Valorant will move to the Unreal Engine 5 engine

Anna Donlon, head of Valorant Studios, revealed some interesting news about the future of gaming at this year’s Unreal Fest. The popular 5v5 tactical shooter, currently running on version 4.27 of Epic’s Unreal Engine, will soon move to Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). According to Donlon, this update —s an important step for the Valorant development team at Riot Games.

An important step for the Valorant development team at Riot Games.

“We’ve squeezed literally everything we can out of Unreal 4, and now we’re moving to UE5,” — Donlon explained. However, transitioning a live-service game to a new engine — is no easy task. Valorant — is a constantly evolving game, with millions of players actively engaged every month. To that end, she clarified that players shouldn’t expect immediate dramatic changes to the look or performance of the game after the transition, but the long-term benefits of UE5 — is what the team is most excited about.

She said that players should not expect immediate dramatic changes to the look or performance of the game after the transition, but the long-term benefits of UE5 — is what the team is most excited about.

Launched in June 2020 for PC, Valorant has quickly become one of the most played multiplayer shooters in the world, with more than 35 million monthly players. As of August 2023, the free-to-play game is also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, continuing its rapid growth across all platforms.

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The move to UE5 — is more than just a technical update; it opens up new possibilities for Valorant and its universe. Donlon hinted that Riot Games could enhance the Valorant experience with new “gameplay features,” though she was silent on any specific projects in development. She said that Riot’s developers are excited about the possibilities of UE5, which could mean bigger and more ambitious plans for the Valorant universe in the future.

She said that Riot’s developers are excited about the possibilities of UE5, which could mean bigger and more ambitious plans for the Valorant universe in the future.

“Maybe these developers are working on something I can’t talk about,” — she hinted. “You might see me or someone from my team here in the future with a very different kind of presentation.”

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Riot Games’ decision to adopt the Unreal Engine from the start was a smart move, as it allows the team a flexible approach to development. The ability to easily move resources and technology between projects in the Unreal ecosystem could lead to exciting new opportunities for players — both in Valorant and beyond.

The ability to easily move resources and technology between projects in the Unreal ecosystem could lead to exciting new opportunities for players — both in Valorant and beyond.

As Riot moves to UE5, players should keep an eye on what’s next, as the engine’s potential offers a glimpse into the future of one of the world’s most popular competitive shooters.