The upcoming 7.08 update, currently being tested on the test servers, has sparked a rather tumultuous reaction among Valorant fans, all thanks to the new sound effects for smokes. Today, we'll tell you what professional players think about this and what representatives of Riot Games have responded.
Making changes in favor of gameplay clarity can be a tough balancing act as it can have negative perception for players that have invested in mastery in some obscure yet critical elements of games such as smoke timers or jungle timers.
— Ryan Cousart (@rycoux) October 14, 2023
Ryan Cousart, a game and character designer at Riot Games, responded to fans who reacted negatively to the changes in sound effects. He stated that he sympathizes with all players and knows from his own experience how difficult it is to adapt to new changes. Interestingly, the designer stated that the innovation has been tested for several months, but the final result still depends on the community. This could mean that if fans are decidedly against the new changes, Riot Games might remove the sound effects from the game.
We have been testing them for several months, but the real test is when it ends up in your hands, so we will listen and monitor your feedback. I hope this will affect you the same way it has affected us within the company.
Recall that yesterday we released material in which we highlighted the reaction of professional players and other media personalities to the new sound effects of the smokes' effect ending. Since there are so many reactions, we decided to do another issue where we will tell you about the opinions of esports athletes.
Lets lower the skill gap even more for the people that play just a few games a month. Also I have a suggestion lets give aimbot for people that play only a few games, so they can maintain their rank and continue enjoying the game. #VamosRiot https://t.co/UGvriG8PmS
— nukkye (@nukkye) October 14, 2023
Giants Gaming player - Žygimantas "nukkye" Chmieliauskas reacted critically to the new changes. He suggested that Riot add an aimbot to the game that would make the game even easier for newcomers, so they wouldn't need to hone their skills, just enjoy the game at a low level.
Lots of people overreacting
— EG Ethan (@ethanarnold) October 14, 2023
At a Pro level - this barely makes a difference, everyone knows smoke timings. You’ll still ask teammates, “is this smoke fresh?” Your controller players will/should still also still tell you when the smoke is going away.
Normal level/Noobs - This is… https://t.co/1ma7llNGO2
Evil Geniuses participant and current world champion Ethan "Ethan" Arnold, in turn, said that such a change will be almost imperceptible on the professional stage. “Most esports athletes already know the timing of smokes, and if not, controllers come to the rescue, who monitor the situation on the map.”
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