In a developer update video, Riot Games showcased a prototype of an in-game replay system for Valorant and revealed what has been holding up its release.
Valorant players have been clamoring for a replay system in the Riot FPS since its release, hoping the class-based shooter would add something similar to Valve’s Counter-Strike system.
The developer has been tight-lipped with updates, mostly assuring players that they are working on it and that it is not easy to implement.
In a May 21 dev update, Valorant’s Tech Lead, Marcus Reid, showed off an early prototype of the replay system.
The video revealed a free camera and player POV from a recorded custom match and a bare-bones interface, with basic recording controls like pause and play. Reid, however, emphasized the build is nowhere near finished and explained some problems the team is trying to solve.
We’ve got new dev updates for y’all:▪️ map rotations▪️ balance▪️ skins▪️ and everyone’s favorite topic… replays!Tap in and let us know what else is on your mind ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/hdy0dd6WWU
— VALORANT (@VALORANT) May 21, 2024
Reid explained that Valorant was designed from the beginning to maximize performance and the integrity of online play, and the replays “introduce new requirements that aren’t present in normal games.”
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“For example, if you’re viewing a replay, time might be paused, and you might want to view a specific round in a match. Unreal gives us a lot for free on replays, but we didn’t plan for these scenarios up front. There are a plethora of issues with maps, abilities, weapons as well as visual and audio effects that we need to work through to make them replay-ready,” Reid continued.
Reid then shared clips from the current version of the replay system with closing doors floating in the air and Brimstone smokes not showing the ability correctly on rewatch, juxtaposing that with live gameplay footage.
“These clips only show a couple of defects with a couple of individual assets. Valorant’s gameplay is made up of thousands of these individual assets that all need to be audited for correctness and possibly adjusted to be correct in replay scenarios… So yes, we’re taking our time to make sure that we get it right,” Reid said.
Reid and other dev team members did not give a timeline for the system’s implementation into the live game, so players should not expect replays to come to Valorant anytime soon.