Before donning her punk-hipster look with a penchant for gadgets and machines, Valorant’s newest agent, Killjoy, was something else entirely. One that did not involve flesh and bones and had an ultimate that was later given to Brimstone.
In a talk with Dot Esports, character producer John Goscicki told how Killjoy has gone through “ton of different iterations.”
Goscicki expanded on the statement by saying that the agent was originally a “robot.” Which, thematically, complements what was eventually her finalized set of skills, involving machines.
“We went through a ton of different iterations for her—different versions of the turret, different supportive bots, etc.”
‘Danger’ is Her Middle Name
While the concept designs are left to people’s imaginations, Goscicki further reveals how Killjoy originally possesses the Orbital Strike. To the unaware, the Orbital Strike is an ultimate skill that involves a concentrated beam of laser towards a particular target area.
“She actually started with Brimstone’s ultimate way back in the day and was even more of a terror in post-plant situations than she is now.”
Killjoy’s repertoire is indeed a noteworthy force in the battlefield, which combines the power of automated turrets, Alarmbots, and Nanoswarms. The ability to invoke a massive beam of light from the sky would have boosted her lethality as an agent.
The decision to see the agent transitioning from being a hunk of metal to full flesh and bones is not without good reason, however. As per Riot, the German agent was meant to embody the image of a futuristic engineer. A vision that is not particularly too grand, if not looking at her arsenals.
“At first Killjoy started as the more typical engineer you have seen in other games/media, but as the roster evolved she was no longer fitting in. So, we rebooted her aesthetic, taking cues from punky skateboard culture, and modern hipster engineers.”
An Agent to Associate With
It seems that the major drive to make a human out of an original robotic design boils down to the desire to make an agent that feels “relatable.” An idea which, as it appears, starts within the Riot office where the name “Killjoy” easily resonates with everybody.
Conversely, it would have indeed been cool to see what Killjoy’s original appearance looked like. Which, while not easily associated with, would make a unique addition to the game’s seemingly expanding roster.
Regardless of the choice, it seems that Killjoy in her final form seems to be well-received on the internet. So much so that various image depictions of her surface in light of her official announcement.
Image used courtesy of VALORANT/YouTube Screenshot