Valorant is filled with unique mechanics that set its agents apart, and one of the most distinctive is overheal. Unlike shields or standard healing, overheal temporarily grants certain agents bonus health above the normal 100 HP cap. This mechanic, tied to characters like Reyna and Clove, provides a crucial edge in duels and can shift the momentum of a round.
How Overheal Works
Overheal is not a permanent health boost—it’s a conditional buff activated through agent abilities.
Here’s how it functions:
- Exceeds normal HP: Overheal can push an agent’s health beyond the standard 100 HP, up to 150 HP, displayed as a purple overlay on the health bar.
- Temporary effect: The bonus health decays gradually over time or disappears once damage is taken. Once it’s gone, it cannot be restored without using the ability again.
- Ability-specific:
- Reyna: After a kill, activating her Devour ability grants up to +50 HP through overheal.
- Clove: Her Pick-Me-Up ability also provides overheal, alongside a short movement speed boost.
Gameplay Impact
Overheal isn’t just cosmetic—it significantly affects survivability:
- Extra buffer in fights: The additional 50 HP often makes the difference in clutch duels or aggressive entries.
- Interaction with shields: Overheal does not stack on top of armor. Instead, damage is applied first to overheal, then to the agent’s regular HP and shields.
- Return to baseline: Once the overheal is gone, the agent’s max health resets to 100, leaving them no better off than before.
This makes timing critical—activating overheal at the right moment can swing rounds, but wasted activations have no long-term benefit.
Counterplay and Strategy
For players facing Reyna or Clove, understanding overheal is essential:
- Burst damage works best: Weapons with high damage-per-shot quickly chew through the temporary health buffer.
- Target priority: If a Reyna is snowballing kills, focusing her down before she activates Devour can prevent her from gaining the survivability advantage.
- Play the clock: Since overheal decays, delaying fights against an overhealed opponent can neutralize the advantage without direct engagement.
On the flip side, for Reyna and Clove mains, overheal is a tool for momentum building—secure a frag, activate the ability, and immediately push the advantage while the buff lasts.
The Bottom Line
Overheal in Valorant provides certain agents with a temporary health pool beyond 100 HP, rewarding aggressive playstyles and kill momentum. For Reyna and Clove, it’s a defining mechanic that turns successful engagements into even greater advantages. For opponents, it’s a reminder that quick focus fire and smart timing are the keys to stripping away that extra layer of protection.
Written by:
Christian