even knocked out. Gekko can easily carve out a spot in the meta in high-level matches with teams that like to take a little risk. But to play Agent 22 and his pets, players will need to establish excellent communication with their teammates outside of the competitive sphere and, above all, learn the different combinations and setups to fully utilize Gekko’s abilities.