VALORANT executive producer Anna Donlon put out a dev diary update today from home called “Shipping Amid COVID-19.” It offers some insight into what it’s like to try to ship a game in these uncertain times.
“First, my top priority is making sure that both the VALORANT dev team and our partners around the world are safe and well,” Donlon said. “So far, we’re still feeling pretty optimistic about our launch this summer, but it is super early, and with each week we discover brand new challenges to overcome.”
Donlon also said that rolling out VALORANT’s ambitious infrastructure has been affected by the outbreak, along with quality assurance testing. All of the people who work on these things have been working from home.
“The plan was to bring the VALORANT closed beta to as many players around the world as quickly as possible, but for now, we’ll have to start by focusing on just the regions where we feel most ready,” Donlon said. This means the U.S., Canada, and Europe get first dibs, with other regions getting access “in the months to come.”
Riot is hoping for patience with the beta. Donlon said she expects it to be “a little bumpier than usual,” considering the current circumstances.
“You’re going to see some bugs,” she said. “Some things are going to feel really polished, other things not so much. Your ping might not be as good as what we’re aiming for because physical data centers need to be built and set up.”
VALORANT’s closed beta kicks off tomorrow, April 7.
