Compétences, smurfing, replays et autres // Dev updates - VALORANT

Summary

In this 5-year anniversary dev update for *Valorant*, the team discusses exciting changes and future plans. Key highlights include balancing abilities to maintain gunplay focus, introducing a new map with unique site challenges, and tackling smurfing with MFA and better reporting. The update also covers behavior tracking, new Premiere team features, and the shift to Unreal Engine 5 for better performance. Replays are coming soon, allowing deeper analysis of competitive matches. The VCT will continue evolving with more openness and flexibility, ensuring *Valorant* stays fresh and engaging for years to come.

Takeaways

• 😀 The development team is focusing on balancing abilities in Valorant to prevent overwhelming combat scenarios while keeping gunplay at the core of the game.
• 😀 The introduction of new agents, like Clove, Vice, and Tejo, is meant to challenge players and make them rethink their strategies, but some ability combos have led to 'checkmate' situations requiring balance adjustments.
• 😀 A major focus for the upcoming year is improving clarity in gameplay, with updates like mini-map improvements, Brimstone Molly audio, and new visual cues for abilities.
• 😀 The new map will shake up traditional strategies for taking and holding sites, offering layers of complexity that require careful utility usage.
• 😀 To support players learning the new map, losses on the new map will be reduced by 50% during the first patch cycle, but wins will still grant full rewards.
• 😀 Smurfing and account sharing are being addressed with new features, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and a reporting system for matchmaking abuse.
• 😀 A new reporting category will help differentiate between smurfing and actual cheating behavior to improve anti-cheat efforts.
• 😀 The update will allow players to see active warnings or penalties on their account, providing more transparency regarding their behavior standing.
• 😀 Team tags and recognition for winning playoff tournaments are being introduced to improve competitive experience and showcase achievements.
• 😀 Replays will be launched in Patch 1106 for PC, allowing players to analyze competitive games from various perspectives and use replay controls to review gameplay.
• 😀 The game engine will be upgraded from Unreal 4 to Unreal 5 in Patch 1102, improving frame rate, patch download speeds, and enabling future possibilities for the game's growth.

Q & A

What are the primary concerns regarding abilities in Valorant mentioned in the update?

The primary concern is 'ability overload,' where multiple abilities can overlap and overwhelm combat, impacting the core gameplay of shooting and playmaking. The developers aim to maintain the delicate balance between gunplay and abilities to keep the game focused on skillful combat and strategy.

How are new agents contributing to the challenge of balancing abilities in Valorant?

New agents bring unique abilities that can change how players approach the game, but sometimes these abilities can create situations where counterplay is difficult, especially at high levels of play. The developers aim to refine abilities like Tejo’s guided salvos, which created 'checkmate' scenarios, to ensure better balance.

What are some of the changes made to improve clarity and reduce confusion from overlapping abilities?

The developers have implemented mini-map updates, Brimstone’s Molly audio improvements, updated visuals for Raze’s explosion, and visual tells for Deadlock's barrier mesh health states. These changes aim to make it easier for players to process all in-game information and improve clarity during matches.

How are the developers ensuring balance between gunplay and abilities moving forward?

The developers are constantly monitoring feedback and tracking key indicators such as agent strength, weapon presence, and map balance to ensure that no outliers disrupt the overall balance. They also plan to continue making adjustments throughout the year, with a focus on maintaining core balance.

What is the significance of the new map being introduced with patch 11.0?

The new map is designed to shake up how players think about site control and utility usage in Valorant. Each site is layered and complex, requiring players to carefully plan their utility usage to succeed, offering a fresh strategic challenge for the community.

How will the new map affect the competitive experience in Valorant?

The new map will be available in the competitive queue from day one. During the first patch cycle, players will experience a 50% reduction in losses on the new map, helping them adjust and learn the layout more comfortably while still earning full rewards for wins.

What steps are being taken to address the issue of smurfing in Valorant?

The developers are increasing the barrier to sharing accounts by requiring multi-factor authentication (MFA) for suspicious accounts. They are also adding a new reporting category for players who intentionally abuse matchmaking systems, which will help track and address smurfing more effectively.

What changes are coming regarding behavior visibility for players?

Valorant will introduce more visibility into player behavior standings, allowing players to see active warnings, penalties, and what may happen if they don't improve their behavior. This system is aimed at giving players direct feedback to course correct before facing more severe consequences.

What are rank shields, and how do they contribute to player experience in Valorant?

Rank shields are a quality-of-life improvement designed to protect players' ranks from being reduced by a small number of losses. This feature ensures that players don't experience significant rank drops due to a few unfortunate matches, enhancing the overall experience.

What is the significance of the Unreal Engine 5 upgrade in Valorant?

Upgrading to Unreal Engine 5 will improve the game’s performance, frame rate, and patch download times. This upgrade is set to be rolled out in Patch 1102 and will open up new possibilities for future updates. A special gun buddy will be given to players who log in during the patch's release to commemorate the event.