Just in time for the 2025 World Cup final, Riot Games has announced the next agent for Valorant: Veto is a Senegalese guardian who can defuse enemy abilities.
Valorant’s newest agent’s name says it all: Veto is the name of the guardian whose own abilities are based on a DNA mutation. He is therefore able to simply make enemy abilities disappear – as announced at the Champions Finals.
Riot Games has been trying for some time to minimize “visual overload” – in other words, to display fewer unnecessary visual effects. Veto could be the next step: instead of more new abilities, there will now be fewer flying across the battlefield.
Veto’s abilities: Trap, Teleport – and something new
Like every Guardian, Veto also has the ability to monitor a bottleneck from a distance with “Chokehold.” The trap is only visible to enemies at close range and inflicts decay and numbness when hit. This makes the Q ability a mixture of Killjoy’s Alarmbot and Fade’s Grasp – and Veto’s main tool for flank security.
“Crosscut” is an ability that allows Veto to teleport over short distances, similar to Chamber or Yoru. When first activated, a vortex is placed that can then be reactivated to provide a way out of dangerous situations.
The new agent’s signature ability introduces a completely new mechanic to Valorant: the “Interceptor” must be placed, then activated later, and then destroys all abilities within sight. At least all those that can either bounce off players or be destroyed by shots. The small blue sphere can also be destroyed, but it has the potential to turn the meta upside down. Once deployed, it is also available again in 45 seconds. Veto’s ultimate ability is also exciting for ranked players and pros alike: with “Evolution,” the Senegalese agent gains immunity to all abilities for an entire round.
Weapon-like abilities such as Jett’s knife or Chambers’ Headhunter can still hit Veto, but he is immune to flashes, stuns, and even damage from Raze’s rocket or Brimstone’s ultimate during his ultimate ability.
Is Veto guaranteed a place in the meta?
At first glance, Veto seems incredibly strong: His abilities are versatile and cheap. His signature ability has the potential to take some agents out of the game completely. Skye or Gekko, for example, whose abilities—including their ultimates—are all destroyed by Veto, could become increasingly rare to see.
The new agent’s offensive potential should not be underestimated either: As Riot Games already showed in the release trailer, Veto offers counterplay against other Guardians who have barricaded themselves on a site. After offensive placement, the “Interceptor” removes traps and other abilities before the push and opens the door for your own team or your own lurk. It is very likely that Veto will get a place in the meta. That it will completely take over, however, is less likely. The signature ability will reliably delay pushes, but it cannot prevent them. “Evolution” is strong, but smokes and coordinated team play cannot be prevented. Perhaps Veto will succeed in what Riot Games has been trying to do for several patches: bring a little calm to otherwise overloaded Valorant maps.
