- Valorant Pro players have been exploiting Gekko’s Wingman in the VCT Master 2024, and I feel it is overpowered.
- Wingman gives you an unfair advantage in fighting and lets you forget about the game’s goal of plant and defuse. Plus, it only requires 300 coins to have every round.
- Lowering the cooldown of Wingman reuse or removing the half-defuse mechanic for this Valorant ability can help balance it.
It has been a year since Gekko made its VCT debut. Since then, the game has gone through many meta shifts and now with the VCT Masters Madrid 2024 coming to a close, everyone has seen the true potential of Gekko’s ability Wingman (aka what everyone likes to call Lil’ Bro). After watching Wingman being used in almost every game, I am certain Gekko’s ability needs a hard nerf. So, let’s discuss why I think Wingman is overpowered in Valorant and Riot needs to nerf it ASAP.
Wingman Runs from Miles Away
Now, Valorant players already know that Gekko comes with strong abilities in his arsenal. Be it the blue gooey flashes or the ultimate ability to disarm enemies, his little homies can do it all. So, why are we only calling out the cute, squishy yellow gummy-like Wingman?
First of all, Lil’ bro can run to the site to plant the spike from a mile away. Yeah, unlike you or your fellow teammates entering the site, risking their lives just to plant the Spike in Valorant , Wingman does it for you from a long range. And he’s happy to do it.
This lets you stay outside the planting zone in a safe location while Wingman does your job for you. Wingman also predicts the path and climbs necessary spots to plant the Spike in a higher location. This gives players a massive advantage to plant in specific places without going there.
Wingman Starts Running From a Miles Away
On top of the distance advantage, if the enemy shoots down Wingman, you can immediately grab it back (might have to put yourself in danger) and use it again after 10 seconds . This not only lets you restart the process but also allows you to use Wingman for different purposes.
Even if it planted the spike, you can grab it back and use it to stun or locate enemies in post-plant situations . This mechanic makes Wingman way more effective than other initiators such as Skye or Breach.
Fun fact, it’s not like Wingman is your ultimate or signature ability. It’s a common ability that you can purchase with 300 credits in-game. This means you can have the Lil’ Bro available to you in all rounds, be it during plant or defuse situations. So, you get an unlimited supply of Wingman every round for 300 credits if you consider using the passive. Sounds so fair right?
Fight as Wingman Plants or Defuses Spike
Moving on to the main point of using Wingman is how it lets you fight opponents instead of being worried about the Spike plant. Hand that tedious but important task to Wingman and use that time to keep enemies at bay. And voila, you’d have completed the Spike plant while engaging in a fight.
I get that Gekko’s selling point is his pals helping him out with tasks at hand. But imagine a game of plant and defuse where a team does not have to cover or worry about one of their players to plant or defuse. If Gekko is in the opponent team, you must always check fighting angles and not let the plant or defuse happen.
Lil’ Bro defusing the Spike to half
Well, Wingman does take damage from AOE abilities, but you can still pick it back up and reuse it again. If Wingman is defusing a spike, it also triggers half-defuse if it is not dealt with early. This makes your defuse task a little easier since you can always confuse enemies with fake defuse or half defuse without risking your life. Advantages like this make Wingman a solid helper in a 5v5 shooter like Valorant.
Wingman in VCT Masters 2024 in a Nutshell
As we already discussed the huge advantage that Wingman brings to the table, let us talk about how Pro players (see Valorant pros crosshairs list) have been using Gekko in VCT Masters Madrid 2024.
Studying every region during the VCT kickoff, I found that most teams at least play a Gekko once in two maps. This is not a coincidence or a player preference. If you notice the trend, the pick-to-win rate is high when Gekko is picked . And a lot of that credit goes to Wingman.
It occurred on multiple occasions when the enemy team got distracted by Wingman. Be it during plant or defuse, it assists you with an unfair advantage. In a match against T1, PRX ran Gekko on Ascent. While PRX something is known to be more of an aggressive player, he used Wingman to plant the spike that distracted the enemy Jett in a clutch situation. Gekko’s Wingman essentially serves as an extra player in every situation.
Gekko’s Wingman essentially serves as an extra player in every situation.
