_ VALORANT _ is currently in its closed beta and is expected to continue until the game’s release later this summer . The forthcoming title from Riot Games , which is currently in its sixth year of development, is proving to be one of the might highly hyped shooter titles of the year. Even with the release of _ Call of Duty: Warzone _ and the impending release of _ Overwatch 2 _ , the world’s most competitive gamers can’t stop talking about _ VALORANT _ .
What is it about this game that has captured so many pros’ attention? Why is it so enticing to exceptional players who have spent their careers playing other games?
As it turns out, competitive gamers are excited for this game because it’s one of only a few modern shooter releases that cater almost exclusively to the competitive gaming community.
via: Riot Games
VALORANT’s cast of playable characters poses in front of the game logo.
How VALORANT Is Courting The Competitive Community
In the current gaming climate, many modern games attempt to draw large playerbases, with the competitive experience being secondary to a game’s mass appeal.
As such, even if their games are extremely fun to play, they frequently have to also cater to the demands of the FPS Game Maps’s more casual fans.
_ Fortnite _ players frequently encounter these issues. The game changes rapidly and frequently introduces new mechanics. In the past, it did so days ahead of major tournaments and events, spurring outrage from players . Sometimes, these updates designed to appease its younger players are a headache for the game’s competitive community.
FPS game pro tips developers have to make tough choices when it comes to how best to market their games. Mass appeal certainly helps them generate revenue as they spend money on cosmetics and battle passes. However, competitive players play much differently than the casual player base, who provide the majority of financial support for the game buy purchasing cosmetics.
Even on the game’s home page, the VALORANT touts its gaming specs . It also highlights its anti-cheat mechanisms. While the anti-cheat isn’t without controversy , these things are both testaments to the fact that the developers created the game with high expectations for competitive play.
Some people have complained about the aesthetics of the character design itself. However, as others have noted, competitive players value speed, gameplay and mechanics over a stunning picture that contains more visual noise.
Interestingly, _ VALORANT _ is free-to-play. Theoretically, could lead to its adoption even by casual gamers. But it’s important to note that in its launch phase, it’ll be available only on PC. Top-tier companies design impressive gaming PCs to run games with the best game performance. This is contrary to Xbox and PlayStation , which are far more limited in terms of performance and lack customization options. Essentially, this means that the game favors these high-powered PC players. The hope would be that the game could drive the most elite gamers to play VALORANT instead of other games that are built for more casual communities.
Unlike many games such as _ Fortnite _ and _ Apex Legends _ , VALORANT PC controller players won’t have the option to use aim assist. Aim assist a point of contention in competitive play. While most people won’t deny that keyboard and mouse players benefit from enhanced movement capabilities when compared to controller players, prominent pros claim aim assist offers an overpowered advantage that amounts to a cheat. The reality is that the majority of controller players aren’t skilled enough with the controller and rely on this to make these games fun for them to play on PC, but highly skilled controller players are at an advantage given the fact given their natural high level of precision on the controller.
Still, in order to create an optimal competitive experience, the best way to solve this issue is to simply remove aim assist entirely, as Riot Games has chosen to do with VALORANT. Then, it becomes a true test of skill with no clear benefit from choosing the controller.
Riot Games Is Betting On Esports Success
All of this points to Riot’s hope and expectation that VALORANT will be the next top-tier esport. And, with good reason, too. Esports are more popular than ever. With the amount of money now changing hands in competitive gaming as well as projections around the long-term outlook , it’s no surprise Riot Games continues heavily investing in esports after is success with League of Legends .
Perhaps Riot’s financial strategy revolves around the promise of esports as a spectator sport, something as big as the NBA or the NFL. Coming from a company that already has proven its commitment to esports success, it’s highly plausible competitive esports are what’s driving the game at a corporate level.
While the COVID-19 crisis will likely impact esports growth, the video game industry looks to be holding steady as people are turning to games and streaming while staying in.
Regardless, the choice to put the primary focus on competitive play has some risk. The strategy to cater only to competitive players means it will never reach mainstream global popularity as a game like _ Fortnite _ . So, if the pros don’t find themselves enamored with the game over the long term, then this could prove to be a major issue.
However, by releasing the FPS game story guide in a beta format but making it relatively simple to earn access to the beta , it’s clear that Riot is doing its best to polish the game as much as possible. This leaves room for significant iteration and improvement should player interest in _ VALORANT _ wane.
It’s still far too early to tell how much longevity _ VALORANT _ might hold as an esport, especially when competing with games that have established scenes like _ DoTA 2 _ , _ CS:GO _ and _ Starcraft II _ . However, with its recent introduction of a ranked mode , it’s obvious that Riot is eager to continue to fashion _ VALORANT _ into a highly competitive game, with the hope that such an emphasis will translate into esports success.
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