The upcoming Episode 2: Act 2 Battlepass will also add Valorant‘s latest agent (Agent 16), the Ghanian Agent Astra. Here’s a list of things we know of her before she comes out on the live server in a few days.
Astra Bio:
Ghanaian Agent Astra harnesses the energies of the cosmos to reshape battlefields to her whim. With full command of her astral form and a talent for deep strategic foresight, she’s always eons ahead of her enemy’s next move.
- Callsign – Astra
- Nationality – Ghana
- Powersource – Radiant
- Role – Controller
- Age – Mid 20’s
Astra Abilities:
Gravity Well (C)
- Place Stars in Astral Form (X)
- Activate a Star to form a Gravity Well. Players in the area are pulled toward the center before it explodes, making all players still trapped inside fragile.
Nova Pulse (Q)
- Place Stars in Astral Form (X)
- Activate a Star to detonate a Nova Pulse. The Nova Pulse charges briefly then strikes, concussing all players in its area.
Nebula (E)
- Place Stars in Astral Form (X)
- Activate a Star to transform it into a Nebula (smoke).
- Dissipate (F)
Dissipate (F)
- Use (F) on a Star to Dissipate it, returning the star to be placed in a new location after a delay.
- Dissipate briefly forms a fake Nebula at the Star’s location before returning.
Astral Form/Cosmic Divide (X)
- Activate to enter Astral Form where you can place Stars with Primary Fire. Stars can be reactivated later, transforming them into a Nova Pulse, Nebula, or Gravity Well.
- When Cosmic Divide is charged, use Secondary Fire in Astral Form to begin aiming at, then Primary Fire to select two locations. An infinite Cosmic Divide connects the two points you select. Cosmic Divide blocks bullets and heavily dampens audio.
Thoughts
The initial experience with Astra feels like she’s going to be key to the meta for teams. She can easily be included in already pre-set teams and adds dimension to the game. However, she can easily be a double-edged sword most especially for players who don’t know how to use her as she can as easily distract teammates as well as opponents.
Players who want to main Astra need to practice with her Cosmic Divide ability. It can be a great boon or hindrance to your team’s setup.
Overall, as a Cypher main, I would think Astra is a great addition to my agent list. Though she is definitely an agent I wouldn’t want to use in Solo queue.