In a recent Q&A blog posted online, Riot Games has addressed criticism of a statement once made by Riot Games that in Valorant “abilities don’t kill”. Obviously, there are instances where abilities can in fact kill players on their own, and some fans have accused Riot of breaking a promise on this issue. According to Riot, the statement was lacking in nuance.
Valorant ‘Abilities Don’t Kill’… Except When They Do
“This statement isn’t completely accurate,” writes Valorant Character Design Lead Ryan “Morello” Scott; “especially in a game that already had Raze and Killjoy’s gameplay locked in before our announcement… Anyway, that was our mistake – a big part of that mistake was in missing the nuance (specifically that tactical fundamentals – not just “abilities don’t kill” – are a key component).
According to Scott, most Valorant abilities are designed to “generate threat” rather than kill outright. While some abilities do cause direct-damage and can indeed kill, that outcome generally isn’t their primary design goal. Rather, they’re intended to either distract, soften up targets, or force enemies to move in certain ways. “Guns should be the primary method used to finish off opponents,” he explains; “In cases where that isn’t holding up – like mid-combat Blast Pack usage – we’ll fix those as part of our ongoing commitment to tactical gameplay.”
The nuance that the original “abilities don’t kill” statement was lacking is that the purpose of abilities is never solely to be a lethal weapon. Rather, they should typically serve as support options which create opportunities for gunshot kills. It doesn’t mean that abilities never kill. Indeed, regarding Scott’s example, Riot did indeed nerf the Blast Pack ability in their latest patch. It now does considerably less damage to players. Meanwhile, its damage against static obstacles has gone up dramatically. As a result, Riot have reinforced its role as a tool to break obstacles rather than as a direct-damage weapon.