Excel’s Happy explains why Valorant’s KAY/O won’t crack VCT meta

EXCEL’s Valorant IGL, Vincent ‘Happy’ Schopenhauer, has revealed which VCT teams he believes will pick up KAY/O, the tyrannical terminator.

With the release of Valorant Episode 3 came KAY/O, the mechanical Initiator Agent with a thirst for wiping out any Radiants in sight.

For many, all eyes have turned to the pros to show off how to use the title’s newest Agent. With icons like shroud explaining how the character brings CS:GO-style tactics into Riot’s flagship FPS, pros like EXCEL‘s Happy have a very different take on the Agent’s place in the competitive meta.

In this exclusive interview with Dexerto, Happy explains where he believes KAY/O will end up in the professional ecosystem, as well as what type of teams will be fielding him during the VCT.

Happy sees Valorant’s KAY/O as “niche”

As pros all around the world try and slot KAY/O into their team compositions, Happy views the Agent as perfect for a specific type of team, but largely believes that he won’t become irreplaceable like Sova.

• Read More: Valorant Agent tier list

“I think it’s a niche Agent,” he tells Dexerto. “I think it can be really nice for tactical teams and a tactical approach, but who would you swap him for? I believe it’s the second Duelist that could go, or Sage for example, but I still believe Sova is required, a smoker is always required.”

“Would you rather sacrifice what you’ve worked on?” he asks. “I don’t think it’s strong enough for teams that are already in place to play, but maybe it’ll find its place to play for teams that aren’t really that tactical.”

“The Agent is definitely strong,” he confirms, noting that “I was actually waiting for an Agent that had some kind of EMP that will disrupt setups because of the Sentinel. He concludes, though, that KAY/O “is not strong enough to be a must have.”

As VCT Stage 3’s Challengers leg is set to get underway from mid-July, Happy and EXCEL are hoping to prove themselves as a dominant force in the EU Valorant scene.

To keep up to date with all of the VCT action, be sure to check out our global hub, as well as our EU/NA specific one.