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Riot’s eSports shooter Valorant is distributed with a free-to-play model. Money should bring in “many different cosmetic contents”. The developers assure that none of the numerous offers should have any impact on the gameplay that has been rated positively by players so far.
This attitude is imperative, after all, Valorant should compete with Counter Strike, among other things. A competitive game cannot possibly sell playful advantages and at the same time organize sporting competitions: fairness is a basic requirement for competitions. This takes into account monetization.
Heroes are unlocked (faster)
One pillar of the Valorant concept are heroes, each of whom throws their own skills into the balance. New heroes unlock players via “contracts”, which can be understood as a free mini battle pass. Each contract has ten levels, which are unlocked with earned experience points, but only one agent contract can be active at a time. In addition to the character, the contracts unlock cosmetic extras. Only the so-called introductory pass for new players works differently, which gives access to two agents of your choice after completion.
While this system does not sell pawns in Valorant, Riot does offer to jump directly to level 5 of an agent contract for a payment. Only the remaining levels all players have to unlock equally. It is not clear from the developers’ statements whether the respective agent is unlocked at level 5, but paying players will at least be able to accelerate the unlocking process considerably.
Skins in the Battle Pass and Shop
Experience points are automatically added to the current Battle Pass, which also unlocks cosmetic extras. A free and a paid version are offered.
Riot offers more skins and other, yet unknown embellishments in an in-game shop. Here you have to pay with the premium currency “Valorant Points”, which can only be bought for money.
Skins can level
A skin is not necessarily “finished” with the purchase. Some designs can be upgraded with “Radianit points”. Players receive this crafting currency as a reward from the Battle Pass and the in-game shop. Skin upgrades promise new graphic effects, different sounds, animations and new finishers.
These changes have no effect on balancing, explains Riot. Other players only see the equipped skin, animations and sound and graphics card effects are always output in the standard version, others are reserved for their owners. In this way, the developers ensure that the game remains clearly legible and, for example, that acoustic orientation is perfectly guaranteed.
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