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Valorant has been churning out great skins since its closed beta days. Despite regularly releasing new skins for its tactical shooter, Riot Games has maintained a consistent level of quality.
What makes almost every skin in the game worth buying is the amount of thought and creativity put into them. Each skin has a unique backstory and design principle guiding it.
2022 was a particularly good year when it came to Valorant skins. Players got both long-awaited remakes and brand-new skins.
This article lists the five best Valorant skin collections released this year based on their design, lore, and in-game feel.
Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer
Gaia's Vengeance, Reaver 2.0, and 3 other best skin bundles/collections that Valorant players loved in 2022
1) Protocol 781-A
The first Valorant skin bundle of the year, Protocol 781-A, was an immediate success. It came out at the beginning of Episode 4 and featured a never-seen-before style.
The collection has the Sheriff, Spectre, Bulldog, and Phantom gun skins. It also has a Melee skin called Personal Administrative Melee Unit.
Protocol 781-A falls under the Ultra tier, with individual gun skins priced at 2675 Valorant Points (VP), the melee skin at 5350 VP, and the entire collection at 9900 VP. It has the regular four levels of VFX, SFX, and kill animation upgrades associated with all premium skins.
Additionally, Protocol 781-A is the only Valorant skin collection to date to override Agent kill voice lines and replace them with ones unique to the skin. This feature comes with Level 5 of the skin upgrades.
2) Gaia's Vengeance
This Episode 4 Act 2 skin collection came out in early March this year. It has an earthly theme based on Gaia, the Greek goddess of Earth.
Gaia’s Vengeance has one of the most elaborate finishes in Valorant, with a crystalized tree. The bundle has the Ghost, Marshal, Guardian, and Vandal skins, along with a melee weapon in the shape of an axe. It is a Premium grade skin collection. This means the individual gun skins cost 1775 VP, and the entire bundle costs 7100 VP.
Gaia’s Vengeance also has four upgradable stages and four color variations. The second level unlocks a sound effect and a muzzle flash. The third unlocks VFX and SFX to the equip, reload, and inspect mechanisms. The fourth gives the player a Kill Banner and a reverb bell sound while unlocking the finisher.
3) Neptune
This nautical-themed collection was added to Valorant at the end of May 2022. It has the Shorty, Spectre, Guardian, and Vandal for gun skins, along with a melee weapon shaped like an anchor.
The skin collection has an upgradable sound effect, which gives gunshots a distinct, bubbling sound. It also has a kill banner.
Neptune is a Premium edition skin collection that lacks animations like finishers or reload animations. That doesn’t stop it from being popular, as its sound effect is so unique that it creates an ASMR-like effect.
This makes this skin collection, priced at 1775 VP per gun and 7100 VP per bundle, highly coveted among Valorant players.
4) Reaver 2.0
The original Reaver Vandal skin is still one of the most used and beloved skins in Valorant. Considering its appeal and the fact that Riot Games has been adding guns to its most popular skin collections through remakes, it was only a matter of time before Reaver 2.0 dropped.
When Reaver 2.0 was released at the beginning of Patch 5.03, the excitement among players was out of control. The skin bundle mostly consists of silenced weapons like the Ghost, Spectre, and Phantom, in addition to the Odin. The melee weapon is a karambit.
The entire bundle costs 7100 VP. Being a Premium skin collection, each skin costs 1775 VP. It has four color variations and three upgrade stages, just like the original skin line.
5) ChronoVoid
Released in September 2022, ChronoVoid has four gun skins, including one each for the Vandal and the Phantom. The collection has one melee skin, a spray, a player card, and a gun buddy. Additionally, it features a Sheriff and a Judge skin.
The total cost of ChronoVoid is 8700 VP as it is an Exclusive Edition skin collection. This means that the skins will not appear in the Night Market.
The ChronoVoid collection has a unique reload animation where a ball of energy-driven metal comes out of the gun before being recharged by the player and then put back in. The melee skin also has an impressive rotating animation when it is inspected.
ChronoVoid is one of the few collections to offer skins for both the Vandal and the Phantom, thereby increasing its appeal to the Valorant playerbase.
