Valorant recently started teasing the upcoming agent, who will be showcased in the match tonight between Team Tarik and Team FRTTT. It was a unique reveal that added a lot of excitement for the gamers. However, Valorant is not immune to leaks; almost all content gets leaked before it is announced.
It has happened since the game’s launch, and as you would expect, it happened with the upcoming agent “Gekko” as well. The abilities, art, and many other details started circulating like wildfire, and no one could stop them. Even the people who avoid such leaks were forced to scroll past them many times, eventually being exposed to them at some point.
Our team at TopTierList found many tweets by notable content creators and pro players who openly expressed their disappointment with the leaks community. Even developers who worked hard on the agent felt upset as the reveal was somewhat ruined. This has happened quite frequently, but not to this scale. Perhaps due to the unique reveal this time, even gamers felt sad seeing the agent before the official reveal.
Whoever leaked the images of Gekko from the Press Kit – I hope you will stub your toe every night on your way to the toilet.
This is so dissapointing to see and i can guarantue that the devs that worked on this are upset and it makes their job feel less rewarding.— DRX LotharHS (@LotharHS) March 3, 2023
Major Points
- Recent leaks surrounding the upcoming agent have caused massive turmoil in the Valorant community.
- Many content creators and developers have expressed disappointment with the leaks, which has ruined the surprise.
- Although the agent has been revealed by now, many people have started blocking all valo-leak accounts.
Ever since the game’s release, Riot Games has listened to the players and content creators to a great extent and added changes, maps, and even agents that would be fun for the community and used on a competitive level. Valorant Esports has grown impressively in the past year with its major tournaments, especially the LAN events after the pandemic.
As such, many notable content creators or players are told of the upcoming content before release. It helps make changes or gain different opinions on the character before release since Riot wouldn’t want an agent to break the game (looking at pre-nerf Chamber).
However, these content creators have to sign an NDA, but even then, some outsiders get their hands on the content before the announcement, and they leak pretty much everything. Riot has not shown much strictness towards those people, so it has happened often.
The recent Gekko leaks were especially controversial because the reveal this time was supposed to be more unique and a huge surprise. As such, even the people who usually are okay with certain leaks were unhappy to see them this time.
Although it is unclear who leaked it first, when the most notable Valorant leaker posted an image of the agent, it was retweeted more than 11.4k times. The tweet received a reply from a Valorant developer, Anna Donlon, saying, “Welp, this feels pretty bad.”
After that, many content creators also took a stance and discussed how the leaks had reached an unhealthy point, and even though they sometimes knew what was coming to the game, they couldn’t discuss it due to the NDA. So, when people come to their chat on stream asking about the leaks, they are forced to avoid such discussions.
Professional Player and Content Creator Average Jonas tweeted out regarding this. He said he has started avoiding sharing such content because of how quickly it can get leaked. Even talking about something big upcoming can lead to people asking more questions, encouraging leakers to dig into the information themselves.
I wonder how many times I have been excited to share new Valorant content in collaboration with Riot Games only to see it get leaked a few days in advance. It’s really disheartening when so many creators have huge respect for the embargo dates we’ve been given 🫠
— AverageJonas (@Average_Jonas) March 3, 2023
DRX Lothar also mentioned that this is a massive disrespect to the developers’ work. They work hard on the upcoming content, but none has been appropriately revealed. It has caused many gamers to unfollow and block anyone who shares the leaks.
Since we have been observing the community for a while, it is perhaps the first time we have seen so many people disappointed at leaks. Gekko was supposed to be a special reveal, but many had their surprise ruined, and their excitement trampled on due to the leaks.
On the bright side, the stance many people have taken against leaks this time has made some developers happier as they realize their hard work is appreciated. Although the leaks cannot be stopped, people might think twice before leaking this time. Not to mention, some of the more notable leakers might target their posts only toward the people who are happy with the leaks.
Genuinely heartwarming to see such respected community members taking vocal stances against leaks. Means a lot to all of the team who work so hard to present it to players in the most hype way possible. Leaks suck, but the VAL community is amazing.
— Felix Morgan 🏴 (@felixjmorgan) March 3, 2023
Nevertheless, it is the first time the community has taken a stance against leakers. It’s hard to guess how this might impact the leaking community, but if it does, we hope it gets better. Ensuring that the leaks only reach those who want to see them is an essential part of being a leaker, and it is what separates them from content creators who try to expand their audience with lesser repercussions.
By the time you read this article, Gekko has already been revealed, along with his abilities. But if you are unaware of them, allow us to share what they do:
Gekko Ability: Dizzy – Fire to send Dizzy forward into the air. Dizzy charges up and sends out beams at enemies in their line of sight. When enemies are hit, they are blinded. When Dizzy Expires, they turn into a glob that can be picked up to be used again after a short cooldown.
Gekko Ability: Mosh Pit – FIRE to throw Mosh like a grenade or ALT Fire to throw underhand. After landing, Mosh Duplicates across an area and explodes after a short delay.
Gekko Ability: Wingman – FIRE to send Wingman forward looking for enemies. If an enemy is found, Wingman fires a concussive blast in a triangular shape at the first enemy seen.
ALT FIRE when looking at Site or Planted Spike to Plant (You must have the spike) or Defuse the Spike. Wingman can be destroyed by other players while planting or defusing the spike. When Wingman Expires, he turns into a glob that can be picked up to be used again after a short cooldown.
Gekko Ultimate: Thrash – FIRE to control & link with Thrash to steer her. FIRE while in the Ultimate to lunge forward and explode, detaining any enemies within their radius. When Thrash Expires, she turns into a glob that can be picked up to be used again after a short cooldown. Thrash can only be reclaimed ONCE.
All these abilities seem really fun and might even change the meta drastically, depending on how good some of his abilities are in professional tournaments. Although most of his abilities are similar to other characters (stun, lock, molly), his Wingman ability is unique and adds a lot to the gameplay.
The new agent, battle pass, and skin bundle should be out in a few days, so you can explore this agent more in your own games. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the Gekko leaks causing turmoil in the community? Do you think the leaks made the reveal much less surprising? Share your thoughts with us below, and we will get back to you!
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