Developer and publisher Riot Games has announced Valorant's Act II Battlepass, which launches tomorrow and brings with it a new Agent, a much-requested Deathmatch mode, and a number of skins. It's still slow going for the League of Legends studio, but the fact that Valorant still has a playerbase three months in is a testament to its success so far in a gaming market more brutal than ever to new IP.

During its post-launch scramble to keep players' interest, Riot Games did somehow find time to embroil itself in yet another of its signature controversies. Rather than protect its own abusers this time, though, Riot was summarily shouted down and put it in its place by its fans and esports community over a proposed partnership with Saudi Arabia, a nation notorious for its appalling lack of regard for its citizens' human rights. However, Riot has dropped all talk of that PR nightmare of a deal and once again promises that its back on the mend, eager to distract Valorant players with shiny nuggets of content and the promise of a new Agent, Killjoy.

In keeping with its episodic naming structure, Valorant Episode I Act II arrives tomorrow, kicking things off with a new Battlepass, skinline, and mode, all of which launch on August 4. For 1000 VP (or $10), players can begin earning both the free and premium items from the game's second-ever battle pass in order to show off their time and money dedication on the battlefield. Joining the new trinkets in the Act II Battlepass are the cutesy neon Glitchpop skins that players can use to customize the "Frenzy, Odin, Bulldog, Judge, and melee" weapons.


Last but certainly not least, Valorant is expanding from its team elimination focus to introduce a highly requested addition: FFA Deathmatch. The fresh solo mode will pit 10 players - sans Agent abilities but with infinite money enabled - against one another in a bloody race to be the first to reach 30 kills. A Team Deathmatch beta is likely still on the horizon, but Riot states, "There will only be a free-for-all Deathmatch mode when Act II launches."

Masters of lengthening the tail of its multiplayer games as far as they'll go, players can expect that this steady content drip in Valorant has still only just begun. Already, the game has introduced a complete season's worth of content and well-balanced Agent in Reyna by this point, and it seems that Act II is bringing more of the same with its on-schedule battle pass and Apex Legends' Wattson-like Agent Killjoy.

Thankfully, Valorant remains free of any pay-to-win monetization schemes, a gesture that Riot is - at the very least - good for, judging by its smooth handling of League of Legends in that department for over a decade. However, despite being free-to-play, Valorant should stray away from getting too greedy with its swankiest items, instead more carefully distributing studio resources to ensure that its battle passes remain worthwhile season after season.