VALORANT: A Tactical Shooter with a Unique Approach to Skins
Riot Games’ upcoming free-to-play tactical shooter, VALORANT, combines the looks of Overwatch with gameplay elements from Counter-Strike and Rainbow Six.
In free-to-play games, skins play a crucial role in driving revenue and supporting both casual and competitive aspects of the game. However, VALORANT takes a different approach compared to League of Legends and Overwatch. Riot Games is opting for gun skins only, as reported by Polygon.
Unlike other games, VALORANT does not have character skins currently, and there are no plans to introduce them in the future. The reason behind this decision is unclear, but similar to Counter-Strike, maintaining a fair balance in the game might be a contributing factor. While flashy character skins are enjoyable to collect, they can potentially create unnecessary clutter and impact professional play.
The excessive number of hero skins in Overwatch can make it challenging to keep track of what is happening during gameplay. With characters constantly flying around the screen, each wearing a different skin, it becomes a nightmare to navigate the game.
Similar to Counter-Strike, VALORANT will exclusively feature gun skins. Additionally, there are no loot boxes available, meaning players will have to purchase the desired skins directly from the in-game store.
Reports suggest that VALORANT will introduce a battle pass-like system upon release, offering players new cosmetic rewards as they continue to play. However, specific details about this system are still unknown.
VALORANT is scheduled to launch this summer, with a beta version expected to become available in the coming weeks.