Ignite a New Gaming IP
VALORANT, the first new IP from Riot Games in 10 years, has arguably become its most future-facing franchise.
Making the launch distinctive in a crowded FPS genre was critical.
It All Started with a Quick Tease...
...a glimpse of the future of Riot. Gaming influencers were caught off guard (happily) by the announcement of a shooter game from Riot that was not part of the League of Legends IP. This was just the beginning.
Next, Trust & Bonafides
We quickly followed the teaser with a more in-depth look into the production of VAL. There were two objectives. First, establish trust by speaking to the core Tactical Shooter (TAC shooter) player’s key concerns about things like: Anti-cheat, Quality Netcode, and combating Peeker’s Advantage. Second, define how VAL would be different as a character-based TAC shooter, one with distinct abilities meant to create a more expressive and stylish form of competitive gameplay, aka CREATIVITY MEETS CLUTCH.
Brand Bible to Brand Action
The player-facing announcement was done. Behind the scenes, A LOT was underway. The actual brand identity development was in full swing, as we rapidly evolved an initial brand style guide into a full-fledged brand bible. We made decisions every day that would determine how we wanted VALORANT to be seen, heard, and experienced. Everything from how Agent and Episodic Keyart appeared to how we showed up in Patch Notes vs. TikTok, how we would represent the VAL universe in cinematics, and how music would manifest as a critical brand behavior was being developed through rigorous collaboration between creative, brand, and dev team leadership.
Boot Camps and Beta Keys
As part of the launch campaign, we had planned influencer boot camp events in which some of the most prominent FPS streamers in gaming would get to play together, meet, create content, and talk to the VAL game devs. Unfortunately, COVID-19 forced a pivot from an in-person to a remote Zoom event. Close to 500 (unpaid) streamers and media members for 3 days played hundreds of games and attended multiple remote in-depth presentations. The plan was always for the boot camps to lead into an ambitious streamed Closed Beta. After the boot camp, we could tell it had worked despite the pivot to online. These streamers weren’t just prepared; they were excited. That excitement translated into a Twitch Rivals VALORANT Showcase event and a Closed Beta that eclipsed expectations. Racking up over 1.7 MM Twitch viewers in one day. The Closed Beta achieved gameplay retention numbers and hours played so insanely high that drops of access keys had to be doubled to accommodate the number of players who wanted to participate.
Agent Golden Moments
The visual aesthetics of VALORANT are different from what most players would expect for a TAC shooter. The highly crafted, illustrative appearance enhances the stylized look of VALORANT but is more common to less exacting shooters where “bullet sponges” run rampant. VALORANT is a game of skillful precision and high lethality. Representing that product experience truth at the forefront of our launch campaign tactics was imperative. At the same time, we wanted to leverage our crucial point of distinction: the Agents. To meet this challenge, we developed the “Golden Moments,” 11 social media-friendly, Agent-focused moments of gameplay depicting an instance in which an Agent’s power fantasy and the gameplay promise of VALORANT come together packaged in the tenets of the brand. Graphically driven, unapologetically global, and music-forward.
The First VALORANT Cinematic
Episode 01 // DUELISTS was our “Mic Tap” launch moment. This marquee video asset would refocus our growing core audience and go wider to capture the attention of potential players who hadn’t engaged with VAL yet. We created the VALORANT cinematic universe to be the gloves-off, ultimate expression of the IP. One in which we didn’t have to abide by the constraints of competitive gameplay integrity. Things like uniform hitboxes (in-game, all agents are roughly the same height and body mass) or time of day (it’s always high-noon in-game, great for a shoot-out, not so great for storytelling). We wanted to make the world of VALORANT broader and deeper by creating a greater context for the in-game realities. For instance, “DUELISTS” explains why the Ascent map takes place on a gravity-defying portion of Venice. Simultaneously, in cinematics, the Agents become more multifaceted. Through a cinematic lens, we sought to depict and enhance those moments when the Agents’ in-game power fantasies and personalities collide. Ultimately, the VAL cinematic universe creates more ways for players to stay connected to the world and characters of VALORANT.
Hit the GaaS
Besides introducing players to the cinematic world of VALORANT, Episode 01 // DUELISTS also introduced players to the language of... well, Episodes. Or the terminology that would delineate the cadence of the live service offering for VALORANT. As well as the frequency at which new in-game content would appear in the form of Battlepasses, weapon skin lines, and other items to enhance in-game personal expression. Each episode start is a momentous moment for players and is often an opportunity to announce, via Gameplay Trailers, impactful additions to the game, like new Agents, maps, and game modes. As this was the first episode, we were primarily focused on gameplay and the Agent’s power fantasies. This first-ever gameplay trailer, IGNITION, was an opportunity to reassert the distinctive VAL brand style we’d been developing since Closed Beta, and it was a prime opportunity to let the Agents’ gameplay shine.
Launching a new title, seven years in the making, was an extraordinary experience. So was the team:
Tom Nguyen / Thiago Gutierrez / Chris Tom / Mike Schaefer / Nikki Lewis / Claire Gregory / Brandon Meier / Nathan Hower / Trevor Thernes / Eddie Kim / Mark Diaz / Brice Cox / Ali Miller / Laura Baltzer-Bonilla / Corby Deglow / Ke Su / Atey Ghailan / Mike Schaeffer / Tone Hoeft / Margaret McClure / David Nottingham / Joshua Brian Smith / Moby Francke / Chris Hunt
creative partners:
