VALORANT Skins
Skins in games are cosmetic items that players can buy to change the appearance of their character, weapons, items, etc. They do not affect gameplay in any manner. All the items will play the same, but just look different for the purpose of customization. Players buy skins for various reasons. A few of them are:
-They just found something cool and decided to buy it.
-It helps them express themselves better.
-They are collectors, they like getting every item in their possession. Even the rarest ones.
-They want to brag. They just want to show off in front of other players and be proud.
-They aim to buy the items and sell them later at a higher rate.
Now, how are skins in VALORANT different? What makes them more than just visual skin changes? let’s take a look at the different types of skins available in the game one by one.
There are basically three types of weapon skins in Valorant:
- Where there is just a texture change.
These can be considered as a cool overlay on the default weapon skin. This is targeted towards the players who are bored of the default skin and want to look at something different, something visually more appealing than the default skin. These skins are usually the cheapest among the three as they only have a visual change on the weapon. So, the players who can’t afford the expensive skins can still have something for themselves. This also gives the players a slight confidence boost, but that is purely intrinsic.
2. Where there is a texture change along with a unique attribute.
These skins are similar to the first type as all the other factors related to the weapon remain the same except for the visuals of it. But, it is different than normal textured skin. It has a different unique aspect which is pretty cool and makes the skin stand out. Let’s look at two of the skins from the game that fall under this category.
- VALORANT GO! VOl 1.
This skin bundle features agents from the game. It has stickers of the agents on the weapons that are not static textures. They move dynamically depending on which side of the weapon is visible to the player. It uses the weapon as a canvas to display the main attraction of the skin i.e. the sticker. This is a really interesting skin and is worth a little more than the normal ones. Players who ‘main’ different agents can add the respective skin to their collection. For example, if someone really loves Reyna (an agent in the game), they can add this phantom (weapon) to their collection and use it in fights which will definitely give them some intrinsic motivation to be better at one on one gun battles. This also gives the players a really personalized experience and of course, lets them show off the skin.
- Winterwunderland
This is a special holiday skin with a changing overlay on the weapons. Here also, the skin uses the weapon as a canvas and keeps changing it dynamically. Depending on where the player is, the overlay changes. If the player is in a well-lit spot, it displays daytime and if they are in a dimly lit spot, it displays evening time and the lights get on. This skin falls under this category as all the other things remain the same and this changing overlay is again, only a visual change.
3. Where the look, shape, and all other feedback elements of the weapon are changed.
This is the most interesting category of all. The skins belonging to this category have more than just texture changes and gimmicks. They have changes in their look, shape, animation, VFX, and audio. All these things define the experience of using a weapon, changing it gives a completely different experience. Even though the functionality of the weapon i.e. fire rate, run speed, equip speed, reload speed, bullet spread, etc. remains the same, the feeling of using a skin falling under this category, sure is different.
These skins have a base model with additional equips for Animation, VFX, and Kill Banner for radianite points which the players can either buy or get by grinding and getting XP.
Let’s consider two examples of such skins:
- Prime
The prime vandal is arguably the most preferred skin in the game for the vandal (weapon). Players joke that it gives you aimbot, which is obviously not true, but what makes it so good? It is just another skin right. The answer is the signs and feedback of the weapon. The major reason is the audio. The shooting sound of the prime vandal is soft, crisp, and clear unlike the default one. This makes it relatively easier to control the spray of the gun. The pew pew laser sound is much better and soothing to hear than the loud assault rifle sound while shooting. This makes players tap heads with more accuracy and get more kills. This is a placebo. A placebo is something that is supposed to have no actual effect but makes you feel that it does. Similarly, here, there is no fundamental change in the properties of the weapon, but it still makes players feel that they get better at the game while using this skin.
- Elderflame
This skin bundle is one of the most expensive and the coolest in the game. It is like having a dragon for a weapon, and with all the animations and VFX unlocked, it surely lives up to it. Some players prefer elderflame vandal over the prime as they feel it helps them shoot better and be more accurate because of the low and soft dragon scream sound used as the shooting audio for the weapon. While on the contrary, there are some players who find it less accurate and difficult to control because of so many animations and movements of the dragon.
What all goes into designing a premium skin bundle?
Theme
The theme of the bundle is the first step towards giving a direction to the skins. This is chosen very carefully, taking into consideration what themes players would want in the game. After a lot of surveys and discussions, the team finalizes a theme and starts working towards it. This theme binds every weapon in the bundle together and is different from any other skin in the game, making it easily distinguishable.
Weapon’s design
While designing a weapon there is freedom over adding all sorts of shapes and textures to it, but the gameplay constraints have to be taken into account. For example, a melee can be of any shape or size but it needs to follow the rules of gameplay, like, hit distance for the melee, the time it takes between two attacks, and so on. The weapons also should be modeled in such a way that it is clear to the players which weapon it is and to what bundle of skin it belongs. This is not only the case when the player is holding the weapon, but also when they see other players holding it, or they see it placed on the ground.
VFX
The VFX makes the skin look even cooler. The muzzle flashes, bullet traces, and reload effects make it feel premium while not being too distracting at the same time. The objective is to make the skin look awesome while still letting the players focus on the gameplay and mechanics.
Animation (Equip, Fire, Reload, Inspect)
All the animations associated with the skin should definitely be similar as far as the metrics are concerned. This means that the time to equip a weapon, fire it, reload it, or inspect it should be the same irrespective of the animation of the skin. This ensures that the weapon feels familiar and maintains the integrity of the game.
Audio
The audio of the skin is one of the most unique attributes that really completes the experience of the skin. It has a great impact on making the player feel good or bad about the skin. The firing sound plays a big role in helping the player control their spray. It is really a personal preference for the player that decides if the audio enhances or ruins the experience for them.
Kill Banner
Every premium skin has a different customized kill banner that gets displayed on the screen when the player gets a kill. This adheres to the theme and adds to the experience.
Finisher
This is the animation that pops up when the player gets the last kill of the round with the skin. This feels super rewarding every time. Let’s say you pull a 1v3 clutch, the skin’s finisher just makes it much more special and stylish!
Concluding, I would like to say that the game offers something for everyone while also taking the skin game to a whole new level with new creative skins coming in. It is really difficult to push the boundaries while maintaining the competitive integrity that the game has, and Riot is doing an amazing job at this.
References:
https://playvalorant.com/en-us/news/dev/the-craft-and-fantasy-of-valorant-weapon-skins/
