How to Play Veto in Valorant: From Beginner to Pro Guide

Veto brings a completely fresh playstyle to tactical shooters in that he has a passive that can essentially consume other agents abilities. The traditional role of a Sentinel like Cypher and Killjoy is to deny area and gather intel. Veto upends this in that he can deny enemy utility in his line of sight.

The agent made his debut in-game on October 7th in connection with a new game mode named Skirmish. His abilities are purely focused on utility and CC (25% utility and 75% CC), and some of his key standout abilities include a 9-second Interceptor that can completely lock out enemies’ abilities and his final ability that makes a whole round immune to all kinds of utility. The cost for his Evolution Ult is only 7 points in total.

In this guide, we will teach you how to play Veto well. But first,

You need to understand how his 'ability eater' Interceptor works, and how to activate his 'Evolution' ultimate. Strategies to attack and defend with Veto. So let us get started!

Understanding Veto Role in VALORANT

The Veto addition to VALORANT brings a huge change in strategy for teams in both offense and defense. Veto not only brings himself to the ranks of Sentinels but redefines how a defensive anchor can and should play.

What type of agent is Veto?

Veto is a Sentinel, and there are others in this category like Killjoy, Cypher, Sage, and Chamber. However, here is where it gets interesting. Conventional members of this role are concerned with either denial through physical obstacles or information. Veto is different in that he is concerned with utility denial.

Think of it this way: while other members of his class are saying “you can’t go here,” Veto is saying “you can’t use your abilities here.” The kinds of tools he has in his arsenal are all about utility interaction as opposed to fighting. That makes Veto a nasty opponent to have for those who are ability-based.

Veto and team compositions

Veto performs well in scenarios where there are team requirements for excellent site anchoring. He can work well with initiator agents like Fade and Sky to gather information while Veto is disrupting the enemy utility. Veto can work really well with controllers like Omen or Brimstone since he brings additional site security that is very challenging to overcome.

But where he really has a hot streak is with his post-plant capability. That's a serious interruption to retakes and will make for a solid addition no matter which side of a round he’s playing. He's still strongest in a defensive role, but shouldn't be overlooked offensively.

Thinking about Veto on utility-heavy maps where your enemies are relying on smokes and flashes for site takes. Maps like Lotus and Haven become a nightmare to attack when Veto is monitoring your utility game.

Why Veto is considered unique

There is no other agent in Valorant that can actually drain an enemy utility directly. That is what makes Veto stand out. The Interceptor ability that Veto has negates all enemy utility in sight for a period of 9 seconds. The site execution strategy for this agent needs a total overhaul.

His ultimate is always worth calling out specifically in this regard. Requiring a mere 7 ultimate points to hit, and this is one of the lowest costs in the game, Veto grants a full round of immunity to all utility. That's not resistance to damage. That's not resistance to flashes or slows and reveals.

We're talking a full and utter immunity to all utility. There is not a single agent out there that can claim this level of utility negation. That's how Veto is disrupting.

Mastering Veto's Abilities

Veto's abilities are centered on a single idea: depriving the enemy of utility while dominating a zone. There is a distinct role for each of his abilities.

Interceptor (E): Functioning of utility denial

The Interceptor is Veto's bread and butter, a cone-shaped field that basically devours utility in its line of sight. Use this thing in areas where utility is likely to flow. The field has a total duration of 9 seconds and can negate all kinds of utility, ranging from simple grenades to ultimates.

The trick is that it can detect through walls, but it has to have a line of sight to the utility that is coming. Placement is key. Spots to consider are:

• Standard execute regions (such as Heaven on Ascent)
• Positions to oppose utility after plant establishment
• Team pushes routes through utility-dense zones

Crosscut (C): Repositioning and escape

Crosscut lets you quickly reposition with a forward dash in your desired direction. The skill can function as a means of escape as well as a peeking strategy. Unlike Jett's Tailwind, you can retain your accuracy while dashing and even fire your weapon in the middle of your action.

Use it to reposition after a shot is taken, to escape a bad duel, or to produce unexpected angles to catch a defender off guard.

Chokehold (Q): Area control and traps

The chokehold will drop an orb that pulls enemies towards its center once it is triggered. Ideal for pulling enemies out of hiding spots or to interrupt a defuse. Strategically place this in common hiding spots and in areas that are hidden from the enemy's sight.

The pull effect provides perfect follow-through shots for you and your teammates. It is like a force repositioning that always has disastrous endings for your opponents.

Evolution (X): Full-round invincibility

Evolution makes you a utility-immune monster for a round. Flashes, slows, reveals, and utility damage will not affect you. With only 7 points required for an ult, this is one of the easiest game-changing abilities to come by.

Use it in instances like:

1. Full enemy utility is when you have to take all of the utility plans for that fight. Queue
2. Re-take scenarios where your utility denial creates maximum benefit
3. Economic rounds where surviving utility damage keeps your team's economy in balance

If you can master these four skills, you’ll revolutionize how you think about site defenses as well as executes.

How to Play Veto on Attack and Defense 

To play Veto well, you will have to understand how his abilities interact in a given situation. His playstyle offers opportunities to ruin enemy strategies that other agents simply can't compete with.

Strong Defensive Setups with Interceptor

Place your Interceptor in a location that will make it hard for your attackers to destroy it before you can activate it. The ideal spots are where you can place it behind walls or elevated areas. Just think about placing it on top of an A Tower in Abyss or above wooden boxes in the B site. The trick is to activate when you hear those utility sounds that denote a push.

