Riot Games has just launched the newly embellished Mystbloom 2.0 bundle in the VALORANT store, which is a little bit of a problem for the community. The official VALORANT Updated account on X pointedly asked the game players: “Are you buying or skipping?” in an instant announcement. The conflicting answers resemble nothing less than the much-rumored dispute of the gamers’ community: on the one hand the craving for the latest virtual products, on the other hand the inability to afford them due to real-life finances, like the rent.
The division among players is very clear from the very beginning. Some players were not shy at all. User ‘kaeniswq’ replied immediately, “already bought it ☝️,” and thus represented the instant-gratification crew that will buy no questions asked and without thinking just clicks the purchase button. Helen has chimed in too saying, “I just bought the vandal and outlaw 💅🏻 cant skip it,” while ‘ypslackiert’ declared it an “Instant Buy.” On the contrary, ‘sofi 🪷’ and ‘Ruki’ briefly pointed out their purchases with Ruki saying, “I have them both now!” So it’s a large group of floral, ethereal design fans who opened their wallets without a second thought.
On the other hand, another side exists. The skeptics. The careful with budgets. ‘Rtas’ gave us the most sincere answer of all: “Skipping, I got rent to pay.” A mood, to be honest. A universal mood. And they are not the only ones in doubt. The discussion soon turned into the usual complaints gamers have with the VALORANT cosmetic system. ‘TinyViper’ asked, “Stop making them so expensive lmao,” which was basically the same thing as ‘EDG lulu’ who pleaded, “pls make radianite cheaper i dont want to spend almost double the price of one gun to not even completely upgrade the skin.” That radianite economy, man. It’s an endless complaint. You buy the skin but unlocking all the cool colors and effects costs almost as much as the skin itself. It is difficult to persuade people to buy it.
The bundle includes skins for the Vandal, Ghost, Ares, and the Outlaw. Of course, players are doing the classic cost-benefit analysis. User ‘Rin’ analyzed it: “vandal + ghost, evori already has that, no one uses ares, only the outlaw is the good gun skin here. overall the fanblade is the only thing worth buying.” It’s a reasonable logic. Why buy a skin for a gun you hardly ever use? Another user, ‘ASHXUra’, took a minimalist approach: “Got the playercard rest i’ll skip.” Sometimes all you want is the little flair item and call it a day.
But wait, the plot thickens. The release of Mystbloom 2.0 is paired with another major community news item—the Night Market. A large number of replies totally bypassed the bundle and instead asked about the popular discount shop. “When is the nightmarket?” asked ‘itzduaaa-_’. The official VALORANT account actually went into the replies on a related thread, teasing, “Don’t miss the opportunity, the Night Market returns December 11th.” That’s huge! Knowing about the possibility of getting random older skins at a lower price just around the corner is definitely going to make some players reconsider buying a full-priced bundle. Why not wait until next week to get a sick deal on something else instead of getting Mystbloom today? ‘Ceetser’ even made a joke with a little regional shade, saying, “Maybe if NA was allowed a night market.”
The excitement didn’t stop there. Players are already inquiring about upcoming bundles. “When does run it back gonna come?” was the question posed by ‘Sriyeah’. A different person was interested in the “Sprinkle biscuit pack.” The official account responded to one question with the words, “stay tuned 👀,” which is just enough to keep everybody guessing and wanting more. It is a constant cycle of hype.
What can we learn from the Mystbloom 2.0? Unquestionably it is beautiful. The light-sweet colors and the whimsical effects are typical for a bundle with that name. Nonetheless, the release has acted as a lightning conductor, attracting all the ongoing discussions about VALORANT’s pricing, the worth of radianite, and the strategic purchase timing around events like the Night Market. Some gamers are taking advantage of it, pampering their Agents with new outfits, while others have their virtual wallets tightly shut, either waiting for a sale or just prioritizing, you know, the actual survival needs like housing.
This back-and-forth is what keeps live-service games like VALORANT up and running. Developers from Riot Games release new content to improve the experience and keep players engaged. This ecosystem of hype and commerce also exists on platforms like PlayStation and Xbox, where similar discussions about value and timing take place.
