Riot Games discusses Valorant's environmental storytelling
Image Credit: Bethesda
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
riot games valorant

Riot Games discusses Valorant’s environmental storytelling

This article is over 4 years old and may contain outdated information

In preparation for Valorant‘s summer 2020 release, Riot Games has been slowly revealing information about the game and its characters. We know that there are eight unique characters, or “agents,” each of which presumably represents a real-life country. For example, agent Viper comes from the United States, while Phoenix hails from England. Furthermore, the fact that the agents have special powers suggests the existence of either magic or some powerful technologies.

Recommended Videos

David Nottingham, a creative director at Riot, recently sat down for an exclusive interview with YouTube channel Qwixzo. During their chat, he went into more detail on how the developers plan to tell Valorant‘s lore. Namely, they hope to do this through character interaction and environmental elements.

Valorant‘s environmental storytelling

Nottingham says the team has carefully considered how to create layered personalities and motivations. Riot also wants to keep teasing fans about their new world through the game’s launch.

The interview suggests that Valorant‘s storytelling won’t involve in-game cinematics. Rather, the lore will come through character design and the way characters interact. Environmental design and interactions will also help to quietly build an understanding of Valorant‘s world. For example, an agent’s voice lines will give insight into that character’s personality. Besides that, agents will interact with each other, also unveiling interpersonal history and relationships.

This sort of environmental storytelling likely sounds familiar to many gamers. A number of games, such as Overwatch, have transitioned to this model over the years. If Riot’s storytelling is anywhere near as enticing as Overwatch‘s, the Valorant community is sure to eat it up. Over the years, Overwatch forums have quickly filled up when a player notices a new voice line between two heroes, inspiring fan theories and discussions.

Riot’s own League of Legends features environmental storytelling as well. For instance, champions enter the battle with unique voice lines and sometimes respond to each other. Nottingham’s interview suggests that we can expect this same sort of engagement in the lead-up to and launch of Valorant.

Author
Image of Minna Adel Rubio
Minna Adel Rubio
Minna Adel Rubio is an esports journalist with an interest in first-person-shooter games. She specializes in class-based, arena, and tactical shooters like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Valorant, Overwatch, and Team Fortress 2. Additionally, Minna is a senior CS:GO guides writer at Dignitas and a graduate student. Catch her on Twitter for memes and more content!