This leaves attackers in a tricky spot where they have to decide to either ride out this 9-second count or rush without their utility’s support. Either choice isn't ideal for attackers, and that is what you want as a defending team.

Use Crosscut for aggressive flanks 

Crosscut is most effective if you want to lurk and escape behind enemy defenses. The key is to place your reposition points earlier, one behind a wall in A Security and one in A Tower. That is how you achieve unpredictable angles. The 90° angle within your line of sight is important to remember to prevent those dreaded teleportation moments when you're in a critical situation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uF1J-4Ga70

Unlike teleport in Omen, Crosscut offers you more range and maintains your attack speed. Very useful for those stealthy flanks where your enemies are caught off guard.

After-planting scenarios for Evolution

The moment you are in a post-plant scenario when evolution kicks in. Pop it when you're in a retake situation to neutralize all utility. That’s with a total of 40 hp per second and immobility from flashes and stuns.

“Here’s where it gets really interesting, you can actually walk through a teammate's abilities like Breach stuns and Astra pulls that would normally affect both teams. There are opportunities for positioning that will completely catch your enemies off guard.”

Attacking with Chokehold and map control

Use a Chokehold in common routes that enemies take when turning a corner. Placement is critical here since enemies can detect it from a distance that is beyond its trigger range. Deploy a Chokehold to deny spike routes when post-planting. Position it to isolate defender spots.

The real trick is when you can pair this with your teammate's damage abilities. A well-timed Chokehold and some follow-up grenades from Raze and aftershocks from Breach can easily finish off a trapped defender that can't escape.

Advanced Tips, Counters, and Synergy

Learning Veto is much more involved than simply learning his skill set. It is important to understand how he combines with other agents and even more how enemies will react to shut you down.

Best agents to play with Veto 

KAY/O is a perfect pairing for Veto. Having two utility denial agents is a nightmare for those wanting to perform a traditional strategy. The reveals for “Fade” are great, they provide perfect traps for a “Chokehold” that enemies can't escape.

Raze brings total chaos with Veto. She blasts enemies out of cover with grenades, and Veto’s Chokehold pulls them right back into the fight. The strategy is brutally effective.

The pairing of Killjoy and Veto is a phenomenal defensive combination. As Killjoy disables enemy sites with her build, Veto inhibits the enemies from clearing Veto’s utility. Just try to perform that.

How to counter Veto's Interceptor

The thing about Interceptor ability is that it can be eliminated in one shot. Incorrect placement will make this tool totally ineffective. Moreover, this device has one of the loudest sounds in Valorant. Therefore, a clever player will not fail to find this device. The teams that understand what they are doing will lure your Interceptor with throwaway utility. Of course, they first throw a random flash to make you go berserk and activate it. After that, they perform with their actual utility.

Breach players enjoy playing against Veto. His abilities have utility that simply passes through Interceptors as if they are not even there. Preventing Predictable Ability Assignments Don't be that Veto player who always spawns Interceptors in the same location every round. 

Camouflage your Interceptors behind some cover that enemies won't detect right away. Then, for your Chokehold traps, place those in areas where enemies can only detect them when they're walking right into them. Place your Crosscut points as soon as possible in a round and ideally near a location to which you can safely retreat. Do not attempt to place it in a fight, as that will get you killed.

Why do players consider Veto broken?

Veto is obviously overpowered, but it is actually balanced. Professional teams will find a quick way to counter either by baiting his abilities or by simply shooting his Interceptors. However, in lower-ranked matches? He can absolutely wreck those uncoordinated teams.

Players who rely on utility without thinking will get shut down completely. It's like playing against a better Reyna sometimes. He just eats all that you throw at him. Veto is strongest against comps that have a lot of initiators. The agents rely on their utility to get space. Veto is a big 'no' to all that.

When to use Evolution for maximum impact

Evolution must be used when you're in a post-plant scenario. Pop “Evolution” and you can take a ton of damage while still holding angles that you couldn't have conceivably maintained before “ It can also be used for economy meddling.

Use Evolution as soon as possible, and your enemies can decide not to drop their ultimates. Sometimes the value of a threat is greater than its actual benefit. The coolest trick? Walking through your own team's utility. Breach stuns, Astra pulls you're not affected in Evolution. Take unexpected angles that have your enemies completely caught off guard.

Conclusion

Veto is a true game-changer in the cast of agents for Valorant. The fact that he can actually devour enemy utility makes teams have to rethink their strategy for executing the site. Not to mention his Evolution ult that makes utility simply bounce off you, whoa.

To get proficient with VETO, one has to position oneself well. Plant Interceptors behind walls where enemies can't easily detect you. Make use of Chokehold traps to disrupt post-planting scenarios and set up your teammates for an easy kill.

Synergy is a big deal when it comes to this agent. KAY/O and Veto can completely lock down enemy utility. Fade is a good pairing as well since her reveals are a perfect fit for chokes. Although some people think that Veto is overpowered, he has some counters that a good team can exploit.

The trick to playing well with Veto? Vary your placements and change up your patterns. The enemy will have a chance to adjust if you're always slotting your abilities in the same places. Whether you're securing a site or helping to execute an aggression, placement, and variation are key.

With Veto, you have a completely different playstyle as a Sentinel, you're not walling off or trapping pathways, but rationing a service that could improve those pathways. The more players that understand how to develop Veto effectively, the more the metagame is going to shift around that champion. “You have all you need to begin to dominate with Veto. Take a jump into some games and chow down on some enemy abilities.”