Riot explains the process behind creating the VALORANT battle pass

Riot Games elaborated on the creative process behind the VALORANT battle pass and what goes into creating the various cosmetics and items for players to enjoy in a blog post today.

The premium content team is in charge of creating a product that’s broadly appealing to VALORANT fans. The team understands that not everyone will like every item included in the battle pass, but there should be at least one item they find appealing. The team explained in the latest Dev Diary how they create the various items and what inspires them in each Act. 

The team makes sure to include a free track in the battle pass to let players earn rewards and feel included without having to spend money. There are also specific items, such as the Tactibear Buddy, that the team didn’t want to keep behind a paywall. 

Players who purchase the battle pass should have at least one item that fits their style, so the premium content team ensures to create a “diverse range of options” for cosmetics. These range from sci-fi, fantasy, artsy, or a combination of multiple styles. The tier order also changes in every battle pass to allow players to unlock skins for various weapons each Act without having to always complete all 50 tiers. 

The brainstorming process for the skins and cosmetics allows the team to pitch outlandish ideas in a safe space. The team focuses on quantity instead of quality in the early stages and narrows down the final ideas as they go. More significant ideas aren’t always scrapped and can be saved for later when the team has more time. 

Each battle pass is designed to feel like a “cohesive package” and not just a randomly put together group of items. The premium content team considers things such as new agents being released, new maps, global events or holidays, the current meta, and what they’d like to tease about VALORANT when creating the items. This keeps a relative theme throughout the pass without straying too far. 

Related: Riot further teases VALORANT’s Episode 2 with an image of a dead clock

But there’s “theme diversity” in each pass, such as the Ruin collection in the Act III battle pass being fantasy-themed while the Surge collection is more straightforward. The popularity of previous items is also considered, such as the positive reaction to the Tactibear Buddy, which led to the creation of the Tactisqurrel Buddy. 

The internal VALORANT team has also been responsible for various items such as the Potato Aim Gun Buddy, which is an obvious nod to poor aim. Some items are designed to communicate specific ideas to other players, like pairing the Sad Crab spray with the Potato Aim Gun Buddy to let your teammates know that you aren’t the best at the game. 

This brief look into the creative process behind the battle passes shows players that each item is selected with care. The premium content team ensures that there’s something for every player in the battle pass and makes sure to create a cohesive experience.