Valorant fans often search for answers on when the game will upgrade to Unreal Engine 5, what new features are coming, and how these changes will impact gameplay. Riot Games is set to deliver on those questions by transitioning Valorant from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5 this July. This upgrade promises smoother performance, faster patch downloads, and lays the foundation for richer graphics and animations, without disrupting the tactical first-person shooter’s familiar gameplay.

The move to Unreal Engine 5 is a major milestone for Valorant, a title that has relied on Unreal Engine 4 since its beta release in 2020. Riot has spent over a decade using Unreal Engine 4 for the game’s development, but the shift to the newer engine will improve framerate stability and overall game responsiveness. Players can expect quicker patch downloads, which enhances the user experience by minimizing wait times. Riot also teased the possibility of future visual improvements, such as enhanced character models and animations, that could leverage Unreal Engine 5’s capabilities. To celebrate this upgrade, players logging in during patch 11.02 will receive an exclusive commemorative gun buddy.

Alongside this engine upgrade, Valorant is launching a brand-new map later this month, which will be available immediately in competitive mode. To ease players into the new battleground, rank rating (RR) losses on this map will be reduced by 50% during the initial two-week patch cycle, encouraging experimentation without the full penalty of rank drops. This thoughtful design choice helps maintain player engagement and competitive integrity as the community adapts to the fresh environment.

September brings another eagerly anticipated feature: Valorant’s long-requested replay system. Initially launching on PC with patch 11.06, this system will allow players to review recent competitive matches, analyze gameplay, and spot suspicious behavior. Riot plans to expand replay availability to consoles later in the year, further strengthening the game’s anti-cheat measures. Complementing this, Riot is introducing multi-factor authentication to combat smurfing—where higher-ranked players manipulate accounts to unfairly boost ranks—and a new reporting tool targeting rank and matchmaking abuses.

These upgrades highlight Riot Games’ commitment to enhancing Valorant’s competitive ecosystem through technical innovation and player-focused features. With the Unreal Engine 5 upgrade, a fresh map, and an advanced replay system, Valorant aims to maintain its edge as a premier competitive shooter while delivering higher performance and fairer gameplay.