Valorant players who take their time in the game seriously and are looking to hone their shooting and moving skills by analysing their games long after the adrenaline wears off and palms become dry are going to be disappointed now that Riot has announced that they are cancelling development on the in-game replay system.
In an Ask Valorant blog post on the game’s website, developer Steven Eldredge answered a question asking for updates on the replay system, confirming the features abandonment. “The shortest answer today is that there is no plan for a player-facing version of a replay system, as of now,” the post says. “We know this is a frequently requested feature from all types of players.”
The post continues by outlining why the in-game replay feature was ultimately cancelled. “Our exploration is continuous against developing our other Valorant features (like new ways to track and reward Agent progress, player behaviour tools, different ways to collect in-game items)—all to measure what makes the most sense to prioritise based on what serves the most players and has the most long term impact on game health.”
But all isn’t lost, as Eldredge says that what the team learned by exploring replay options will be used towards improving aspects of the game for spectators and live esports broadcasts.
The idea of adding an in-game play system to Valorant was introduced almost two years ago during Ask Valorant #3, in which Eldredge, when posed the question of if the game would get an in-game replay system, said: “Yes! this is something that we’re interested in exploring soon. Whether it’s to study previous matches for tactical advantages or to create spicy memes, we know that players will find a wide range of interesting uses for a system like this.”
This news will be disappointing to Valorant players who were looking forward to studying said previous matches and making said spicy memes – especially as it comes just as the Night Market reopens – but if what Eldredge says proves true, we are, at least, due to see an evolution in how we watch Valorant games.