With Wingman, You are Never in a Numbers Disadvantage
In a chaotic battle with Viper smokes, Harbor walls, or tons of other abilities going off all over the map, Wingman can easily run through and plant without you having to enter the site. This strategy has been used by several teams in the VCT, including by Sacy from Sentinels in the lower-bracket finals on March 23.
Wingman also allows you to pick fights without focusing on the spike. Even in situations where the enemy team can only focus on either delaying plants or fighting enemies, they end up confused. It also gives leverage to players in a reposition while the plant happens. Deployed by PRX something, see Wingman plant the spike in an intense 2v1 against Sentinels.
In a stressful game during the path to Masters Madrid, Sentinels also used Lil’ Bro against NRG on the Sunset map and took advantage of a site using the Wingman plant.
If you watch the YouTube video for the lower-bracket finals, Wingman takes control of the defuse as Sentinels holds angles against the solo player from PRX standing in that round. This ended up with SEN getting a free defuse during the game.
It Is Now Time to Nerf Wingman in Valorant
The primary idea behind Gekko’s kit is how he utilizes his pals, and Wingman is one of them. The things that Wingman can do, be it plant or defuse the spike or stun enemies, is what the Lil’ Bro is known for.
However, balancing the time it takes to pick up a downed Wingman or lowering its health could be an easy solution. The half-defuse mechanic can also be scrapped from Wingman’s kit. This will keep the retakes balanced as the current Valorant meta fully revolves around it. Moreover, the developers could also increase the cost to make players choose between the Lil’ Bro and better weapons.
With VCT Madrid ending on March 24, the Finals match is set to take place between Gen-G and Sentinels. We can expect to see both teams run Gekko to utilize the overpowered plant and defuse mechanic. It will add to my point of all teams running Gekko as part of their comp, with an amazing showing from our Lil’ Bro. Well, unless we see some changes in the upcoming patch that adds Clove to the game, Wingman will continue to be overpowered.
A gaming nerd who covers all things video games. Spending time playing games and writing about them was always a dream. Thanks to Beebom, I live it. Once I am done gaming, I write. Once I am done writing, I game. You feel me.
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- Valorant Night Market for the Season 2026, Act 1 will start on February 5, 2026.
- The new skins added to the Market were the Combat Crafts, Aperture, and Wonderstallion weapon skin bundles.
- To purchase the skins, go to Night Market -> Click the Cards -> Reveal Skins -> Purchase your desired skin.
The Valorant Night Market is one of the most anticipated events each season. During this limited-time event, players have six cards, each containing different weapon skins from previous Valorant skin bundles. The best part is that these skins come at a discounted price. The discounts can go up to 50%, which is worth it. So, for those wondering when the next Valorant Night Market is, we’ve compiled the Season 2026 event details and what skins will be included here.
When is the Next Valorant Night Market (Confirmed Date)
After the end of the February Night Market, Riot Games has finally revealed the official dates for the next night market. As per the official social media post, Valorant’s next Night Market will start on February 5, 2026, and end on March 2, 2026. The previous Night Market ended on January 6th, 2026, with the beginning of Valorant Season 2026 Act 1.
We have included the official release date and time for Valorant’s next Night Market for certain regions in the list below:
- Los Angeles – 5:00 PM PDT (February 5, 2026)
- New York – 8:00 PM EST (February 5, 2026)
- Frankfurt – 1:00 AM CET (February 6, 2026)
- Mumbai – 5:30 AM IST (February 6, 2026)
- Seoul, Tokyo – 9:00 AM KST / JST (February 6, 2026)
- Sydney – 11:00 AM AEDT (February 6, 2026)
The night market usually runs for around 20+ days, while the December 2024 market was live for three weeks. As you might know, the cards will not refresh during this duration. You can get the revealed skins until the Night Market ends at a discounted price. As per the official dates, the next Night Market will end on March, 2025. This will be right before Season 2026 begins.
New Night Market Skins in February 2026
The February Night Market will have new skins from the Convex, Daydreams, Endeavour, Fortune’s Hand, Galleria, Infantry, Intergrade, Luxe, Prism II, Reverie, Rush, Sensation, Smite (1.0), Switchback, Wonderstallion, and more bundles. This was added to an already large pool of Valorant weapon skin bundles on offer. However, it doesn’t include any weapon skin priced over 1,775VP.
At least two premium-tier skins are guaranteed on the reveal for every player. Moreover, note that any melee weapon priced at 4,350VP and above is not included in the Night Market.
