Say hello to Tejo, the latest addition to our Valorant lineup, arriving straight from Colombia. As part of the Initiator class, Tejo’s role is to unearth your foes with a unique set of skills, including intelligence gathering, explosions, and concussive abilities. If you’re someone who excels at anticipating enemy movements, you’ll find Tejo to be a perfect fit. And for those with a Game Pass membership, unlocking Tejo is a breeze.
"Easy enough—I’ll flush them out, you finish them off." This succinctly captures the essence of Tejo, our newest Initiator agent, who steps onto the field with both style and substance.
With his Colombian roots, Tejo brings a refreshing change to the game with his knack for flushing out adversaries, adopting a top-down strategy. He challenges players to be proactive and tactical, analyzing mid-round scenarios and wielding his skills to clear the path for his teammates.
Tejo’s skill set revolves around three core outputs: gathering insights, delivering damage, and inducing concussions. Here’s a closer breakdown:
Stealth Drone: Deploy a stealthy drone that, when activated, emits a small sonar pulse at its location.
Guided Salvo: Open an aerial map to direct rockets to your chosen target. Upon arrival, these rockets trigger explosions that disrupt enemy holds.
Special Delivery: Launch a grenade that sticks to players or surfaces, detonating after a short delay to deliver a concussive impact.
Armageddon: Unleash a series of explosions, forcing your opponents to reposition according to your strategy.
Tejo’s toolkit finds its best use when teamed with allies who can swiftly capitalize on the space he carves out. Let’s explore how each ability works.
Stealth Drone
Whether your squad is on the offensive, moving to capture a site, or in a defensive position aiming for a retake, deploying a drone can significantly shift the dynamics in your favor. Particularly on maps laden with corners, drones help secure areas safely, preparing your team for possible engagements. Tejo’s Stealth Drone shines because it’s invisible over long distances, granting you the upper hand in gathering info on enemy positions.
"Drones usually provide a baseline for intel, but we wanted ours to suppress opponents as a primary function, making it preferable over the rest," explains Game Designer Ryan Cousart.
Guided Salvo
Why rockets, you might ask? With a grin, Cousart responds, "Rockets are simply cool."
But there’s more to it—rockets align with the direction the developers envisioned. "When you incorporate features like map targeting or global placements, it prompts players to adopt a more forward-thinking strategy. Rockets effectively signal your teammates that something’s about to go down. There were plenty of options, but rockets best served our purposes," Cousart elaborates.
Tejo’s abilities balance multiple elements: intel, damage, and concussive power. "There’s careful consideration on how each output affects gameplay. Damage tends to have a lasting impact, more so than concussive effects or flashes. We think we’ve struck a delicate balance, but it warrants close monitoring," Cousart adds.
Special Delivery
Cousart shares, "With the complexity of his other abilities, we felt Tejo needed something straightforward yet impactful—an explosive, yet controlled ability. Special Delivery is essentially a quick ‘let’s go’ button."
Unlike abilities that require setup, Special Delivery lets Tejo kickstart combat instantly. The concussive effect emboldens players to step into contested areas. It won’t be long before players devise crafty tactics to maximize this ability’s potential.
Armageddon
Tejo’s rockets only reach their full potential if teammates seize the opportunity created by the pressure they apply. "The sweet spot is triggering your rockets so opponents are forced to move—this is where allies like Neon, known for her speed, come into play to exploit that opening," suggests Character Producer John Goscicki.
Tejo’s ultimate, Armageddon, demands vigilance from opponents every round. Keep an eye on his ultimate points count, as just a single activation could disrupt the entire play. The ensuing explosion wave will either trap enemies in a chokehold or push them back, allowing your team to seize control.
While anyone can play Tejo, those with sharp strategic instincts will help him truly shine. With Game Pass, all Valorant Agents are at your disposal, giving you the edge to master Tejo before others catch up.
Echoing his own words, "We can stand around all day discussing our strategy… or we can just get it done." So, what are you waiting for?
