VALORANT players hopeful UE5 will bring Agent skins, replays & realistic maps
Let the collaboration ranges begin!
03rd Oct 2024 09:05
Image via Riot Games
VALORANT players hopeful UE5 will bring Agent skins, replays & realistic maps
Let the collaboration ranges begin!
03rd Oct 2024 09:05
Image via Riot Games
Five years in, VALORANT is already expanding further than fans could have ever imagined. Alongside a fully-fledged console variant (which competitors completely failed at in the past) successfully bringing this style of tactical FPS games to a new market, there's a mobile game already rolling out in Beta in certain countries, and hopes of a cinematic universe being aired.
It’s safe to say Riot Games isn't sitting on its backside, and now, the developers are targeting even more advancement as VALORANT is heading to Unreal Engine 5.
VALORANT is moving to Unreal Engine 5
Speaking at Unreal Fest 2024, SVP and Head of VALORANT Studios Anna Donlan revealed that VALORANT is making the transition from UE4 to UE5. While that might be quite a tough transition for a live-service game, Riot Games is hopeful that the "hypothetical" possibilities will be worthwhile.
"We have squeezed literally every ounce of everything we could get out of UE4, so now we make the move to UE5, and that is not an easy feat when your game is a live service game but it is necessary,” Donlan said while on-stage.
While Donlan did confess that this transition shouldn't immediately have any effects on VALORANT, the future of the game will be much better poised. "There are many devs that are very excited what about UE5 can do for us in the future," she teased.
"Maybe those devs are working on something I can’t talk about. Maybe those devs are thinking about ways to expand the Val universe into new playable experiences."
As to what Donlan's professed "hypothetical ideas" are, fans already have a list of ideas and wishes that Unreal 5 can deliver in its Christmas sack.
Agent skins, replays, and 'realistic' maps are on VALORANT players' UE5 wishlist
The immediate request from fans is that UE5 can open the possibility of Agent skins, something that has never been possible in VALORANT despite having some of the most flamboyant and ambitious weapon animations in the entire gaming industry.
"I think they are doing this so they can make skins for operators, which I welcome," one fan said. There are fears that this could open up VALORANT to the Fortnitification that other franchises have suffered from, namely Call of Duty, as "multiverse" collaborations could be a step too far for this rather original title.
Others claimed this means a Replay system is on the way. "Valorant is finally getting a replay system," said one cocksure fan, while another added, "UE5 has a built in replay system… We might finally get the replay system guys."
These two features sit at the top of the wishlists, as improved performance will be likely as well. Other notes on the fans' checklists include "ultra-realistic maps" like we've seen Fortnite do, more "precise" gunplay, and other graphical upgrades like "true stretch."
Already, the possibilities seem really positive for VALORANT, as Riot Games sets out a clear stance that its title will never sit still.
About The Author
Jack Marsh
Jack is an Esports Journalist at GGRecon. Graduating from the University of Chester, with a BA Honours degree in Journalism, Jack is an avid esports enthusiast and specialises in Rocket League, Call of Duty, VALORANT, and trending gaming news.
