Top 10 Reasons We Are Excited for VALORANT
On October 15, 2019, Riot Games announced “Project A”. Described as “a precise tactical shooter with a lethal cast of characters, set on a near-future Earth. In Project A, abilities create unique opportunities for your gunplay to shine.” Finally, Riot has revealed the title of this new project: VALORANT. Developers want this game to focus on team play and strategy. Different from the company’s successful MOBA, League of Legends, VALORANT will require positioning and dominating the map in a new way. While we all love to play team-based shooters, here is a list of reasons why we are excited for VALORANT.
10. Highly Competitive
Riot Games has now pursued the competitive FPS genre. The 5v5 game mode has been designed to enter the esports scene and will likely challenge games like CS:GO. “Throughout VALORANT’s development, we wanted to uphold the fundamental values of a competitive tactical shooter: precise shooting, lethal gunplay, and strategic execution,” said Anna Donlon, the game’s executive producer. Additionally, the impressive specs of the game will provide the necessary tech to sustain competitive gameplay.
9. 128Hz Tick Rate Servers
One of the most impressive features of VALORANT is the improved servers which will impress FPS players with drastically reduced latency. Riot’s shooter will run on dedicated servers with 128Hz tick rates to optimize hectic battles and push lag-free gaming. This is double that of games like Counter Strike: Global Offensive. The higher the tick rate, the more consistent and competitive the gameplay.
8. Under 35ms Latency in Matches
This new “global spread of datacenters” will provide a better gaming experience. One way this will be accomplished is through the reduced latency we discussed previously. What does this mean exactly? These improved servers allow Riot to aim for under 35ms of latency. These datacenters will be located in major cities around the world, so the majority of the playerbase will experience the fastest gameplay possible.
7. 60 - 144+ FPS on Modern Gaming PCs
Improved tick servers are not the only thing to look forward to performance wise. Modern gaming rigs will support 60 to 140 FPS. As the technology of PCs progress, having a FPS higher than 60 is coming has become the norm for most modern gaming PCs. Perhaps Riot and VALORANT will help less powerful rigs get a higher FPS, which leads to my next point!
6. BUT Expected to Run Well on Less Powerful PCs
However, not everyone has the most modern gaming rig. Even if you have an old computer, or even a laptop, VALORANT could still be a great experience for you. Riot boasts that min-spec computers can run VALORANT at 30 FPS, even those up to 10 years old. This is just one reason why VALORANT is a great game for people with low budgets.
5. Mix Between CS:GO and Overwatch
Along with the announcement on March 2, Riot released nearly 3 minutes of gameplay showing what the game could look like. Fans noticed that VALORANT appears to combine the tactical gunplay of CS:GO with the unique characters and abilities of Overwatch. This formula has become increasingly popular following the success of Overwatch and more recently Apex Legends. Developers have realized that players enjoy a diverse cast of characters. This allows for unique combinations of playstyles that go beyond the usual formula of military-style shooters. Director Joe Ziegler acknowledged the similarity to Overwatch, but explained how Riot’s game is more like CS:GO. “In VALORANT, we wanted to allow players to create drastic turnarounds through individual skills even if the teamwork didn’t work out. “
4. Abilities
Abilities create a new way to approach combat situations. This allows for a little bit more creativity during firefights, which we are here for! An example of these abilities comes from the character Phoenix. Phoenix can hurl fireballs around corners that blind enemies, as well as put up a firewall to block enemies paths. Thinking of the different ways characters will be able to use these abilities in synergy definitely has us excited! Whilst abilities will be a core part of the VALORANT experience, they will definitely take a back seat to gunplay, which brings us to our next point.
3. Gunplay Reigns Supreme
While VALORANT features agents with unique abilities, the gameplay we’ve seen suggests the weapons still play an important role. Similar to Apex Legends, the characters’ abilities can open strategy to more possibilities, but the player with the better gunplay may reign supreme. As the official website says, “Everyone’s got guns and a unique set of abilities, so how do you beat someone with the speed of wind? Use your own moves to outplay them and beat them to the shot.”
2. Anti-Cheat Commitment
Many new games struggle with cheaters abusing their new programming. Without time to bug test and develop anti-cheat measures, cheaters have free reign over the game. This ruins the experience of new players and may even cause the game to lose those players forever. Luckily, Riot has made a commitment against cheaters from day one. The developers have actually created a unique system to prevent hackers. Director Joe Ziegler explained, “If the enemy is hiding behind a wall and not visible, that player’s information does not get delivered to the other player’s PC.” This means upon release, VALORANT will have anti-cheat measures so no player will deal with the frustration of hackers.
1. Free to Play
Finally, VALORANT will be free to play upon its release in summer 2020. In an interview with Inven Global, Anna Donlon, VALORANT’s executive producer, confirmed the game will be free to play and include no pay-to-win factors. The only thing the developers plan to sell at the moment are agent and weapon skins. There is no word on whether a season pass will be implemented, but players can definitely look forward to a free-to-play experience with VALORANT.
Conclusion
Riot Games is well known in the gaming community as a successful developer as it has created one of the most played games in the world: League of Legends. However, with the rise in popularity of First Person Shooters, MOBAs are no longer the number one gaming genre. Executive producer Anna Donlon told Inven that the team at Riot wanted to take positive aspects and strengths from LoL and apply them to a different genre. As the official website says, “VALORANT is a game for bold strategists who dare to make the unexpected play, because if it wins, it works.”
As VALORANT boasts amazing specs, it might be time to upgrade your gaming rig before this summer. Check out this awesome monitor and these keyboards and mice. Like FPSs? You might enjoy Escape from Tarkov, an online massively multiplayer online, first-person shooter. Check out some streamers and their gear before you upgrade!
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