2023 was arguably the best year for Valorant since its inception, but as with all things, it wasn't perfect. With 2024 just around the corner, this is the perfect time to take a good look at Valorant and see what changes would propel the game even further.
There are plenty of things Valorant can do better, and there are others where it absolutely needs to do better. These changes will deliver a better gaming experience and a healthier esports scene, resolving the problems of casual and pro players.
So let's get right to it.
Smurfing
Smurfing is one of the biggest problems in competitive video games, and unfortunately, it also plagues Valorant. What's worst is that it's very easy to smurf in Valorant, with players being able to buy an account and jump into ranked in just a few minutes.
The huge problem with smurfing is that it completely takes out the enjoyment of the game, at least for the ones on the receiving end. It negatively impacts the gaming experience of players and has driven out many players from playing ranked.
Yes, you indeed learn a lot by playing with people better than you, and losing is part of the process. However, if you are a gold player and get matched against a Diamond or Ascendant smurf, you won't learn anything, you will simply get steamrolled.
When the difference in skill is so huge, the lower ELO player won't even realise what is going on. Because of that, they won't be able to learn anything from that game and instead just become frustrated, sad, and angry.
So Valorant needs to do a better job of cracking down smurfing accounts. If you have an 85% win rate on gold, you either are the second coming of aspas or you're smurfing. Common sense points towards the second option.
No reason to play ranked
As of right now, there are very few reasons for Valorant players to play ranked. The mode is plagued by many issues, with the smurfing problem we touched on above being one of them but the toxicity, cheating, and above all, lack of real reward for reaching a certain rank are all problems.
If you want to be a pro player and dream of playing in the VCT, then playing ranks makes sense for you. After all, reaching Radiant and ranking as high as possible in the leaderboard can get pro players and teams to notice you.
However, this only constitutes 1% of the Valorant player base, at best. Most players don't have the desire to be pro players, and even if they are extremely competitive, there needs to be some kind of reward for reaching a certain rank, or players will lose interest in playing.
Currently, players only receive a gun buddy with the colour of their rank and the Valorant Episode engraved in it. This is underwhelming, especially because Riot Games' flagship title, LoL, offers much better-ranked rewards.
Having a unique skin for each rank, a gun buddy, and exclusive player cards, as the end of the Act rank rewards, would be a much better way of rewarding players.
Valorant could even take a page from LoL and offer players that reached the highest rank in the game, Radiant, a custom jacket or backpack, something truly unique.
Toxicity
Similar to smurfing, Toxicity is something that affects all multiplayer video games, and Valorant suffers a lot from it.
Since Valorant is a game that requires a lot of communication, toxicity can really damage the gaming experience of players. In many cases, it can make it significantly harder to win a game, because your toxic teammate doesn't provide valuable information, or because you had to mute him due to how toxic he was, and are now essentially playing a 4v5 game.
This is something that affects players from all ranks. If you think only low elo players suffer from this, then you are very wrong. Ascendant and above players also experience this, and there is even a case to be made toxicity is worse in higher ranks.
That's mainly because people think that reaching Ascendant or Immortal puts them on the same level as Derke, aspas, or TenZ and that they are immune from criticism and making mistakes. I'm sorry to tell you this couldn't be further from the truth, if even pro players make mistakes you will too.
Even if you are indeed better than your teammates, and they are making some rookie mistakes, being toxic never is the solution. Most players will just mute you, which harms the experience of everyone in the game because comms won't be as fluid. Others will play scared, which results in them playing even worse.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to have a community 100% free of toxic players, but Riot Games can implement better measures to prevent or punish toxic players. Harsher punishments for being Toxic, such as ranked bans, rank demotion, banned from the game for a few days, and many others.
Players need to feel that if they are toxic they will get punished. That feeling alone would prevent a lot of people from being toxic, and make Valorant much more enjoyable.
Figure out what you want for Tier 2!
Valorant Esports had a great year, with record viewership, incredible international events, and many memorable moments. However, while Tier 1 was thriving, despite a horrendous calendar, Tier 2 is dying, especially in North America.
Organizations are afraid of investing in Tier 2 because it simply isn't worth the risk, as there isn't a lot to play for. If you don't make it into Challengers you have nothing to compete for in the rest of the year.
If you manage to make it to Challengers you still need to qualify for Ascension, and then qualify for the VCT, otherwise, your year is a failure. Even if you win Ascension and earn your spot in the VCT, there is a chance your organization doesn't meet the requirements to enter the partnership program.
Combine all that with the Global Head of Valorant Esports, Leo Faria, saying in an interview that:
"We don't look for stability in Tier 2, we want it to be a league that develops talents for VCT"
It becomes clear some many organizations are pulling out from Tier 2, and why many others are afraid of entering the scene. Having a strong Tier 2 scene is crucial for every Esports game, and it's no different for Valorant.
How do you want to develop talents for Tier 1, if you don't have a strong Tier 2 scene that provides players with a chance to dedicate all of their time to Valorant and improving at the game, while still making a living?
It's unreasonable to think most players will be able to dedicate a minimum of 8-10 hours per day to Valorant, without earning a single penny. This only alienates talented players from the scene, making it a lose-lose situation. Players can't follow their dreams, and we are robbed of watching some potential superstar players compete in the biggest stages Valorant has to offer.
So Valorant needs to do something about the Tier 2 scene. Create measures that attract organizations and make it worth investing in the space. Give players the chance to dedicate themselves to their craft while making a living. Only this way will you be able to have a sustained income of talented players from Tier 2 into Tier 1.
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