Valorant has continued its rise in popularity since its initial release in 2020. With almost two years under its belt, it shows no signs of stopping, capturing the attention of long-time Riot fans and Counter-Strike enthusiasts alike with its clean, challenging, and unique spin on the tried and tested formula. The combination of old-school Counter-Strike gameplay and Riot's exceptional skill in designing complex and multi-faceted agents has taken the genre in a wholly new and unexpected direction.
While Valorant already allows its players to purchase and unlock unique weapon skins, players have been wondering if the game will follow in the footsteps of titles like League Of Legends and grant players the ability to change their character skins as well. While the idea has been considered by Riot, there are several issues impeding the implementation of an agent skin system, and these issues will have to be dealt with before Riot makes any future moves.
Agent Skins Could Change an Agent's Hitbox
It's widely speculated that any changes to an agent's skin might significantly change their hitbox, giving some players an advantage in competitive play. This was an especially prevalent problem in Apex Legends, wherein Legends not only had hitboxes of various sizes, but their skins sometimes gave them "extra padding." Using Apex Legends as a case study, Riot is aiming to make sure that any skins they add wouldn't affect agent hitboxes and boost opposing teams' chances. A larger hitbox in a game like Apex Legends is less of a problem due to the speed and ease of movement, but in a game like Valorant where one hit can kill, the hitbox issue only becomes larger.
Agent Skins Could Hide a Player
Many games like Apex Legends and Fortnite have seen their character skins help players blend into the environment, making them harder to see and harder to hit, providing those players with an unfair advantage when compared to those without camouflaging skins. This could be a huge problem in Valorant, where only a few seconds of hesitation can result in a player being eliminated. Combined with the many agent abilities, a player making use of such a skin would just be another factor that dictates the meta of the game.
A Possible Solution to the Agent Skin Problem
There are several potential fixes for the agent skin problem, but the most effective one would be a blanket ban on agent skins in competitive play, evening the playing field for those wishing to experience the game at a serious and competitive level. This isn't a permanent fix, however. It could still unbalance unrated matches which are a core part of the game. There's also the problem of some people saying that if they can't use their skins in every game mode, what's the point in having them?
All these factors create a tightrope that Riot must walk in order to implement agent skins and keep the majority of its player base happy. In truth, it's unlikely players will see new agent skins any time soon, but it's still a possibility for the future if Riot can figure out a way to make the skins work.