Valorant Revisits 2020 While Planning Riskier Agents In The Future

Riot Games is heralding the end of 2020 with a series of developer diaries for Valorant highlighting the past and future of nearly all aspects of the game. From premium content to maps to audio to art, just about every division of the dev team is getting a chance to say a few words as the calendar runs out. It's a nice way to reminisce on a successful launch year while also giving the individuals who poured the most effort into the game a moment in the spotlight.

Obviously, we can't take the time to call out and analyze every piece, of which there are already 10, so hit up the Valorant news section if you want to see them all. You might learn a few things you didn't know, like what the competitive play team's plans are for 2021 or even what an "expressions team" is. (Spoiler: They're the people who manage the battle pass, missions, UI, the store.)

Nestled in amongst the retrospectives is a State of the Agents report, provided by Character Producer John Goscicki. He wants to address the power level of controller characters (Omen, Viper, and Brimstone) while better differentiating the roles of duelists and initiators. Giving those latter two categories team-focused powers will help make teamwork more appealing.

In the future, he wants to take more risks with new agents, "evolving what is possible in an ability based tac shooter." The next agent slated for release is "for all you 'lurkers' out there, who will keep you on your toes around which angles are truly safe."