5 ways VALORANT can improve in 2026

Riot Games’ VALORANT has become one of the most popular esports titles in recent years. It’s no surprise due to the free-to-play first-person shooter offers fun gameplay mechanics and plenty of depth, thanks to the 28 Agents players can choose from. Available since June 2020 on PC, followed by PlayStation 5 and Xbox in 2024, VALORANT Mobile had an early release in 2025, starting in China.

In addition, the VALORANT Champions Tour, established by Riot Games in 2020, soon after the game’s release, has attracted numerous experienced players and substantial viewership, becoming a major draw at several esports tournaments worldwide. However, as we approach 2026, there are several improvements that Riot Games can implement to ensure VALORANT remains one of the best esports games around for the foreseeable future.

In 2025, VALORANT remained one of the most popular free-to-play first-person shooters in esports. The year marked the game’s fifth anniversary, and Riot Games celebrated it with several changes. The first was the move to Unreal Engine 5, which resulted in a significant upgrade in graphics, animations, lighting, and more, making the entire game look refreshed.

In addition, Riot Games doubled down on several quality-of-life features, such as a very useful replay system, improved anti-cheat and abuse reporting, as well as gameplay improvements focused on rewards and precision for certain weapons. Overall, 2025 was a big year for VALORANT, resulting in huge improvements in its gameplay, graphical engine, and ecosystems that are set to help the title remain one of the best esports games to play for several years.

Despite not being a first-person shooter, an aspect that Fortnite excels at with its Seasons and Chapters is how the ongoing story bleeds into the map and its items. VALORANT would do well to take inspiration from this, so that some of the long-established maps could see some damage to their structures or some weather effects that can alter the lighting in other areas. It could help give the Seasons and Acts some distinct identities, making some moments far more memorable for players.

Replays saw some improvements in 2025, but Riot Games could go further in 2026. Imagine features like free-cams, live pausing, and items being highlighted in order to give YouTube channels new ways to edit videos that show off some prolific matches in some esports tournaments. These improvements could also provide ranked players with new insights into how their teams can improve in future matches, especially with the new refinements that Seasons and Acts consistently bring to VALORANT.

Even with the significant engine improvements in Unreal Engine 5, players continue to experience issues and frustrations with audio control. Low volume, simple controls, and more are the bane of many, so 2026 should be the year when Riot Games gives this aspect an overhaul. Audio mixes for spectators that can enhance the volume of firepower and Agents’ abilities could improve replays for streamers and esports events, providing viewers with better ways to watch certain moments.

Despite Riot Games confirming that VALORANT Mobile will not feature crossplay, there still could be a good middle ground. With Fortnite offering crossplay on mobile and desktop, it feels like a missed opportunity for Riot Games not to offer something similar. Perhaps there could be a casual mode that explicitly works as crossplay, so players could fight with their friends and family who are playing on consoles and PC. Limiting crossplay to just one mode will keep everything fair while testing the waters for how crossplay support could work in other modes.

Long-term progression in free-to-play games is something that has thrived in games like Fortnite and Call of Duty. But for VALORANT, it would be great to see something similar where players can meet certain milestones with Agents and maps across acts within seasons. This way, it keeps players engrossed in goals, knowing that some great rewards are within grasp. It could also help with long-term engagement and provide a manageable way to meet these goals without feeling the need to log in almost every day.

Granted, Riot Games has clearly spent 2025 setting up VALORANT for the next five years, but there’s still more work to be done. Better control over audio is a significant feature that players have been requesting for a long time, as well as maps that can be influenced by current and future events.

It’s aspects like these that will keep players coming back, and in turn, attract new ones. With VALORANT Mobile set to debut outside China in 2026, there’s no better time for Riot Games to take some of the feedback headfirst, so players can revel in the improvements as they decide to play a match on their mobile devices. This year has been a great celebration of VALORANT’s first five years – Riot Games now has an opportunity to keep one of the most popular esports titles going for the next decade.