Neon was introduced to Valorant as a part of Episode 4, Act 1, and she certainly made an entrance. Her speed and electric-fuelled abilities left an immediate impression on players, and she certainly makes matches a little more entertaining sometimes.
Voiced by Vanille Velasquez and hailing in from the Phillipines, Neon, is a Duelist who can quite literally take out enemies in the blink of an eye. Given her sprinting capabilities, electric double-wall, and impressive ultimate ability (which we delve into more shortly), the Agent changes up the pace of Valorant.
Players can expect to see Neon constantly on the frontlines as she uses her speed to open up sites, pick fights, and eliminate enemy Agents quickly. They can also expect to see the occasional Neon using their sprint to rotate and plant spike quickly when needed. When there is a Neon in your match, it is safe to say that you should always expect the unexpected. Without further ado, here's everything you need to know about playing as Neon.
Is Neon Good in Valorant?
In the right hands, Neon could easily make one of the best Agents for a player, match after match. She requires fast reactions, given that most of her abilities utilise the concept of speed, and Neon players will soon find themselves strategising much quicker than before.
Neon players will typically take the role of a leader, making fast decisions that the rest of the team must work off of. This requires Neon to also be a good communicator, which isn't the strong point of many Valorant players, but it is a skill that can easily be picked up. By playing fast, leading Agents (like Neon), players will pick up communication skills quickly.
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Neon is decked out in bright blue and yellow, and with going fast being her main ability, she definitely shares a resemblance with a familiar blue hedgehog which players have certainly noticed. She transforms the pace of any match that she is a part of, and this certainly makes things more interesting. It can't be said for sure whether Neon will remain a popular pick amongst players or not, especially given that Riot Games have plenty of time yet to nerf her abilities. That being said though, she is a strong Agent, and she is a lot of fun to play.
Is Neon Good for Beginners?
Not only is Neon a powerful Duelist, but one that demands players keep learning, and at a much faster pace too. For beginners, Neon is a hell of a lot of fun. Sooner or later, however, they'll realise that there is more to playing Neon than sprinting everywhere and anywhere.
Neon is a difficult pick for beginners, but she can be a good Duelist to start with as she forces players to think much faster than ever before. This will, undoubtedly, lead to mistakes amongst beginners. However, mistakes in turn will also lead to beginners learning from them much faster, and quickly improving their gameplay.
Neon players are especially good for acquiring information around a map in a short amount of time and helping their team to strategise the next move. Using her sprint, Neon can see which sites are clear and which ones are being covered, and she can also quickly rotate to another site if needs be. Using the likes of her wall and concussion to keep any enemies she runs into distracted, or to try and take them out, Neon can be good for making an impact early on in a round. By utilising Neon's speedy abilities, players can check out areas on a map quickly to gather plenty of information and strategise for the team.
That being said, Neon is definitely difficult to get to grips with. Once a player is past the novelty of being able to navigate the map at great speed, Neon will certainly help a lot of beginners improve at Valorant communications and tactics quickly. She's not the first Agent we would recommend to a beginner, but she is definitely up there in terms of Duelist Agents to begin with.
How To Play As Neon — Abilities & Skills
Here are all four of Neon's abilities in Valorant:
Fast Lane (C) - FIRE two energy lines forward on the ground that extend a short distance or until they hit a surface. The lines rise into walls of static electricity that block vision and damage enemies passing through them.
Relay Bolt (Q) - INSTANTLY throw an energy bolt that bounces once. Upon hitting each surface, the bolt electrifies the ground below with a concussive blast.
Signature: High Gear (E) - INSTANTLY channel Neon’s power for increased speed. When charged, ALT FIRE to trigger an electric slide. Slide charge resets every two kills.
Ultimate: Overdrive (X) - Unleash Neon’s full power and speed for a short duration. FIRE to channel the power into a deadly lightning beam with high movement accuracy. The duration resets on each kill.
Tips for Playing as Neon in Valorant
Neon's abilities give her the freedom of quick exploration, so it is important to utilise this. Her sprint can be used to gather information from various sites quickly, and then she can aid her team with a strategy of what to do next and where to go. With this being said, Neon players who use their signature ability to acquire knowledge should also work on perfecting their communications with their team.
Simultaneously, Neon's abilities can also be utilised to engage in quick gunfights at the beginning of a round. Using her wall and concussions, as well as her sprint, Neon can target enemy Agents quickly. This can catch enemies off guard, and Neon has the opportunity to take one or two enemies out at the beginning of a round before fleeing to aid her team. This tactic is better for those who are more confident with their gunplay, but can put the enemy team at an immediate disadvantage.
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Fast Lane - Neon's electric wall - can be used while attacking to very quickly block the enemy teams vision and speed onto site. Neon can then plant very quickly, leaving the enemy team with a very limited amount of time to take the entire team out and defuse. This tactic won't work all the time, but it will certainly make your team come out on top for a few rounds until the enemy team figure out how to counter it.
When using Neon's sprint, don't forget to left click to slide out of the ability and quickly equip your weapon. The slide, when used effectively, can certainly bag a Neon a couple of kills. If I say so myself, it also feels incredibly satisfying to do so, too.
On top of that, Neon's ultimate is an easy ace for a player if used at the right time. We found it incredibly powerful on defense. For example, if you know an entire team are stacking a site after a quick sprint around gathering knowledge, it may be a good time to use Neon's ultimate. Before the enemy team have time to position themselves around their chosen site, Neon can use her ultimate to zap the life out of each of them quickly while they're all huddled in one area.
Neon's Weaknesses
Thinking of Neon's ultimate ability, the enemy team should always try to spread out when they can to counter it. You will often know when an Agent has activated their ultimate due to the voiceline announcing as such, so if you hear a Neon using Overdrive, spread out to the best of your ability so Neon can't take our your team in one go.
Neon's ultimate also doesn't have any headshot damage, which makes aim for Neon less important when using it, but can also help enemies to avoid damage if they remember to hide entirely or can flee her aim quickly. Long or short range, Neon can damage the enemy team while in Overdrive, so it is best to avoid her entirely by hiding or rotating sites until her ultimate runs out.
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Neon players, given their speed, may also take the opportunity to regularly flank or rotate sites. Keep this in mind if up against a Neon, and if you find that they're doing this, ensure that you have a teammate on every site keeping an eye (and ear) out for her sprinting along.
Additionally, if you see a Neon throwing a wall up onto a site while attacking, your team can safely assume she is going to plant as quickly as possible. Quickly intercept her wall for an easy kill, if she is planting, and with the right backup from your own team, you should be able to eliminate the rest of the team as they follow her. Alternatively, if you find yourself intercepting a wall and Neon isn't to be seen, you can perhaps assume that it was a fake out and send teammates to check out the other site.
That's all there is to learning how to play as Neon in Valorant. Ultimately, she is a powerful Duelist who can certainly hold her own ground, but there are plenty of ways for a team to counter her abilities if they can mirror her fast thinking and communicate with each other simultaneously. For more on Valorant, we have comprehensive guides to every Agent, including Reyna, Breach, and Astra. We also have a handy guide to other games like Valorant if you feel that you need a break from the tactical FPS.