Epic Games extended an invitation to the Big”-shots” of the Valorant department to speak at Unreal Fest. In reviewing past Unreal Fest keynote segments, many showcased exceptionally beautiful, graphics-forward games that leveraged Unreal Engine’s top features and technology. Valorant, though praised for various aspects, doesn’t focus primarily on graphics. However, without Unreal Engine, the creation of Valorant wouldn’t have been possible. The story behind Valorant centers on extreme player orientation, building a global community, and empowering developers to be the heroes behind the project.
The Goal Behind Valorant
Valorant was designed to be a world-class 5v5 tactical shooter, highly competitive and precise. The integration of abilities was meant to add depth and strategy without undermining core gameplay. The game aimed to reflect and celebrate global communities while supporting them by running on machine specifications that are often challenging. Competitive integrity stood as a central pillar, ensuring that no player ever felt disadvantaged. The development team focused intensely on gameplay feel, anti-cheat measures, server latency, and combatting peer advantages. Unreal Engine’s flexibility and adaptability allowed the team to focus on major innovations instead of engine limitations.
Valorant and Console Expansion
At launch, Valorant was conceived as a PC-first experience in every aspect. Tactical shooters on consoles seemed difficult to envision. However, Valorant’s player base quickly grew into a global, diverse, and larger-than-anticipated community. As requests for a console version increased, the opportunity became harder to ignore. Console support had to maintain the precise gunplay, strategy, and competitive integrity that Valorant is known for, with no compromises. The development process wasn’t about a simple port but ensuring that console players felt the game was built with their needs in mind.
Unreal Engine’s Role in Console Development
Without Unreal Engine’s built-in platform support, rendering implementations, and platform-native input handling, the journey to consoles would have been much more challenging. These foundational capabilities allowed the team to focus on optimizing the gameplay experience. Given that Riot Games had never launched a live service game on consoles before, having these capabilities immediately available was a game-changer. Unreal Engine’s adaptability allowed for rapid learning and quick market entry, ultimately leading to millions of players engaging with Valorant on consoles today.
Valorant’s Growth and Unreal Engine 5 Transition
Since its launch, Valorant has seen exponential growth, with over 35 million players globally across all platforms. The game has expanded into major esports tournaments and collaborations with renowned artists. The development team, consisting of world-class Unreal developers, has relied on the engine’s flexibility to deliver exceptional experiences. The upcoming transition from Unreal Engine 4.27 to Unreal Engine 5 represents a critical step in the game’s evolution. While this upgrade won’t immediately impact how Valorant looks or performs, it sets the stage for future development. Many at Riot Games express gratitude for what Unreal Engine has enabled and eagerly anticipate the possibilities Unreal Engine 5 will bring.
Future Possibilities for Valorant
Riot’s decision to use Unreal Engine for Valorant ensures flexibility in moving developers, technology, and resources seamlessly to explore new playable experiences within the Valorant universe. Although details about future developments remain under wraps, the potential for expanding into new experiences is strong. The relationship with Epic and Unreal continues to deepen, ensuring a shared vision for the future of gaming. Whatever comes next, the focus remains on delivering the best possible player experience.
