Iso

Iso
Biography
Real Name	Li Zhao Yu
Aliases	The Dead Lilac
Pronouns	He/Him
Origin	Chongqing, China
Race	Radiant
Affiliation(s)	• Scions of Hourglass • VALORANT Protocol
VALORANT Agent Number	24
Game Details
Role	Duelist
Basic Abilities	Contingency Undercut
Signature Abilities	Double Tap
Ultimate Ability	Kill Contract
Out-of-Universe
Codenames	Sequoia
Added	October 31st, 2023 (EP 07 Act 3, v7.09)
Voice	Unknown
Additional Pages
• Iso/Quotes Lore Wiki Article

“	Chinese fixer for hire Iso goes into a flow state to dismantle the opposition. Reconfiguring ambient energy into bulletproof protection, he advances with focus towards his next duel to the death. — Official description

Iso is an Agent in VALORANT and the seventh Duelist added to the game.

Profile

Biography

For more lore details and analysis related to Iso, be sure to also check out the VALORANT Lore Wiki's article! VALORANT Lore Wiki: Iso

• Biography
• Timeline of events

Chinese hitman Li Zhao Yu is a radiant with the ability to transmute ambient, intangible radianite energy into solid, durable constructs. A former assassin for the Scions of Hourglass, Li gained a fearsome reputation for his high effectiveness. Though it was said that anyone who would go up against him would disappear for good, rumors still spread beyond about the "Dead Lilac", a bulletproof wizard who could take out entire squads with one round and condemn targets to their fate in a flash of purple.

Li had been crossing off targets related to Kingdom Corporation's Project Landfall when one day the Scions of Hourglass changed focus and gave him a new target: a former assassin of theirs known as "Ghost", who they had just discovered was now the phantom agent of the VALORANT Protocol called Omen. To make matters more convenient, VALORANT themselves had also put themselves in a position where Li had become of interest to them anyway. The organization had attacked a Landfall facility just before Li's last assignment, and they were now investigating the unrelated disappearance of Landfall's leadership, people Li had been assassinating. When a contact from the Protocol reached out to ask for his cooperation, Li saw this as his opportunity to get to Omen. Pretending to defect from the Scions of Hourglass, Li was extracted by the Protocol and recruited as its twenty-fourth agent, "Iso".

With Iso and the orders from his superiors being responsible for the disappearances they had been investigating, VALORANT was eager to know as much about the Scions of Hourglass as possible. Iso made sure at first to stick to his mission and relent against their inquiries, constantly claiming that the compartmentalized nature of Hourglass' operations meant he didn't have much intel to give them, all while he was biding his time for the right moment to strike and take out Omen. But the longer Iso stayed among the Protocol agents, the more he started to see the differences between the two organizations. In contrast to Hourglass' ruthless missions and isolated work, VALORANT's agents had a brightness to them both in the field with their pride in their mission and out of the field in the time they spent with one another. Going through the process of becoming a VALORANT agent had just been a means to an end for Iso, but in getting to know the organization more his perspective had now been completely changed.

Turning his apparent defection from a deception into reality, Iso fully embraced his allegiance to the Protocol. With Omen having been obsessed over Iso's links to his forgotten past ever since he had arrived, Iso proceeded to inform him about the assassination order. With more intel he was able to provide, he also joined VALORANT's efforts to assist Omen in his pursuit for answers, leading them to a successful mission against the Scions of Hourglass at a base in Jakarta, taking out Iso's old boss in the process. With Omen satisfied for the meantime with what he learned there, Iso now continues as an agent of the VALORANT Protocol with a new purpose, no longer a killer to be controlled, but a force of good.

LI ZHAO YU: Early Life

• As a teenager, Li works as a lifeguard.
  • He is fired after he spots a kid who had been pushing others around and locks them outside.
• Li works for the Scions of Hourglass as an assassin.
  • He gains notoriety on his missions targeting people connected to research related to Kingdom Corporation's Project Landfall, earning the nickname the "Dead Lilac".
• Li eliminates a group of Landfall personnel shortly after an attack on Kingdom Corporation's Los Angeles facility.
  • After completing this mission, the Scions of Hourglass give him his next target: Omen, an ex-employee.
• Li is contacted by the VALORANT Protocol.
  • Seeing this as a way to get to Omen directly, he pretends to defect from the Scions of Hourglass and agrees to cooperate with VALORANT in exchange for protection against the SoH.

