How Streamers Are Reacting To The New Valorant Agent Iso

Riot has released a new Duelist for Valorant and there are mixed responses to it. Here is how streamers are reacting to the new Valorant Agent Iso

When we think about hero shooter games, the first name that comes to our mind is Riot Games’ popular game, Valorant. Valorant is a free-to-play online multiplayer tactical first-person survival hero shooter game. The game was officially released on June 2, 2020 and has become one of the most-played and watched games in the history of video games. As it is a team-based game, there are lots of characters who are titled “Agents.” The game currently has 23 Agents in total and the most recent named Iso was released on October 31, 2023. All the pro Valorant players and streamers are sharing their opinions on the internet, so here is how streamers are reacting to the new Valorant Agent Iso.

How Streamers Are Reacting to the New Valorant Agent Iso

With the release of the new Agent, there has been a newfound surge in the streaming of Valorant. Many streamers who were trying out old games are now back to streaming Valorant and trying out the new Agent. Though unfortunately for Riot Games, the Agent is getting very mixed reviews from pro players and streamers alike.

Thus far, even before the Agent was officially released into the battlefield, pros were of the opinion that Iso was going to be left out like Deadlock, a formerly released Sentinel. The head coach for the Sentinel’s esports Valorant team, Kaplan shared his opinion on X (formerly Twitter), saying that Iso will not be affecting the game’s meta in any way. Here is the tweet that he shared:

The only viable single duelists in pro play have the ability to dive out of chokes, Iso doesn’t.

It’s already hard for an agent to earn a flex spot in double controller meta. In single controller comps, that flex spot can go to all the initiators, duelists, and sage…

— SEN kaplan (@itskaplan) October 19, 2023

He specifically mentioned that Duelists in the game have the special ability to “dive out” of chokes, which Iso doesn’t. He further said it is highly likely that Iso will not be viable for double controller meta play because he lacks the basic Duelist ability. Here Zekken from Sentinels came in and simply replied with a “ur wrong lol” disagreeing with the coach. Mel from V1 also chimed in with her opinion, agreeing with Kaplan in a quote tweet. Here is the tweet she made agreeing with Kaplan: 

i’m open to discussion but with the nuanced agents Riot has been releasing, i feel like Iso is going to be left out similar to Deadlock

it’s just hard to justify having him in a comp over anyone else. Jett/Raze alone are better duelists with raw entry power with their dive, i… https://t.co/uOEerPLuyl

— V1 meL (@melanji) October 19, 2023

She went ahead and began by straight up saying that she thinks Iso is going to be left out like Deadlock, the hated Sentinel. She said that she could not see how Iso would be chosen for a competitive match over other Agents. She further cemented her point by saying that he lacks raw entry power, which is why he is not viable over other Iniators like Viper or a Sentinel like KJ. She ended her tweet by saying that she has been wrong about such things before but she is eager to see how things will play out, as in whether she will be wrong or will Iso be left with “0% pickrate Deadlock style.”

On the other hand, some positive reviews have been seen about Iso, including pros and streamers alike. The head coach for NRG’s Valorant esports team, Chet Singh weighed in with his opinion during a gameplay stream. When a viewer asked him whether Iso is good or not, he answered saying “I think Iso is good, like no cap this time.”

A viewer commented that FNS, a former NRG player, said that Iso won’t be good in pro play because he doesn’t bring anything viable to the table compared to other Duelists in the game. To this, Chet responded by saying that you have to approach Iso’s abilities in a different way, not in a way like you’re filling a 1v1 combat situation. He said that you have to build around him and completely “make something for him.” He further said, “How is a wall that blocks all bullets not good? And there’s his like little Aimlabs ability, seems insane. You can tank a whole like ultimate shot, seems f*cking insane.” 

Derke from the FNATIC Valorant esports team was one of the first players who got to try out Iso’s abilities firsthand. He was invited to the Riot Games Headquarters in Los Angeles where he got to try playing with Iso. He made a video, showcasing the Agent’s abilities and then played some matches with him which he seemed to love. Here is the video: 

In the video, Derke stated that he thinks Iso’s abilities will not matter in pro play because they have better Agents for that already. He said that he cannot see Iso being a replacement for other Agents with better abilities but still Iso has strong abilities. He said that he thinks Iso is a great Agent and that there are a lot of ways to play with Iso’s ultimate. Boaster also weighed in with his opinion, reacting to the Agent in quite a positive way. Here is the video of Boaster’s reaction:

As soon as he started FNATIC Derke’s ability showcase video, he exclaimed saying “It's Reyna!” He stated that Iso doesn’t really have much for his teammates as in team play, he is a selfish player. He said that the Duelist would be best for rank matches as his ultimate and defending invulnerable abilities are “very cool.” He further said that he thinks Iso is like Reyna, but Reyna is still a bit better. 

Other pro players and streamers who played the Duelist in-game and enjoyed it are TenZ and iiTzTimmy. In Timmy’s video, Pokimane could be seen in the background stating that she couldn’t understand why a Duelist has a shield and invulnerable abilities. To her, it feels like he is an aggressive comp player, more like an initiator. Timmy straight up said that he thinks Iso’s shields and abilities are straight up “broken” as in powerful.

TenZ played the game at Riot HQ like FNATIC Derke and he also really enjoyed it. He said with his Ultimate shield ability, you can get two kills as there is no stopping it and he likes that the most. He further said, “It’s like a Reyna effect on pistol rounds.” He said that this makes Iso a lot more impactful as a Duelist because not only does he have pushing abilities, but he also has solo entry abilities. 

To this day, Valorant is one of the most played games released by Riot Games. Players not only love playing the game but they also love watching gameplays, both of which are casual and professional. The Valorant esports scene is also majorly thriving because of the game’s popularity and general audience who love to watch pro players go head-on against each other. This is exactly why Riot Games needs to be more cautious about the Agents they release onto the battlefield, but they could be doing a balance patch soon, so it’s a waiting game for all of us. 

Needless to say, Iso is having a rough time so far but if people can approach his abilities with a build-around perspective, he has a chance. Make sure to check out our Agent guide for Iso and stay tuned for more Valorant content!