The Yoru rework we’ve all been waiting for has turned the game’s least popular duelist into the master of deception he was always supposed to be. The Japanese duelist’s new abilities in Valorant patch 4.04 give him unmatched capabilities to bamboozle opponents, making players think twice every time they see him.

His headline ability is a new version of Fakeout, which creates a Yoru clone that flashes enemies that shoot it. However, this means that players can also pretend to be the decoy to get behind enemy lines, because opponents may let it pass to avoid getting blinded.

This sets up interesting mind games between players, where even the top players can get tricked by something as simple as a Yoru running toward a wall.

Here are the top five Yoru Fakeout plays we’ve enjoyed the most. 


Top 5 plays made possible by the Yoru rework

All the Yoru bugs in Valorant patch 4.04
Credit: Riot Games

5. Elevated keeps it simple

Valorant coach and analyst Donnie “Elevated” Chell showed that sometimes the simplest plays work best. In this clip, Elevated runs straight onto Split’s B site, in plain view of the enemy Jett holding B Main. He runs in a straight line, so Jett thinks he’s just another Yoru clone and doesn’t respond.

However, once he’s behind Jett, he immediately turns around and shoots her in the back.


4. SicK’s no mouse and no W and D keys play

Sentinels’ Hunter “SicK” Mims is known for his diverse agent pool and his ability to play any one of them at a very high level. Naturally, he had to try out the new Yoru rework in competitive right after Valorant patch 4.04 dropped.

As it turns out, you can get away with pretending to be a Yoru clone at even the highest level of Valorant ranked play in North America.

Despite making the mistake of moving his crosshair, SicK survived being blinded by the enemy Omen and made it all the way to Haven’s Garage window, where he again confused Cypher with the sound cue from a fake teleport.



3. iiTzTimmy with the Yoru mind games

Timmy “iiTzTimmy” An took the mind games to the next level on Ascent, walking up A main toward the enemy Sova alongside his Yoru Fakeout decoy.

But instead of following behind his clone, he pretended to be the decoy by running ahead first. His opponent did not respond at all, and iiTzTimmy simply turned around and took him out.


2. Red’s time as a Yoru main is paying off

Perhaps the most excited player to try out the new Yoru rework was North American Valorant streamer Red. He has mained Yoru since way before the recent buff, finding success on him even on his old kit. Now, the time he’s spent with the Japanese duelist is paying off handsomely.

The Yoru rework gives Red new and more creative ways to mess with his opponents. On Split, he used Yoru’s Dimensional Drift ultimate to get information at A main. After seeing that only Reyna was holding the area, he threw out Yoru’s entire agent kit at her and secured the kill.


1. Why someone should always watch the Yoru clone

Twitch streamer WorldofWill showed how a little bit of patience can go a long way. WorldofWill pretended to be the Yoru Fakeout decoy to get behind the enemy, but instead of taking his shot right away, he waited for his opponents to group up.

That’s when he decided to open fire, eliminating all five players at Bind’s A short.

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