Why Valorant Is Switching To Unreal Engine 5

Riot Games has confirmed that Valorant is making the jump to Unreal Engine 5 soon, but what does this actually mean for the game? If you’re wondering how this change will affect gameplay, visuals, or future updates, here’s what you need to know.

Why Is Riot Upgrading Valorant’s Engine?

A game engine is basically the backbone of a video game. It’s what developers use to build mechanics, visuals, and all the little details that make the game feel unique.

Some studios, like Naughty Dog, create their own engines from scratch to push graphics to the next level. Others, like Riot, use existing engines to develop their games.

Since its launch, Valorant has been running on Unreal Engine 4 (UE4), a game engine developed by Epic Games. But now, after four years on the market, Riot has decided it’s time to upgrade to Unreal Engine 5 (UE5).

Now, you might be thinking—why upgrade if Valorant isn’t a game that focuses on ultra-realistic visuals? That’s a fair question, and even Riot’s Studio Head, Anna Donlan, admitted at Unreal Fest 2024 that “graphics-forward” isn’t exactly how people would describe the game. Valorant’s priority has always been clarity and performance.

However, switching to UE5 isn’t about making the game look better—it’s about making development smoother.

One example Donlan gave was the console port of Valorant. Riot had never released a live service game on consoles before, but thanks to Unreal Engine’s built-in console support, they didn’t have to build everything from scratch. 

Will This Change the Way Valorant Looks or Plays?

If you’re expecting big changes to Valorant’s graphics or gameplay, don’t hold your breath—at least not right away.

According to Donlan, the transition to UE5 won’t dramatically change how the game looks or performs in the short term. Instead, the upgrade is more about giving the developers the tools they need to experiment and push the game forward in the future.

Right now, Valorant is running on UE 4.27, and Riot has pushed that version to its limits. Moving to UE5 is simply the next step. While this upgrade won’t bring immediate visual improvements, it could open the door for new gameplay experiences down the line.