Valorant drops ‘NanoBomb’ with intimate ‘RazeJoy’ art

THE official Valorant social media pages finally confirmed the long-rumored same-sex relationship of famous game characters Raze and Killjoy on December 12.

Raze and Killjoy, whom players have given the ship name NanoBomb, were seen kissing on a bench set in Salvador, the game’s newly released map.

The term NanoBomb is a combination of the characters’ two special abilities: Raze’s Boombot and Killjoy’s Nanoswarm.

Raze is a duelist from Brazil who is known for her “blunt-force-trauma” playstyle. She performs best in giving chase to entranced enemies and unclogging narrow spaces using her special abilities.

Meanwhile, Killjoy is a German sentinel in charge of using her arsenal of inventions to secure the battlefield. Her powerful robots can also stop enemies from charging to their base.

Prior to Valorant’s confirmation, rumors involving Raze and Killjoy started with the flirtatious voice lines found in the game. 

In one voice exchange, Raze calls Killjoy “freundin” which translates to “girlfriend” in English.

In another in-game conversation between the lovebirds, Raze tells Killjoy a sweet line saying, “Killjoy, you and me forever.”

Youtuber Leo compiled more of these lovey-dovey voice lines in a 55 second video.

These amorous in-game conversations between the female characters sparked speculation that the two are in a relationship.

In a tweet reply, Valorant said the #RazeJoy relationship was their “worst-kept secret.”

Valorant has also been sharing several art pieces with Killjoy and Raze in the background.

Raze and Killjoy were first seen eating with characters Neon, Yoru, and Phoenix in Salvador.

The second #RazeJoy feature was set in Raze’s workshop, where Killjoy can be seen fiddling with one of Raze’s inventions.

Valorant released another artwork with Raze and Killjoy amidst a huge crowd. Other game characters are also present in the scene, like Neon who is napping with Phoenix chilling on the same table and Yoru dancing with some random character. Meanwhile, the pair seems to be enjoying each other’s company.

​​Valorant’s post garnered massive attention from players and nonplayers alike due to the LGBTQIA+ representation in the game.

Many game aficionados, like Kris Rixon, a former democratic nominee for the North Carolina House of Representatives, were delighted to see more queer people in the Esports industry.

“This is amazing—so glad it’s official. I’d love to see more queer characters in the game, so please don’t stop here!” Rixon replied under Valorant’s viral tweet.

Due to the #RazeJoy hype, players are expecting to see more Raze-Killjoy duos in game.