A small patch, a big plan: While Masters Toronto is in full swing, Riot Games is planning for the future and promising a host of changes.
The last update was already very modest, and patch 10.11 brings even fewer changes. Perhaps to gloss over this quiet phase, Riot Games outlines its approach for the future in its latest dev update video.
The most noticeable change is visual: when a player dies from a weapon with a finisher, the camera now zooms in on the kill move. With this, the developer is taking another step in the fight against “visual overload” – i.e., the sensory overload caused by effects, abilities, and colors on the screen.
The voice chat display is now clearer as well. A remix of the latest Valorant anthem, “Ego” by Qing Madi, can now be heard on the career page. Various promotions where players can pick up gifts are still ongoing.
Riot announces switch to Unreal Engine 5
Probably the biggest announcement from Riot Games is the change of engine. While Valorant was developed in Unreal Engine 4, the developer now wants to make the move to Unreal Engine 5 – with patch 11.02 in July.
Riot Games’ executive producer Andy Ho talks about the advantages the team expects to gain from this in the dev update video. He mentions improved frame rates and faster game updates, and hints at further changes.
It remains to be seen whether the change of engine will have a major impact on the feel of the game. Riot Games has invested a lot of time in maintaining the flow of the game, according to Andy Ho.
However, he goes on to say: “All your crazy lineups should still be similar.” – a dangerous subjunctive. Lineups are known to be very precise. If the new engine brings even minor changes to the game physics, this would likely mean noticeable changes.
Latest map to be shown in Toronto
After the latest agent, Waylay, was introduced at Masters Bangkok, the new map is set to be revealed in Toronto. There will be an exhibition match between influencer Tarik Celik and Jeremy Wang before the Masters final on July 22.
Images and short video clips of Valorant’s latest setting have already been shown. The map has a medieval style, characterized by castle walls and various tower elements. It aims to completely change the approach to attacking and defending sites, says game designer Ryan Cousart in the dev update video.
When the map is released, it will be available in competitive game mode, but players will lose less RR than usual when they lose. This is how Riot Games wants to enable a smoother transition of the map into the current rotation.
The detailed dev update video also announced the date for replays: Patch 11.06 in September will bring the system to PC, while console players will have to wait until the end of the year.
