Riot gave fans a behind-the-scenes look into the creation of the Elderflame Collection today, VALORANT’s first Ultra Edition skin line. And since there aren’t any real-life dragons to source sounds from, the developers had to improvise.
VALORANT sound designer Isaac Kikawa “casually” shared audio with his team one day, creating a “distinct, powerful, and threatening” voice that left the developers “inspired.”
“Isaac explained that he mixed all sorts of sounds to create the dragon’s roars: walruses, Bengal tigers, and of course the Yellow Backed Chattering Lory, among others,” according to the blog. “About two months before we shipped Dragon, Isaac made a few additional recordings for the Finisher, which meant befriending a very large camel.”
Kikawa also stripped audio from a phone recording of an alligator, adding that to the list of animals that create the unique Elderflame roars.
Players can upgrade their Elderflame skins using Radianite, which unlocks different animations and sounds. Getting a gun to level four, for example, will give you the Elderflame Finisher that calls a dragon from the sky to set your opponent’s corpse on fire.
Since the Elderflame Collection is the first Ultra Edition skin line, it’s accompanied by a hefty price tag. VALORANT fans looking to pick up the full bundle will have to shell out about $90, which includes a skin for the Frenzy pistol, Judge shotgun, Vandal assault rifle, and Operator sniper rifle. The bundle also includes the melee weapon for “free,” along with a spray, gun buddy, and player card.
