Since the launch of Riot’s first-person shooter Valorant, the multiplayer game has gained immense popularity among players. The game requires precision shooting for overall success but also incorporates special agent abilities for an extra wrinkle in the gameplay.

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While each of the 16 agents available possesses their own unique advantages and disadvantages, there’s always a few that are considered the cream of the crop. One of the agents added after the launch of Valorant, Yoru, offers outstanding mobility skills that can confuse the enemy forces. Here’s a guide on how to play Yoru in Valorant.

Offensive Playmaker

yoru offensive

As a Duelist, Yoru typically finds most success on the attacking team, though he can prove valuable when defending. Now, just like the other Valorant agents, Yoru possesses two Basic Abilities, one Signature Ability, and one Ultimate.

Role

Duelist

Basic Ability 1

Fakeout: Yoru throws an echo that mimics the sound of his footprints to confuse enemy agents on his location

Basic Ability 2

Blindside: Yoru tosses a dimensional fragment that flashes anyone in its vicinity; Yoru can bounce the fragment off walls to ricochet around corners

Signature Ability

Gatecrash: Yoru deploys a floating blue orb that he can teleport to

Ultimate

Dimensional Drift: Yoru equips a mask that allows him to shift in between dimensions, which makes him largely undetected by enemy agents

When playing Yoru, you’ll have to be eager to get into firefights and seek kills. Because of his Gatecrash ability, Yoru can teleport behind enemy lines in an attempt to flank the opposing team or use the rift tether to make a quick getaway.

Typically, Yoru tends to work best alone, as his Gatecrash or Fakeout could put his allies in danger, but he can also use his teammates in a selfish way to bait out enemies. Adding the echo footsteps of his own and his teammates will have opposing agents not knowing where to look.

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If Yoru happens to be with the team pushing onto a bomb site, his Blindside works extremely well. Because the dimensional fragment can bounce off walls, Yoru can throw it safely behind cover. Be warned: Blindside will also blind you or your allies if any of you are caught within range of the flash.

Recently, Riot increased the cost of his Blindside ability from 200 to 250 Creds. The developer also increased the cooldown time for Gatecrash from 35 to 40 seconds. These updates did balance the agent a bit better, though it does negatively affect Yoru compared to when he was first added to Valorant.

Using Yoru’s Ultimate

yoru ultimate

Ripping into the fabric of reality sounds fun in theory until you do it. When activated, Yoru’s Ultimate, Dimensional Drift, allows the agent to slip in between realities. During this phasing mode, Yoru can safely escape if the battle turns too hot or he can use the ability to sneak past unsuspecting enemy agents.

However, beware that Yoru doesn't become completely invisible. If you get too close to an enemy agent, Yoru becomes a bit transparent and will reveal his location. Skilled Yoru players might use this disadvantage to their advantage to bait the opposing team into a trap.

Yoru excels at being able to cause distractions and confusion, and hearing the agent declare his Ultimate is going active will cause the opposing team to be on alert. In a past update, Riot reduced the cost of using Yoru’s Ultimate from seven orbs to six, allowing a much more frequent use of the ability.

Who Counters Yoru

killjoy and skye

For an agent who’s capable of escaping in more ways than one, there aren’t many agents in Valorant that stack up well against Yoru. Because of his flanking ability, an enemy Killjoy can use her Alarmbot or Turret to counter him. Whether on offense or defense, be wary of her devices, as they’re a surefire way to get detected. If you are playing against a Killjoy, use the Gatecrash ability to have a safe escape route.

The other agent that counters Yoru well is Skye. Because of her Seekers Ultimate ability, her creatures track down opposing agents. Even if Yoru is able to retreat away with his Gatecrash, odds are the Seeker creature will continue to pursue the agent. If Yoru is within tracking range during his usual flanking patterns, it may spell doom for the dimensional jumper. Regardless, mastering Yoru can prove invaluable for a team vying for success in Valorant.

NEXT: Valorant: How To Play Killjoy