Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, Riot Games has given the community some actual information on the much-anticipated VALORANT replay system. Some players have some thoughts. The feature shall be released in September with Patch 11.06; the funny thing is that it will be rolled out first for Competitive mode, while other modes will follow. And with console support coming in “later this year,” PC players are going to first get dibs on this. All those minutes of gnashing of teeth with fine print for a feature the people have been screaming for since the game’s launch!
Now, why the staggered release? Riot hasn’t fully gone into the reasoning, but it’s most probably to do with squashing bugs for all modes. Yet, this has not stopped people from raising questions. Here’s a player named @Jabiya13 flatly questioning, “Why are VALORANT devs so complicated why not just release for ALL MODES?” And honestly? Fair enough! On the flip side, people like @vortex466 are just thrilled that they will finally have an opportunity to see what their teammates are doing while they themselves are out there trying to save their lives.
But the real backlash surrounding the bigger drama is not really about the system itself but more about the timing. Many replies, one from @MAGiKzera included, hit Riot with the “AFTER 5 YEARS” meme alongside the classic clown emoji. Can you blame them? VALORANT has been around since 2020, while its competitor, CS:GO, now CS2, has had this system forever. Some, like @yyector, saw the news as a chance to throw shade to which @_watersheep_ shot back with an “Play cs then.” Eesh.
Then the other fight is being stirred up in the replies. For some strange reason, the announcement has turned into a fierce VAC battle. One camp (mostly the CS fans) says VALORANT is “the worst state it’s ever been”(thank you, @irawdogjuuls), with VALORANT loyalists firing back about instant bans for cheaters. @lewlens flexed, “I’ve been playing Val for 5 years and I’ve only encountered 3 cheaters,” to which… sure, Jan.
That said, content creators might be quietly winning the prize. @EternalValorES tagged another editor, “Time to farm some clips,” and honestly? Mood. The replay system has been what montage creators and analysts have been begging for. No more shaky OBS recordings or crossing fingers that POTG actually named them.
So, for some, September can’t come fast enough, whilst some keep throwing shade towards Riot’s rollout plan. Will the replay system be as anticipated? It’s up in the air for now. But one thing is sure: VALORANT players have opinions, and usually, they don’t hold back. We’ll be over here refreshing those patch notes like it is our job.
(For all you console players, just hang on: maybe.)