Upcoming New Skins
- Combat Crafts
- Aperture
- Wonderstallion
How to Access Valorant Night Market
I may have never been lucky in the skins department of the Valorant store, but the night market always thrills me for one reason. Yes, we’re talking about the Night Market skins reveal ceremony we have all seen our favorite streamers hype and enjoy. I am sure someone who never got a good night market also loves this part.
Well, it is not a ceremony-like thing but follow the steps below to know how to reveal your skin in the Night Market:
First of all, make sure you check the dates above for the Night Market as they have a limited time.
Now, when Night Market is live, open Valorant. On the home screen, look for the card icon on the top right of your screen.
Once you click the icon, there will be six mystery cards on your screen.
The colors on the cards define the rarity of skins you will get. Click each card to reveal your Night Market skins.
Got to Nightmarket
Click on the Cards
Reveal the Skins
That’s how you can reveal the skin in Night Market. Now, choose the skin you want to buy for a special discount by clicking on the skin.
Can I Reroll Night Market Skins in Valorant?
No. Unfortunately, you must be fortunate to have good skins in the Night Market. Once you reveal these skins, you cannot reroll them in the current period of the Night Market in Valorant. There is also no refresh or reset for the market.
So, you will have to choose from these skins only if you want to purchase anything from the market. Well, you can also wait for two more months to see your next Night Market skins.
Previous Valorant Night Market Dates
This list below compiles all Night Market appearances since its debut in December 2020 (Episode 1, Act 3):
- December 11, 2025 – January 6, 2026 (Season 2025, Act 6)
- September 25, 2025 – October 9, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 5)
- July 10, 2025 – July 24, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 4)
- June 5, 2025 – June 24, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 3)
- April 9, 2025 – April 29, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 2)
- February 13, 2025 – March 4, 2025 (Season 2025, Act 1)
- December 16, 2024 – January 7, 2025 (Episode 9, Act 3)
- September 26, 2024 – October 22, 2024 (Episode 9, Act 2)
- August 15 – August 28, 2024 (Episode 9, Act 1)
- May 22 – June 12, 2024 (Episode 8, Act 3)
- April 10 – April 29, 2024 (Episode 8, Act 2)
- January 31, 2024 – February 28, 2024 (Episode 8, Act 1)
- December 13, 2023 – January 8, 2024 (Episode 7, Act 3)
- October 11, 2023 – October 30, 2023 (Episode 7, Act 2)
- August 9, 2023 – August 28, 2023 (Episode 7, Act 1)
- June 14, 2023 – June 27, 2023 (Episode 6, Act 3)
- April 5, 2023 – April 25, 2023 (Episode 6, Act 2)
- February 15, 2023 – February 27, 2023 (Episode 6, Act 1)
- December 7, 2022 – January 4, 2023 (Episode 5, Act 3)
- September 28, 2022 – October 11, 2022 (Episode 5, Act 2)
- July 20, 2022 – August 2, 2022 (Episode 5, Act 1)
- May 18, 2022 – May 31, 2022 (Episode 4, Act 3)
- April 6, 2022 – April 19, 2022 (Episode 4, Act 2)
- February 9, 2022 – February 22, 2022 (Episode 4, Act 1)
- December 9, 2021 – December 21, 2021 (Episode 3, Act 3)
- September 29, 2021 – October 12, 2021 (Episode 3, Act 2)
- July 28, 2021 – August 10, 2021 (Episode 3, Act 1)
- June 2, 2021 – June 15, 2021 (Episode 2, Act 3)
- April 8, 2021 – April 20, 2021 (Episode 2, Act 2)
- February 11, 2021 – February 23, 2021 (Episode 2, Act 1)
- December 10, 2020 – January 11, 2021 (Episode 1, Act 3)
No, the Night Market stays there for 20+ days. You can only purchase skins at a discounted price during that. Once the market expires, the skins will go away from the market and prices will be basic in the store.
Yes and No, Both. You can refund only if the skin comes under the Valorant refund policy . If the skin does not come under the policy then you cannot ask for a refund.
A gaming nerd who covers all things video games. Spending time playing games and writing about them was always a dream. Thanks to Beebom, I live it. Once I am done gaming, I write. Once I am done writing, I game. You feel me.
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