Valorant: Fnatic IGL “Boaster” says Skins Are Pay to Win?

In the ultra-competitive world of professional Valorant, every minor edge can make a difference. That’s why it raised some eyebrows when Fnatic IGL Jake “Boaster” Howlett stated that certain weapon skins in Valorant may provide a gameplay advantage. 

Boaster dropped this hot take during a recent AMA with ONE Esports. His response? “For sure!”

The Fnatic captain then went on to single out two specific skins that in his opinion give players an upper hand–the Glitchpop Vandal rifle skin and the Recon Phantom ghost skin.

Valorant’s Glitchpop Vandal “Built Differently?”

When asked which skins are best for ranking up, Boaster was quick to praise the unique qualities of the Glitchpop Vandal, stating bluntly “I’m going to say the Glitchpop Vandal is built differently.”

But what exactly makes this vibrant rifle skin so advantageous according to one of Valorant’s top igls? Boaster didn’t elaborate, but there are a few potential factors that could give it an edge:

• Cleaner/Sharper Visuals – The animated prismatic model and VFX of the Glitchpop line make the weapons look sleeker and more precise, especially when aiming down sights.
• Less Visual/Auditory Clutter – Compared to other skins with excessive sound effects, Glitchpop has a more toned-down profile that’s less distracting.
• Mental Edge – Rocking a slick premium skin could provide a placebo confidence boost for some players.

Of course, there’s no way a cosmetic skin could tangibly improve stats like damage, recoil, or fire rate. But if a slick look and feel can help players stay focused and confident, it could positively impact their performance, even if just a minor mental edge.

Recon Phantom for “Easy Spray 4ks”

As for the Recon Phantom, Boaster praised this skin’s ability to help players secure multi-kill spraydowns, stating it provides “the easy spray 4ks.”

The Recon bundle’s ghostly night vision visual design is consistently rated as one of Valorant’s most popular and clean weapon skin lines. Its haunting green tint and minimalist appearance make it easy to spot and track enemy movement, even while spraying.

This could allow players with exceptional tracking skills to capitalize on spraying multiple enemies more consistently when caught out in the open. A small array of visual/auditory enhancements that marginally improve focus could certainly benefit skilled players in tight situations.

Are Skins Really Pay-to-Win?

While Boaster’s remarks about skins providing advantages in Valorant were fairly tongue-in-cheek, they do raise an interesting debate around the ethics of selling power-enhancing cosmetics in competitive games.

Riot has consistently denied that any paid cosmetics can directly improve performance, as that could violate the integrity of Valorant’s competitive arena. All skins are purely cosmetic, according to the developers.

However, Boaster’s personal insight as a pro player does seem to indicate that certain slick skins can provide minor quality-of-life benefits in terms of reducing visual/auditory distractions and improving focus.  

Even if those advantages are largely mental placebos rather than being statistically proven, it does open the question of whether skins have more subtle impacts that could potentially give some players an edge, however negligible.

Of course, Valorant esports has an exceptionally high level of competition and integrity, so it’s highly doubtful any single cosmetic could drastically shift the balance, especially at that level of elite skill. But for casual ranked grinders, having a cleaner skin model could theoretically help their aim settle more consistently.

At the end of the day, player skill, strategy, and teamwork will always be the deciding factors in Valorant’s competitive arena. But if the world’s best IGL is willing to state certain skins can provide minor advantages, it’s something Riot may want to monitor closely to preserve a level playing field.

What’s your thought on Boaster’s comments? Are some Valorant skins truly “built different?” Or is he just hyping up his favorite cosmetics for kicks? Let us know in the comments below, and keep practicing with those Glitchpop and Recon skins if Boaster’s assessment holds true!