After four years of development on Unreal Engine 4, Riot Games officially announced the move to Unreal Engine 5
At Unreal Fest 2024, Riot Games’ SVP and Head of VALORANT Studios, Anna Donlon, delivered some exciting news coming to future Valorant that could potentially change Valorant forever. Upgrading to Unreal Engine 5.
In her keynote, Donlan stated, “We have squeezed literally every ounce of everything we could get out of UE 4, so now we make the move to UE5, and that is not an easy feat when your game is a live service game, but it is necessary.“
Donlan also shared that it “is not going to significantly change how Valorant looks or performs, at least not right away.” the average can’t tell the difference between the old Unreal Engine and the upgraded version right away.
“Maybe those devs are working on something I can’t talk about,” said Donlan, “Maybe those devs are thinking about ways to expand the Val universe into new “playable experiences”. Maybe we feel very fortunate to have everything UE5 can offer at our disposal.”
Although she could not provide detailed information, she indicated that the transition to UE5 enables Riot to investigate fresh avenues for gameplay enhancements and even new experiences. This switch could take Valorant from good to great and elevate the player experience.
What is Unreal Engine 5?
Unreal Engine is Epic Games’ latest software, released in April 2022 to elevate games and mechanics. Unreal Engine 5 includes multiple upgrades and new features, including Nanite, a system that automatically adjusts the level of detail of meshes, and Lumen, a dynamic global illumination and reflection system that leverages both software and hardware ray tracing.
A New Era for VALORANT?
Riot Games’ decision to move VALORANT to Unreal Engine 5 marks an exciting turning point in the game’s development. While players may not notice immediate changes in visuals or performance, the upgrade opens the door to many possibilities. As Anna Donlon hinted, UE5 will provide Riot with the tools to enhance the current player experience and explore new gameplay experiences and expansions within the Valorant universe.
With Riot Games leveraging the latest technology to continue pushing boundaries, fans can look forward to a VALORANT experience that evolves in exciting ways. As the game world expands and gameplay innovations emerge, one thing is clear’VALORANT’s leap to Unreal Engine 5 could shape the game for years to come.
