End of Year: Art Team

'Twas the night before launch, when all through the studio
Not a PC was stirring, not even aglow;
The internet was hyped by the beta, you see,
In hopes that VALORANT soon would be free;
The artists were nestled all snug in their homes;
While visions of merry players danced in their domes...

Players,

What a year it has been. One for the books...you know, the ones we have in our meeting backgrounds.

No joke, the first half of the year was tough. So much work went into getting VALORANT ready for its big debut, and while there was definitely excitement and optimism, it was tempered with a healthy dose of anxiety. Late style changes, complex performance issues, and many other challenges faced the team, not to mention the transition to working from home. But we rallied behind the potential for the game, and came together for the final push to release.

The art in VALORANT is a delicate balance: we designed the game to be beautiful and fresh, with unique characters and a modern style, while prioritizing butter-smooth performance and hyper-clear gameplay. Or at least that is what we hoped we’d done. We wouldn’t know for certain until we let it loose into the world and you told us how we did.

The reception of the game has exceeded our expectations and y’all have made the monumental effort worth it. The appreciation for the style and clarity, affection for the characters, hype for the gun skins, curiosity about the world—it was more than we could have hoped for.

For real, you’ve taught us a lot about how we could improve since our launch and we wanted to express our gratitude for how emphatically you have embraced the game. You’ve made these last six months much brighter for us. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm for the future of VALORANT. As they say, this is just the beginning, and 2021 has lots of goodies in store.

We look forward to growing the game alongside you!

—The VALORANT Art Team