Riot Games is moving on from the classic ocean blue Valorant UI, remodelling it to boost functionality. Most clutter has been replaced with blank spaces and bold text, making the FPS game‘s screen more appealing and easier for players to read — a darker blue now tints the background screen to highlight the updated red and white font.
Valorant has undergone multiple overlay changes in the past, all reflecting the new player base and changing trends within the game. But the recent tweaks are the biggest ones by far. Reevaluating the game’s UX/UI standard, Riot has completely dropped the soft theme, going for a much darker overlay – and it works just fine!
Full changes will only be realized within the game, but players can still check out the sneak peek in the latest PlayValorant blog post. New lobby, pre-match loading, and end of game screens will welcome the players when they log back in after October 18.
While Riot has revamped almost everything from the ground up, the match end screen is the boldest and most stylish out of the bunch. The match details, KDR, and combat score will now be blended with the massive ‘Defeat’ and ‘Victory’ screens, so players won’t have to wait to check out their combat score anymore. The MVP stands in the middle of the combat screen, whereas the remaining four surround the best player on the team.
The match starting screen has also received a facelift. The new ‘match found’ notification looks less busy with the increased contrast in the background. Bold red text now appears on the backdrop of a deep black screen, bringing players’ attention back to the queue. Who knows, the AFK in-the-spawn rate may go down – the notification is just that jolting.
Loading and queue screens will also receive similar tweaks to the overlay to bring a fresh sense of style. But this isn’t all; Riot is working on even more behind the scenes.
“Expect more updates and iterations that bring motion design and overarching visual polish throughout the game. Multiple Valorant teams are in the process of redefining the user experience and visual fidelity of many features,” they write.
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