Skip to main content

What is Flex in Valorant?

Holding Flex in Valorant.
Riot Games

In Valorant’s Patch 10, Riot introduced a new feature called Flex. While the tactical shooter doesn’t release huge game-changing updates often, it has been experimenting lately, such as introducing the Regen Shield.

Flex is a very different new type of item that may confuse many players, as it doesn’t have much of a use besides being another type of cosmetic. Nevertheless, we’ll review what Flex is and how you can use it in Valorant.

Recommended Videos

What is Flex?

Flex is a new type of cosmetic item that presents as an item you hold in your hand. According to Riot, it’s another way for players to express themselves and another item for players to spam before or during matches. You can interact with it, just like you can twirl your melee or inspect your gun.

Every player gets one free Flex, which is the STAT-COM. The only other Flex currently available is in the Battle Pass, and it’s a floating snowflake. Flex is something that won’t compromise gameplay either, since all Flex animations only show in first-person and not third-person. It also doesn’t affect your hitbox, so the enemy can’t use it to their advantage if they catch you flexing.

How to use Flex in Valorant

STAT-COM flex item in Valorant.
Riot Games

You can start using Flex in Valorant by adding the Flex item to your emote wheel. From the Main menu, go to your Collection and edit your Emote wheel. From there, you can now switch between sprays and Flexes. You’ll have to sacrifice one area of your spray wheel for the flex, but once you do, in a match, you can hold the T key to bring up the emote wheel.

Hover over the Flex, and you’ll bring out the item. You can then interact with the Flex’s animation by left-clicking. Interacting with the STAT-COM will change the screen, while the snowflake should twirl when you left-click.

Flex arrived with Patch 10 released on January 8, and Riot plans to add even more Flex with future Battle Passes. They’ll most likely always be a part of the premium Battle Pass, so you have to pay 1,000 Valorant Points to unlock the premium rewards.

Anyka Pettigrew
Anyka is a new writer for Digital Trends covering gaming across a spectrum of genres. While she adores anything from the…
Steam Next Fest: what it is, start times, games, and more
The Steam Next Fest logo.

We all have a list of upcoming video games that we're eagerly awaiting getting our hands on. Waiting is always the hardest part, but Valve tries to make that wait a little bit more bearable with its Steam Next Fest events. Hosted multiple times a year, this gives PC players a chance to play demos for a ton of upcoming PC games while the celebration is going on. This is the perfect chance to get an early look at some games you have on your wishlist, but also get exposed to some new games you hadn't heard of before. This is a major event with tons to do and not a lot of time to do it, so here are all the details you need about Steam Next Fest to make the most of it.
What is Steam Next Fest?
Steam Next Fest - February 2024 Edition Official Trailer

In short, Steam Next Fest is an event Valve hosts during select times during the year where developers can all release demos for their upcoming games at once for everyone to see. The entire Steam page will be taken over with featured demos, streams, and more to encourage people to check out these projects and add them to their wishlists.

Read more
PlayStation State of Play February 2025: How to watch and what to expect
PlayStation State of Play

This year started off somewhat slow for PlayStation, with little to no major releases in January. February was marked by a PlayStation Network outage that left thousands of gamers unable to log in over the weekend, but 2025 still holds a lot of promise with some highly-anticipated releases on the horizon.

Sony hasn't specifically stated how many games will be shown at February's State of Play, but the company did say the show "celebrates a creative and unique selection of exciting games from studios around the world."
When is the February 2025 State of Play?
The upcoming State of Play begins at 5 PM ET, 2 PM PT on February 12. Sony says the show will run for roughly 40 minutes, so make sure you have a few snacks handy (especially if you're on the East Coast and plan to watch before dinner.)
How to watch the February 2025 State of Play
The February State of Play will be broadcast simultaneously in both English and Japanese on YouTube and Twitch. The YouTube link is displayed just under the header, so you can watch the entire show from this story.
What to expect from the February 2025 State of Play
The year might have started slow, but there are a ton of fantastic games slated to release this year. We expect to see more of Ghost of Yotei, the follow-up to Sucker Punch's 2020 Ghost of Tsushima, as well as more information on Death Stranding 2.

Read more
Nvidia Reflex: what it is and why you should enable it
Seer shooting an airborn robot in Apex Legends

In competitive gaming, victory isn’t just about who pulls the trigger first—it’s often about whose PC responds the fastest. Identifying your input lag is the first step to eliminating it, and Nvidia Reflex is an excellent tool to help. In some games, it doesn’t just measure latency—it actively works to reduce it.

Once you have a high-performance gaming CPU and a powerful graphics card, the best way to make your PC more suited to competitive play is to shave off a few milliseconds in input lag. Here's how to use Nvidia Reflex to do just that.

Read more