Riot Games is set to expand Valorant’s roster with its 28th agent, Waylay, a Thai duelist who manipulates light and introduces a powerful new debuff to the tactical shooter.
Waylay will join the game on March 5, 2025, alongside the launch of Season 2025 Act 2. She becomes the eighth duelist in Valorant and the second agent from Southeast Asia after the Philippines’ Neon.
Game Designer June Cuervo explained that Waylay fills a specific role that has been limited since the game’s launch. “We haven’t had a ‘space taking duelist’ since Valorant’s launch. This subclass of duelist that only Jett and Raze occupy has been an essential part of team compositions at all levels of play, and we wanted to add something fresh to this gameplay space.”
Thailand’s Light-Based Agent
As a prismatic radiant from Thailand, Waylay can transform into light, which forms the basis of her movement-focused abilities. Her design draws inspiration from Thailand’s vibrant culture.
“When we’re looking at Thailand, we’re looking at how colorful everything is here,” said Valorant’s Agents Lead John Goscicki. “We’re really referencing the colors and the tone that we’re seeing in the country. How do we find the Valorant version of light that is also referencing and honoring the colorful nature of the country?”
Waylay was officially unveiled in Bangkok during a showmatch featuring Thai and international pro players and content creators before the VALORANT Masters: Bangkok grand finals between G2 and T1.
New ‘Hindering’ Debuff
Perhaps most notably, Waylay introduces the first new debuff to Valorant since the game‘s beta. The “Hindering” effect slows multiple player actions when applied:
- Fire rate
- Recoil recovery
- Equip time
- Reload speed
- Movement speed
- Jump speed
This comprehensive slow effect gives Waylay significant crowd control potential and makes her particularly effective against mobile duelists like Jett and Raze.
Similar Posts
Waylay’s Ability Kit
Waylay brings four abilities that combine mobility with the new Hindering debuff:
Refract (Signature Ability): Creates a beacon of light on the floor. When reactivated, Waylay speeds back to the beacon as a mote of pure light, becoming invulnerable during travel. The ability resets every two kills.
Light Speed: A double dash ability that allows quick movement across the battlefield. The first dash can send Waylay upward, providing vertical mobility.
Saturate: Throws a cluster of light that explodes on contact with the ground, applying the Hindering debuff to nearby players.
Convergent Paths (Ultimate): Creates an afterimage that projects a beam of light. After a brief delay, Waylay gains a speed boost and the beam expands, applying the Hindering debuff to players in the area.
Impact on Gameplay
Cuervo notes that Waylay “fulfills the same role as Jett and Raze, but has different strengths and weaknesses. Maps where the bombsites have lots of nooks and crannies to dash to such as Icebox and Ascent are maps where Waylay thrives. She isn’t designed to replace our current duelists, but rather provide an option in different team compositions.”
When designing Waylay’s dash, Cuervo aimed to “capture the creativity of Raze’s satchel movement and the speed of Jett’s dash.” Meanwhile, her Refract ability “allows her to take risks and play off of her teammates’ utility with confidence after dashing.”
In terms of personality, Goscicki describes Waylay as having a familial relationship with other agents: “The older sibling looking out for everyone. They have a lot of love and care for them, but they’re not afraid to also put them in their place if need be.”
The March 5 update will also include new Cyrax collection weapon skins for the Vandal, Ghost, Guardian, Stinger, and melee weapons.
Frequently Asked Questions about Valorant’s New Agent Waylay
Waylay will be released on March 5, 2025, alongside the launch of Season 2025 Act 2. This update will also include new weapon skins from the Cyrax collection.
Waylay is a “space-taking duelist” similar to Jett and Raze, but with unique abilities centered around light manipulation. She has a double dash ability that provides vertical mobility, can become invulnerable while traveling as light, and introduces the new “Hindering” debuff that slows multiple player actions simultaneously.
The Hindering debuff is a new status effect that slows six different player actions: fire rate, recoil recovery, equip time, reload speed, movement speed, and jump speed. It functions similarly to the Concuss effect but affects more aspects of gameplay. Currently, only Waylay can apply this debuff through her Saturate ability and Convergent Paths ultimate.
Waylay has four abilities:
- Refract (Signature): Creates a light beacon that Waylay can teleport back to while being invulnerable. Resets every two kills.
- Light Speed: A double dash ability where the first dash can send Waylay upward (alternative fire provides a single dash).
- Saturate: Throws a light cluster that explodes on contact with the ground, applying the Hindering debuff to nearby players.
- Convergent Paths (Ultimate): Creates an afterimage projecting a light beam that expands after a delay, giving Waylay a speed boost and applying the Hindering debuff to players in the area.
According to Game Designer June Cuervo, Waylay thrives on maps where bombsites have numerous nooks and crannies to dash to, specifically mentioning Icebox and Ascent as examples. Her mobility abilities make her particularly effective in environments with varied elevations and multiple hiding spots.
No, Waylay isn’t designed to replace existing duelists. According to the development team, she “fulfills the same role as Jett and Raze, but has different strengths and weaknesses.” She’s intended to provide players with additional options for different team compositions rather than replacing the current meta duelists.