Valorant is transitioning to Unreal Engine 5, but don't hold your breath for an immediate graphical leap with the shift. Instead, this is a "necessary" change that could lead to "new playable experiences" within the Valorant universe, according to Valorant studio head Anna Donlon at Riot.

Speaking at Unreal Fest Seattle 2024, Donlon came on stage to talk about Valorant and how integral Unreal Engine has been for the hero shooter. She mentioned that her team has "squeezed literally every ounce of everything we could get out of UE4, so now we make the move to UE5." Donlon knows this is tough with a live-service game, "but it is necessary, for sure."

From there, Donlon dialed back player expectations for a major visual overhaul with the move to Unreal Engine 5. But that didn't stop the studio head from teasing an expansion of the Valorant universe.