Iso: VALORANT agent

• Recruited as its twenty-fourth agent.
• Iso contacts Brimstone as he settles into the organization.
• Iso keeps on being asked about the Scions of Hourglass by Cypher, despite Iso claiming to him that he has informed him of everything he knew already.
• Iso contacts Brimstone as he reflects on the differences between working for the Scions of Hourglass and VALORANT.
• Iso chooses to truly defect from the Scions of Hourglass and proceeds to inform Omen about their assassination order on him.
• Iso is assigned as a member of the Jakarta strike team.
  • He and Cypher first travel to Casablanca and take down a Scions of Hourglass cell there to obtain intel on the location of his former boss, which they learn is at an Hourglass skyscraper base in Jakarta.
  • In Jakarta, he is tasked with a supportive role while Omen enters the base alone.
• Iso informs Brimstone of a new animosity he has observed between Omen and Viper.
• Iso offers to run drills with the agents to prepare for continued conflict against the Scions of Hourglass.
• Iso informs Omen about the Protocol's mission to the Hourglass Elder Grotto.
• Iso is assigned as a member of the Jan Mayen strike team.
  • Upon securing the Elder Grotto, Iso recognizes some of the artifacts being held there from jobs he did.
• Iso is assigned to a strike team defending S22 from the VALORANT Legion as part of a set of simultaneous incursions across Alpha.

Atlas Incursions

• Iso contacts Brimstone to request a restock for an HQ snack cabin.

Personality

“	"So, who has to die?" — Iso (Match Start)

Iso has a relatively laid back, confident, and polite personality, yet there's something mysterious about him due to not much being known about his early life. He enjoys listening to music while in combat, almost identically to Raze. He has somewhat of an arrogant side, as he prefers to take on one-on-one fights against his enemies rather than five-on-five. Despite this, he can still fight alongside his team, planning strategies to outplay his enemies.

Appearance

Iso wears an overall white-colored hoodie, with dark purple colors reaching to his collar, along with some markings at the back, as well as a pair of purple-colored sneakers with red laces, white midsoles and black outsoles. He has black hair, and what appears to be a bandage on his right cheek, and has earbuds in his ears.

Abilities

Basic

Contingency

C(PC) • L1(PS5) • (Xbox X/S)

EQUIP to assemble prismatic energy. FIRE to push an indestructible wall of energy forward that blocks bullets. ALT FIRE to push out a slower version of the wall.

Uses: 1 Cost: 200 Duration: 4.6 s (minimum at full size)

Undercut

Q(PC) • R1(PS5) • (Xbox X/S)

EQUIP a molecular bolt. Fire to throw it forward, briefly applying Vulnerable & Suppress to all players it touches. The bolt can pass through solid objects, including walls.

Uses: 1 Cost: 300 Debuff: 4 s Vulnerable + Suppress

Signature

Double Tap

E(PC) • ◯(PS5) • (Xbox X/S)

INSTANTLY start channeling your focus. Once focused: gain a shield which absorbs one instance of damage from any source, reload more quickly, and enter a flow state during which downed enemies you kill or damage spawn an energy orb. Shooting this orb refreshes your flow state and your existing shield, or grants another.

Uses: 1 Cost:Free Windup: 1 s Duration: 12 s Buff: +25% Reload speed

Ultimate

Kill Contract

X(PC) • L1+ R1(PS5) • + (Xbox X/S)

EQUIP an interdimensional arena. FIRE to hurl a column of energy through the battlefield, pulling and healing both you and the first enemy hit into the arena to duel to the death.

Ult Points:♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 7 Windup: 2.9 s Duration: 13 s

Agent Cosmetics

The following are cosmetics related to Iso from Agent Gear and from other sources (e.g. Battle Pass).

Gear

Chapter 1

Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3	Tier 4	Tier 5
Spray: Don't Ask Spray	Player Card: VALORANT Iso Card	Player Title: Tuned In Title	Spray: In the Zone Spray	Kingdom Credits: 2,000 Kingdom Credits
2,000	2,500	3,000	3,500	-

Chapter 2

Tier 6	Tier 7	Tier 8	Tier 9	Tier 10
Buddy: Peripherals Buddy	Spray: Iso Spray	Player Title: Fixer Title	Player Card: The Hourglass Turns Card	Weapon Skin: Mythmaker Sheriff
4,500	5,500	6,500	7,500	8,000

Other cosmetics

Buddies

	Item		Source
		Give Back // 2024 Buddy	Store: Give Back // 2024
		Ult Bias: Iso Buddy	Battle Pass: V25 Act 6
		VALORANT GO! Vol. 3 Iso Buddy	Store: VALORANT GO! Vol. 3

Player Cards

	Item		Source
		Afternoon Asada Card (banner only)	Event Pass: Year End
		Bulletproof Card (teaser)	Battle Pass: EP 07 Act 2
		Dimensional Folding Card	Event Pass: Year of the Snake
		Dive In Card	Battle Pass: V26 Act 1
		Give Back // 2024 Card	Store: Give Back // 2024
		PREMIER E8A2 Card	Premier
		Hitlist Card	Battle Pass: EP 08 Act 2
		Iso ID Card	Battle Pass: EP 07 Act 3 Part of collection: Agent ID
		Moonlit Delights Card	Battle Pass: V25 Act 5
		Portfolio Card	Battle Pass: EP 08 Act 1
		The Perfect Shot Card	Unobtainable
		Tools of the Trade Card	Battle Pass: V25 Act 2
		VALORANT GO! Vol. 3 Iso Card	Store: VALORANT GO! Vol. 3

Sprays

	Item		Source
		Focusing Spray	Battle Pass: EP 09 Act 2
		Give Back // 2024 Spray	Store: Give Back // 2024
		Iso-lated Aim Spray	Battle Pass: V26 Act 1
		It's You and Me Spray	Battle Pass: V25 Act 1
		Kill Contract Spray	Battle Pass: V25 Act 2
		Sip of Joy Spray	Battle Pass: EP 08 Act 3
		Smooth Sailing Spray	Battle Pass: V25 Act 4
		Ultimate Shame Spray	Battle Pass: EP 09 Act 1

Weapon Skins

	Image	Edition	Skin	Weapon	Variant	Source
			VALORANT GO! Vol. 3	Ghost	—	Store

Quotes

Main article: Iso/Quotes

Update History

All Platforms

v12.00

• Undercut
  • Fixed an issue where throw animations would break if aiming straight down

v11.11

• Kill Contract
  • Fixed a bug where Clove and Reyna would not enter the arena at full health and with full shields or overheal if they entered with damaged overheal.
  • Fixed a bug where Phoenix would not get his original health and armor back when is in Run it Back and has left the arena

v11.09

• Kill Contract
  • Fixed a bug that caused it to scale up when spectating Iso with this ability equipped

v11.08

• Kill Contract
  • Length decreased from 48m → 36m

v10.08

• Double Tap
  • Updated Iso’s Double Tap tooltip to mention the reload speed buff.

v10.06

• Double Tap
  • Fixed an issue where swapping to Iso with Double Tap active could result in the wrong UI bar displaying for spectators or observers.

v10.05

• Double Tap
  • Fixed a bug where Double Tap’s HUD bar could look visually incorrect for spectators or observers

v10.04

• Undercut
  • Reduced charges from 2 >>> 1
  • Cost increased from 200 >>> 300 credits
  • Now applies Suppression alongside Vulnerability for the same duration (4s) on players hit.
• Contingency
  • Now has an Alt-Fire cast that makes the wall move at half the speed. This does not affect the duration of Contingency.
• Double Tap
  • Iso now receives a Heavy Penetration tag rather than a Wall Penetration tag when the shield is broken. This means he’s slowed more upon his shield breaking.
• Kill Contract
  • If Iso does not have Double Tap’s buff applied, the ultimate will now automatically apply it so that won ultimate duels always spawn an orb.

v9.03

• Kill Contract
  • Improved performance

v9.0 (PC) / v9.01 (Console)

• Double Tap
  • Duration: 20s >>> 12s
  • Signature kill reset removed

v8.11 (PC) / v9.0 (Console) Hotfix

• Double Tap
  • Fixed an issue with Iso's orb spawn logic after he disconnects

v8.11

• Double Tap -
  • Iso now grants himself a shield upon finishing a 1 second animation during which he can’t use his gun.
    • This plays a shield forming sound at the end of the channel when the shield is activated.
    • Charges 2 >>> 1
    • Kill reset added to Double Tap (Iso gets a charge back if he gets 2 kills).
    • Iso now receives a Wall Penetration tag instead of a standard Heavy Penetration tag when the shield is broken. This means he’s slowed less upon his shield breaking.
      • Additionally, Iso now gets a damage indicator towards the direction of the enemy that broke the shield
  • Iso can now recast Double Tap while it’s active to refresh the duration of the shield.
    • This is relevant if he gets a refreshed charge of his Double Tap from getting 2 kills.

v8.05

• Kill Contract
  • Fixed an issue where the cover walls would not appear when playing with an unstable network connection.

v8.01

• Double Tap
  • Shootable orb duration increased 2 >>> 3 seconds
  • Initial buff and shield duration increased 15 >>> 20
  • Shield width reduced 120 >>> 100
• Contingency
  • Cost reduced 250 >>> 200

v7.09

• Added

PC-only

v9.0

• Double Tap
  • Fixed an issue where Iso's shield hitbox could be misaligned.

Trivia

• Iso is the only agent whose voice actor is never revealed.

Development

• An early leak for Iso's basic and signature abilities was present in the game files from 7.0, where their codenames and mode-specific cooldowns were listed in a file containing data for Team Deathmatch ability cooldowns.
• Iso's use of hexagonal designs is inspired by the structural stability of hexagons in natural designs.
• Double Tap's shield application had multiple iterations during development:
  • One version gave the shield instantly upon getting takedowns, but this interfered with instincts when trading where an enemy thought they would have killed Iso and transferred off but Iso would gain the shield off a takedown in that time and survive instead.
  • Another version had a brief delay before the shield would automatically activate after a takedown, but this felt too non-responsive.
• The name "Iso" could be short for "Isometric view" an angle of perspective where 90º angles appear to be 120º angles instead. This view gives certain cubical shapes a hexagonal look, similar to how Iso's abilities regularly portray hexagons.

Gallery

Iso Official Gameplay Reveal -- VALORANT

Iso teaser appearing on Sunset

MYTHS

RECKONING poster

RECKONING

Expression sheet

2024 Lunar New Year Vacation

2024 Lunar New Year Vacation

2024 Lunar New Year Vacation