Valorant: Devs talk about game accessibility and launch regions

After a wildly successful Twitch event, Valorant developers discussed what fans can look forward to at the game’s summer 2020 release. Product Manager Anna Donlon and Design Director Joe Ziegler appeared in a live Twitch interview, hosted by internet personality Benjamin “DrLupo” Lupo.

Their casual interview acted as an open platform for Valorant‘s team to provide detailed information about the status of the game and what fans can realistically expect. After all, with such a highly anticipated release, it’s easy for the community to exaggerate their expectations. A large portion of the conversation focused on accessibility and regional representation.

Valorant‘s operating systems and consoles

One of the highest priorities for the team was to ensure the game is accessible to as many people as possible. Donlon confirmed that Valorant would be playable for all PC users. That means, though, that the game isn’t compatible with macOS. Furthermore, there won’t be a console version anytime soon. However, Donlon stated Riot isn’t against a console expansion; the team is simply focused on developing the game for PC at the moment.

Neither of the pair mentioned whether Valorant would be compatible with Linux-based operating systems. Presumably, because Riot has designed an immensely intensive anti-cheat system, the game will not have Linux support.

“The goal has always been a global launch.”

Furthermore, Donlon emphasizes the importance of a global launch. The team tirelessly worked to implement infrastructure in most global regions. Riot is still in the process of setting up access to more non-traditional areas. However, the ongoing COVID-19 situation has thrown a wrench in their plans. Additional regions are being tested during the launch of the closed beta.

Regional representation is a massive concern for players in areas like Australia and South America. Donlon assures fans that Riot has invested a lot of resources into providing service to underrepresented areas. Moving forward, Riot’s team hopes to make the game easily accessible to the most players possible.