If you’re worried about whether this has to do with Gekko’s ability to “twerk,” you can safely exhale.
With the launch of VALORANT Episode Six, Act Three on April 25, Riot Games made a pair of changes to Gekko, the game’s most recently released initiator agent. But it’s not his actual competitive change that has some players calling him “not even playable.” No, it’s his new in-game portrait icon.
Related: Riot makes one crucial change to Gekko in VALORANT Patch 6.08
On Reddit earlier today, user TheHolyOne_245 shared their discontent with the change, saying it looks more like fan art rather than an official VALORANT icon.
Online, others have complained in recent days that the art style of Gekko’s new icon is too “realistic” and “clean,” making it feel “even more out of place” compared to the rest of the game’s cast.
“As a gekko main I feel insulted, bring back the old one it was better,” one player wrote on Twitter.
Given the VALORANT community’s history of taking issue with the slightest of cosmetic details, it’s no surprise that this move has caused quite a commotion.
In the official Patch 6.08 notes for VALORANT, Riot simply mentioned that the portrait change was made for “better gameplay readability and quality consistency.”
For those who are fans of the new icon, or at the very least feel indifferent about it, you might feel better knowing that Gekko’s English and Spanish voice actor Alejandro Antonio Ruiz has already given it his seal of approval.
“Pre & post yassification,” Ruiz tweeted.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with the new portrait aside from that it is still blurry. Considering Gekko is one of the youngest agents in the game, I do think the new version does a better job of conveying that. It also doesn’t hurt that the devs toned down his lighting effect to be more in line with everyone else.
