You might feel that your experience of playing Valorant has been the most difficult one yet, but you should watch this one. The Valorant Updates account has just shared what they consider to be the “most entertaining clip of the day,” and to be honest? Maybe they are right. It is one of those situations that are so awkwardly yet hilariously perfect that it instantly resonates with anyone who has ever been shot in the head in Riot’s tactical shooter. It is a Cypher move that redefines ‘unlucky’ in a completely different way.
To view the video, that is a must-see if you are to fully immerse in the pain, you will find a Cypher player who is using his ultimate, Neural Theft. If you are not already familiar with the Moroccan info-broker, this ability not only determines the location of all opposing players alive when you examined a dead one but also gives you a chance to make a big move, isn’t it? A game-changer. In this case, it’s a lethal curse. The Cypher uses the ultimate, the radiant pulses are coming out of him… and one enemy at a distance is the only one left alive, aiming a shot/tap to the back of the head. Game over then. Info has been confirmed or taken? The timing, the perfect set-up for an instant karma kill, has the entire community laughing.
Players by their comments give a canvas of reactions to the incident that literally span all of the moods. One of the main moods is sympathy mixed with ‘been there’ laughter. A user named ‘B.E’ shared his experiences and said, “I have done the first one and both my team mates and the opponents actually laughed about it (after they accused me of cheating initially).” The story goes like this: the immediate accusation followed by the realization of how ridiculous the situation was and eventually a good laugh. It is a universal experience of the game Valorant.
Another player, Bl8der81, recounted a similar story: ‘I have done something like this on another map, it was funny for me when the guy who died started accusing me of cheating.’ The cheating accusations are almost a rite of passage for these unluckiest or ostensibly clairvoyant plays as well. But perhaps the funniest comeback came from the Twitter account of Valorant Updates, responding to a user named Favin. Favin pointed out the cruel irony when he wrote, “It’s a cypher too 😔. The account of Valorant Updates fired back immediately with the best, lore-aware burn: “Lore accurate replay 🔥”. Oof. Even amidst the game storyline, Cypher is a sneaky guy always peeping. Did he not peek his own back that time?
The competitive grinders are also going through a tough period. Many comments linked this major failure to ranked anxiety. Attakon simply stated, ‘What happens to me in my rank-up matches.’ DigitStak supported that with ‘my luck in the rank-up,’ and Yana Blossom voiced the fear that we all have: ‘With my luck this would be me unfortunately.’ It is that nightmares feeling when everything is on the line and the game gives you the most comically bad timing possible. Almost the mental scream can be heard through the screen.
And let’s not forget about the global vibe. A user named avril wrote in Filipino, ‘si cypher na walang ka muwang muwang ðŸ˜,’ which can be translated as ‘that Cypher who was totally unaware ðŸ˜.’ The laughter and facepalms are definitely not confined to any language. EmeImpact just yelled ‘Cypher again hahaha,’ because let’s face it, Cypher seems to be the agent behind these laughably tragic unintentional-information situations. Perhaps the hat is the reason.
The reason why such clips are always shareable is that the main reason is not only the failure. It is the mutual understanding. At its core, Valorant is a game of intense strategy, precise shooting, and… pure, unadulterated chaos. You might have the best plan, the perfect set-up, and then the server ticks or a random pixel of your hitbox shows and you’re a meme. This clip is a testament to that chaos. It is a reminder that for all our discussions about meta-comps and spray control, sometimes you just get got in the most hilarious way possible.
The clip also highlights the unusual community dynamic around cheating allegations. In a game with such a high skill ceiling and killcams that can look suspect, a play this perfectly timed would, without a doubt, be reported by a disgruntled opponent. But when, as in this case, it is very clearly the worst kind of luck, it becomes a joke that everyone can share. It is a mood transformation from frustration to comedy gold. That is the power of these community moments.
So now the question is, what can we take away from the recent viral fail of Valorant? For fans of competitive gaming, the esports scene continues to evolve. Meanwhile, the broader PlayStation and Xbox communities are always buzzing with their own moments.
