Araxys Skinline in VALORANT: Behind the Creation Process
The animation team at Riot Games worked tirelessly to bring the Araxys skinline in VALORANT to life. The skinline, which was released alongside Episode Six Act One, features Vandal, Bulldog, Operator, and Shorty skins that have a unique and otherworldly feel.
Billy Vu Lam, the principal animator on VALORANT, gave players a peek into the creative process behind the Araxys skinline. He shared the various iterations of the physics that were explored to capture the out-of-this-world essence of the cosmetics.
One of the key elements of the animations was the movement of the Araxys Vandal’s sideplates during the reload animation. Initially, the sideplates moved individually, but the team felt that it was not aligned with the overall theme. They made alterations to make the movement less organic and more futuristic, resulting in a distinct style for the gun.
Vu Lam also revealed the original references used to create the skinline’s kill animation. The concept included a UFO-like tractor beam pulling the defeated enemy upwards, but additional visual effects were added to enhance the animation.
Creating animations for skinlines like Araxys takes about two weeks per weapon, ensuring that the quality matches the theme. However, more complex animations with multiple moving parts may require more time, sometimes even up to a month.
The Araxys skinline is now available for purchase in the VALORANT in-game shop. You can buy the gun skins individually or as part of a bundle.
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