Valorant Pros Test Owl Drone in Valorant

As the Valorant eSports scene continues to develop and big-name organisations begin assembling their rosters, players on Riot’s new competitive shooter are already looking for ways to improve. For some, that means fine-tuning their settings to get the most out of every game. In particular, a new feature that’s currently being tested by some pro players could change how we play the game.

A VALORANT player recently highlighted a hidden feature with Sova’s Owl Drone ability. While the drone has a limited flight duration, it can help players gather intel by scouting a large area in one quick glance. However, most players might not be aware that the speed the drone moves isn’t capped but instead depends on the mouse DPI. This means that players can make the drone look around faster than they expected with a mouse DPI high enough.

The method of using this feature is simple. Just deploy the drone and place it above a higher object like a wall or an awning. Once the drone reaches this position, it can climb up into the air and create a view of almost the entire A site. This allows players to see where enemies are hiding and communicate that information back to teammates. The only downside to this method is that the drone can be shot down if enemies are alerted to its presence.

While the snipers can usually destroy it, this isn’t always an option. This trick can give teams a crucial advantage as they prepare to push and take the site.

Aside from being an important intel-gathering tool, the Owl Drone also enables Sova to call out enemy agents with its marking darts. Each dart will reveal a red-yellow outline of the victim and last for several seconds. Those who are unable to escape from these outlines can be hunted down by their opponents without being exposed.

In addition to this, the Owl Drone can fly underground and provide intel over large areas of the maps, allowing players to quickly scan their surroundings. While the ability isn’t as effective as Sova’s scouting ult, it can still be very useful and shouldn’t be overlooked by any team.

Taylor “Drone” Johnson is a professional VALORANT player who plays for TSM and streams on twitch regularly. He is a former CS:GO pro from the team mouseSpaz and has been playing Valorant since its launch. He has been praised for his unique style of play and is regarded as one of the best Phoenix players in North America.