Life is good, but it can be better. Wonder Woman 1984’s antagonist makes a great point, even if I can’t remember what his name was. Just because something is good, doesn’t mean it can’t be improved or added to. VALORANT is in a really great spot right now. It’s consistently updated with new maps and metas, keeping the game fresh in the eyes of its dedicated players. A ton of content has been created around the new shooter. It’s one of the most consistently popular games on Twitch. And its flourishing esports scene is rapidly growing, while providing a haven for players looking to move on from other games.
VALORANT has been a breath of fresh air to the FPS genre and esports. That doesn't mean we can't wish for more (Image via Riot Games)
All that being said, the game is not perfect, and there are some things that could be added or fixed to improve the game. Here’s just a handful of reasonable features and fixes that should be added to VALORANT in the near future.
Fixing the problems with VALORANT deathmatch
Deathmatch desperately needs some changes. (Image via Riot Games)
Before we start adding features to the wish list, we need to fix what’s already broken. Deathmatch in a game like VAL or CS:GO exists to help players warm up. However, the current state of deathmatch in VAL doesn’t allow for that. Players are camping corners and watching their mini-maps trying to get to 40 kills first rather than playing properly.
First thing first, turn off the mini-map. Or at the very least, turn off the little blips that show where a player is spawning. It teaches players not to hold angles or listen for footsteps, but rather to rush spots where they know a player is, or camp. And that doesn’t translate over to actual games well at all.
Additionally, it’s a time-consuming process for players trying to genuinely warm up. Between the ten-minute time limit, the time it takes to respawn, and the game ending when someone reaches 40 kills, players can’t take their time getting warmed up at all. With community servers, CS:GO has solved this problem, with DM servers with instant respawns and virtually no time limits. Several pro players have expressed their frustration among numerous competitive players, so hopefully, Riot is listening.
A commendation system
Blizzard even added levels to the Endorsement system, amplifying rewards like queue priority. (Image via Blizzard)
There are always going to be toxic players and griefers in games. Sometimes you’ll find yourself a nice teammate who ignores your friend request leaving you only with memories. But mostly you’re surrounded by trash spewing slurs into your ears. It sucks.
But one thing games like Overwatch, League of Legends, and CS:GO have added is a commendation system. CS:GO players can earn commendations for being a good teammate, teacher, or leader. Unfortunately, third-party sites let you just buy commendations and add them to your account. Overwatch (Endorsements system) and LoL have similar systems that let you reward good teammates.
Adding a commendation system that’s tied to queue priority isn’t going to magically solve toxicity. But ideally, you’ll start to see better teammates and less toxicity on average over time. If they were to tie rewards to receiving commendations, perhaps players would be more enticed to behave better.
Changing skins in-game
The Give Back bundle represents some of the game’s most popular skins, with proceeds going to the Riot Games Social Impact Fund. (Image via Riot Games)
A popular, basic feature of CS:GO that’s been missing from VALORANT. Dedicated players have likely amassed a vast collection of weapon skins since VALORANT’s release, between battle passes, the store, and the Night Market. There are a plethora of beautiful skin collections available, such as Reaver, Glitchpop, Prime, Ego, Oni, and several more. It’s almost a shame you can only see one skin per weapon each game.
It’d be very nice if you could switch out skins in-game, either when you’re dead or before the round starts. If the concern is that players will get distracted with skins when they should be buying, then at least there should be an option to favorite a handful of skins, and then rotate through the favorites either each game or each round. Similarly to what Destiny 2 does with finishers.
The artists who designed the ever-growing collection of skins deserve to have their skins seen more regularly. With the ability to swap skins, more of their work can be appreciated.
Some new VALORANT game modes
Shoots, the map site of some CS:GO’s most fun alternate game modes like Flying Scoutsman and Arms Race.
A positive trend in VALORANT compared to CS:GO is how consistently the game is updated. The stagnant nature of CS:GO when it comes to maps and meta is a prolific reason as to why several VALORANT pros left. However, the reason CS:GO still retains such a strong playerbase is the immense variety of game modes it has. Ranked and unranked competitive, casual, War Games, retakes, Danger Zone, deathmatch, Wingman, hostage rescue, just to name a few. And that doesn’t even include the custom modes made by the community.
With so many different game modes, it’s easy to see why CS:GO attracts over half a million players on average. Some new game modes certainly attract some new players to VALORANT, and maybe bring back some players who’ve already moved on. But what modes would be good?
A shorter version of unrated, similar to CS:GO’s casual mode, would be a good addition. This would give players a mode that’s more fulfilling than Spike Rush, but less time-consuming than a full game. Riot can also get creative and fun with some new modes. Some ideas are a snipers only team deathmatch, or a game with no abilities, or a permanent, solo version of gun game.
