The release of any new game comes with a lot of questions. The Valorant team is actually answering those questions in a Q&A series it has established. The series is called “Ask Valorant,” and every other week, Riot Games releases a post answering some of the community’s questions. The third iteration of “Ask Valorant” just released, and it reveals information about in-game gifts, a replay system, map selection, observing, and how many Radiant-tier players there are.
You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers
You may have noticed that Valorant cosmetics are rather expensive, particularly if they’re Ultra Edition-quality like the Elderflame skins. While almost everyone wants to jazz up their weapons with some skins, not everyone can afford the high prices. Fear not; the Valorant team plans to implement a gifting system by the end of 2020. So, when a set of holiday cosmetics is released or a friend is simply feeling generous, they can purchase the skins for you.
Map selection was another thing asked about in this iteration of “Ask Valorant.” Players are tired of playing the same map multiple times in a row. In response to this frustration, the Valorant team has explained that map selection will divide up the player base and increase queue times. It would also make finding fair matches tougher. Therefore, Valorant will not be getting map selection any time soon, if ever.
Watch and learn
One of the questions asked this week was about Valorant getting an in-game replay system. Replays are a crucial part of the development of a competitive game, particularly esports. Players study replays to learn from their mistakes and to understand the tactics of their opponents. Surprisingly, Valorant hasn’t started working on a replay system yet. However, Senior Producer Steven Eldredge revealed that it is something the team is “interested in exploring soon.”
The next “Ask Valorant” question dealt with the in-game observer tool and what Riot wants out of it. Obviously, it wants the tool to help make esports broadcasts the best they can be. The team is currently learning from the ongoing Ignition series and the broadcast talent involved in that. But the Valorant team is already dreaming up new ideas to help improve broadcasts, like providing real-time data to enhance the experience.
Radiants assemble
Radiant is the top rank in Valorant’s Competitive Matchmaking. According to the team, it is supposed to be challenging to attain and a significant achievement if managed. Fielding revealed that each region has between 20 and 150 Radiant-tier players, depending on the number of players in the region. That’s a lot less than I expected.
