Long-range healing and combat-stim resets: The new agent Miks brings a different kind of support to Valorant. But the design also poses risks to game balance.
A bard in a tactical shooter? Sounds strange at first, but that’s exactly the concept behind Valorant’s new agent, Miks. The Croatian brings infectious passion—and music-based powers.
An overview of the abilities
Harmonize grants Miks and an ally a Combat Stim—meaning faster equipping, faster reloading, and increased fire rate. The effect refreshes with every kill.
M-Pulse is a projectile with two modes: Stun and Heal. The desired effect can be selected before deployment and takes effect as soon as the ability hits the ground. M-Pulse has two charges.
Waveform are the smoke grenades in tactician Miks’ arsenal. A maximum of two are available at a time; a used charge recharges after 40 seconds.
Miks’ Ultimate is Bassquake. Within a cone centered on Miks’ position, enemies are knocked back, slowed, and stunned. It takes eight Ultimate points to deploy it.
Will Miks become a boosting agent?
With Miks, the tactical shooter is set to gain an agent specifically designed to be beginner-friendly; the goal was to give players the opportunity to influence a round even without exceptional mechanical skill.
This form of support—with Combat Stim resets for teammates and healing from a distance—has not existed in Valorant until now. Presumably because such a design always carries risks. Strategies where a stronger player is specifically supported could become more attractive as a result—a scenario that can quickly spark discussions about boosting or smurfing.
Riot Games is aware of this issue, says Meier: “We are still a tactical shooter at our core—and shooting is the focus.” That’s why they tested this issue extensively with the Gameplay Analysis Team (GAT). And even if it turns out to be a problem: “We’re a live-service game. We can make adjustments at any time,” explains Meier.
Why you can look forward to Miks
But if the balance is right, there are plenty of reasons to look forward to Miks. After all, he is the first true support tactician in the game, following the introduction of two other archetypes in Sage and Skye.
Despite a low learning curve, the agent also offers plenty of room for future mains to prove their skills. “I don’t know if we’ll see lineups built around healing,” says Meier—but the potential is there. And Riot Games has introduced yet another new effect to the game: Bassquake is the first ability in the title that knocks enemies back instead of up.
Miks could also draw attention outside of gameplay. According to Meier, the development team deliberately experimented with the sounds when equipping his abilities. Each ability has its own sound and rhythm; equipping them is meant to create beats. “We expect players and content creators to get creative with this,” says the game designer.
