As a long-time Valorant fanatic, I’ve seen the game grow and evolve over the years. From its humble beginnings to becoming one of the most popular tactical shooters out there, I’ve been right there with it every step of the way. So when I heard about the switch from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5, my curiosity was piqued.
Confirmation from Riot indicates that Valorant will transition to Unreal Engine 5 shortly, leaving you wondering about the implications for the much-loved tactical shooter. Here’s a breakdown of the key points every player should be aware of.
Video game engines form the base for game development. All mechanics, distinctive features, and design elements are constructed using the tools provided by the chosen engine. While certain studios opt to create their own in-house engines, like Naughty Dog with their exclusive tech delivering cutting-edge visuals, other developers instead choose to utilize pre-existing engines to develop their games.
For Valorant, it’s using Unreal Engine, a software developed by Epic Games, which was the choice made by Riot during the game’s development. Initially, Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) was the main focus, but that has since shifted. A newer version, Unreal Engine 5 (UE5), was initially presented in 2020 and later became available to developers in 2022.
With Valorant celebrating its fourth anniversary, Riot Games is planning to upgrade its engine to incorporate all the advanced features found in the latest Unreal version. However, what does this change mean for the game’s future and what can fans anticipate during this transition? Here’s a comprehensive look at what we currently know about the situation.
Anna Donlon has announced that VALORANT is transitioning to Unreal Engine 5. However, this shift won’t immediately alter the appearance or performance of the game.
— Valorant News (@ValorINTEL) October 1, 2024
Why is Valorant swapping to Unreal Engine 5?
In simpler terms, you might be questioning why developers of Valorant, a game not known for its visual appeal, are planning to switch to a different engine. At Unreal Fest 2024, Anna Donlan, the head of Valorant’s studio, acknowledged this concern.
Donlan jokingly suggested that although people might have a lot of good things to say about the game, it’s unlikely they’d describe its graphics as ‘advanced.’
Compared to other grandiose, high-budget projects featuring “day-night cycles or expansive realms,” Valorant pales in comparison. However, Riot Games leverages Unreal Engine for different purposes, focusing primarily on “optimizing player experience.” As stated, Unreal Engine provides Valorant with a robust foundation.
Recently, Donlan clarified that the transition of Valorant to consoles became feasible due to UE4’s pre-existing support for consoles. In his words, “Riot Games hadn’t previously released a live-service game on consoles.
As a gamer and someone who appreciates the effort behind the scenes, I’m excited to share that Riot Games didn’t feel the need to start from scratch with a brand-new team for their port. Instead, they smartly utilized console tools within Unreal Engine, which made the transition smoother and more efficient. This adaptability is crucial to the development team, and it’s one of the key reasons they’re making the switch to this engine.
Will Valorant change with pivot to UE5?
According to Donlan, the main advantage of switching to UE5 lies in its adaptability across various aspects. This flexibility shouldn’t cause any significant changes in the immediate Valorant gameplay experience as the transition occurs.
Donlan acknowledged he was unable to list the ways UE5 is revolutionizing Val, instead opting to emphasize the importance of expanding our perspective and exploring new opportunities for the future.
With Valorant operating on Unreal Engine version 4.27, the team has optimized it to its fullest potential within UE4. Now, it’s time for us to transition to Unreal Engine 5.
The update won’t immediately alter Val’s appearance or performance. However, many developers are eagerly anticipating the potential changes that Unreal Engine 5 could bring to us in the long run.
It’s possible that the developers are working on projects within the Val universe that I’m not allowed to discuss. It could also mean they are brainstorming ideas to create fresh and engaging gameplay experiences in the Val universe.
Hinting at potential exploration of different game types, either through new standalone games or temporary game modes within Valorant itself, it’s evident that transitioning to Unreal Engine 5 will provide developers with increased creative liberty for experiments.
Donlan takes the stage at the 1:28:21 mark below.
For now, you shouldn’t anticipate immediate improvements in how Valorant looks or plays due to its transition to Unreal Engine 5. Although visual enhancements might occur in the future, the developers are currently exploring innovative concepts to advance and refresh the intellectual property.
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2024-10-02 04:18