Riot Games recently released another major lore cinematic for Valorant, titled Duality. It shed some new light on aspects of the world (or worlds). But it raised so many new questions. To answer some of these questions, without giving too much away, the narrative team took to Reddit to do a Valorant story and lore AMA (ask me anything).
While sifting through the aftermath of the Valorant lore AMA on Reddit, I felt like an archeologist digging through dirt rich in dinosaur bones. There are so many good pieces of info that don’t spoil anything but give us hints about the future and universe of Valorant.
A lot of the answers in the AMA were deflections. The narrative team clearly didn’t want to give too much away, and fans were asking some direct questions. The most common question of the day was, “Is Omen an octopus?” Riot didn’t confirm or deny it.
I really like the clear answer the writers gave about Radiants and their place in society. It paints a much clearer picture of the structure of the world. Riot revealed that the world knows about and accepts Radiants. They are not common in society, and most of their powers are very limited. However, there are a rare few with very high potential. Now that’s exciting.
Astra looks like she has a lot of power and she’s referred to as an Astral Guardian.
Not everything is black and white
One of the biggest takeaways from the answers given by the Valorant narrative team during the story and lore AMA is that there are no good or bad characters. Technology and resources are just tools used by people. And people are all fighting for what they believe is right or good.
The Duality cinematic all but confirmed that the hero-based tactical shooter is set in a world with two dimensions (at least). The AMA confirmed that there is an Earth 1 and a Mirror World. It was also confirmed that the agents from Earth 1 have never been to the Mirror World, and they do not have the technology to do so. That’s why they are always defending. It also means that all the maps in Valorant are set on Earth 1.
One Redditor asked if radianite has allowed humanity to explore space significantly more than we have in reality. The writers replied by revealing that radianite does allow for many space-faring opportunities. However, the team then threw a curveball by asking how space is defined. I think they’re suggesting radianite is the resource the Mirror World uses to traverse through dimensions. It’s probably only a matter of time before the inhabitants of Earth 1 discover this and take the fight to the Mirror World.
The lives and loves of Valorant agents
There were a few questions about how the agents know one another and which ones could potentially be romantically involved. The narrative team said it has plotted a lot of this already. However, it will only reveal these details when it advances the game’s story or a character’s profile.
Fans seem to love Raze and Killjoy as a potential couple. Riot didn’t deny this scenario and even said the two clearly have chemistry, but it didn’t suggest the theory was true. One story arc that I suspect needs to be told, based on an existing Player Card and some in-game voice lines, is a conflict between Reyna and Viper. The little girl in the card is “someone very special to Reyna” according to the writers. Reyna refers to her as “hermonita,” which means “little sister.” Viper was a chemist, so was it medicine that went wrong? Was Viper trying to help or hurt Reyna? So many questions.
The Valorant lore AMA on Reddit revealed there are a lot of character narratives to be told.
Valorant Protocol
At this point, we know that Valorant Protocol is the team on Earth 1 made up of Radiants. They’re kind of the defenders of Earth. Viper and Brimstone are the earliest members of the team. However, the writers revealed that Omen has a central role to play in the core conflict and the origin story of Valorant Protocol.
While Viper and Brimstone are the leaders of Valorant Protocol, the narrative team suggested in one answer in the Reddit lore AMA that the entity backing them will become important. This answer tells us that Valorant Protocol isn’t independent. And it isn’t necessarily fighting to defend the world. It is serving someone’s agenda.
I need more lore
Well, we’re all going to have to wait. Riot confirmed that the cadence of the Valorant story cinematics will continue at the same pace. It’s not that the team doesn’t want to do more, this is just how long it takes to produce the work.
Fans, myself included, have loved the lore they’ve been able to dig into so far. But we want more. When asked if there would ever be Valorant lore released in other media, like comics and TV shows, the writers responded with a strong desire to do so. However, attention is currently firmly on the game. Another response said that things are just getting started.
For now, focus on clicking heads and defusing Spikes.
The core conflict, agent narratives, and the arc of the universe are all mapped out. When we get more story and lore for Valorant is just a matter of time. To take a page out of the Valorant narrative AMA, what is time anyway?
Valorant has just passed its first anniversary and there are plenty of events taking place throughout the month of June. Make sure you’ve got them all marked in your calendars.
