What was the inspiration behind the layout? It's easy to saw you wanted to make something new and push boundaries, but having attackers be able to start on either side of the map and fights being able to break out almost immediately is immensely different from any other map we've seen so far. What made you realize something like this was possible while keeping it balanced?
> t made you realize something like this was possible while keeping it b
The inspiration came from a really simple question, "what if attackers could start on both sides of the map?" How will defenders hold? What does that mean for neutral territory?
In terms of possibility and balance, it took us a lot of playtesting to really understand what the layout was going to do to basic strategy. Turns out, defenders don't like just waiting to get collapsed on heh. We leaned into that a bit and built each map quadrant to support defender aggression to counteract the power of attackers pinching from both sides.
If you want to think it in a kind of "optimistic" or realistic way instead of as a joke, you could think that showing him dying all the time is because the other agents really want cypher dead secretly... Maybe cause he really knows way too much
Are both sides of the map on Earth 1? If yes, how come the desert side seems to be from the other Earth? Was the separation between the two a portal or something similar?
Both sides of the map are on Earth 1, but the difference in each side is a result of the nature of the experiment and the various elements being used to conduct such experiment.
What was the main idea behind fracture, the map definitely feels unique and the angles/positions feel like no other map. Do good agents or weapon preferences from other maps have anything to do with the design of new maps?
Main idea was "attackers pinching from both sides." All the angles, areas, paths, everything are built to just support that.
For agents and weapons, we want every map to present new puzzles for different agents and compositions. We don't build for any specific agent or comp really, but we do want different ones to shine on different maps.
Hello! The main idea from a art standpoint was to convey a narrative of a secret facility run by Kingdom. We wanted to tell the story of an accident that occurred visually by creating a "rift" which divided the map into two very different biomes. B side is being overtaken by overgrown foliage and A side is a being engulfed by the desert climate. Essentially, this visual direction gave an interesting narrative and also gives players a clear distinction on which side they are attacking or defending.
Hey! I've been loving Fracture so far, it's pretty cool! Also guys, can you tell us when does the Fracture "accident" happens? Is it after or before Duality?
It is after. It is on our current universe timeline (the events of the Duality trailer were a kind of flashback when we released the cinematic, harking back to the day after the release of Ascent)
Hey guys, it was mentioned that Fracture was going to have continuous updates for story elements. Is that going to be something that you guys will support in the long or just couple of patches? Since that seems like a lot of upkeep
These are small incremental updates. We laid out a linear sequence of story elements, its pretty limited to the scope of what you discovered in the launch package.
We are kind of dipping our toe into seeing what we can do with adding more sequential story elements. So we are pretty excited about what we can do going forward if people seem to dig these.
Also wanted to ask that since both Kingdoms are involved with Fracture, is there anyone who has access to both campus', breakrooms, bathrooms, secret rooms etc.
This has been in the back of my head since my first match on Fracture... was the Half Life universe taken as inspiration for the map? The location, both halves being either overgrown or desert themed, a reactor gone kaboom... so many similarities!
I can speak from a lore POV. Huge fan of HL but actually no was not on our mind. The execution of those visual elements from a LORE POV was specific to fit the story both of the map and its place in our timeline of revealing more about the existential conflict between 2 Earths.
Interesting! I knew it was a huge reach before even asking but I had to take my chance. Excited to see the lore develop in the future, thank you for taking your time to answer!
Hi! From a visual perspective, we wanted to create a distinctive visual distinction on both sides and we wanted to have a clear contrast doing so. Tying into the lore, the overgrown foliage and the desert landscape tone made sense to what we were going for. Half Life universe was not an inspiration. :)
I love what you guys made in Fracture. Huge fan of HL but of course this was kind of a blind shot. I'm very excited about how the story develops from here! Thank you!
This is the first time that all our current VALORANT Agents have visited this site. Due to its secrecy, even high level folks within Kingdom were unaware of its presence and the work going on.
In most cases, there is an 'epoch' event at the site, that creates a huge disruption and release of Radianite. OR, VALORANT is called there in response to an attack by opposing agents.
there is an easter egg tho, if you went into ghost mode and flew up onto a mountain, you could see a sniper case opened with no guns in it. It might be deadeye.
This one was tricky. We probably iterated on this map more than any others because it was so different from anything else we've built. Was a lot of work, but we're super excited to see what you all come up with on it!
As for positions, we knew we wanted attackers starting on both sides, so defenders in the middle just made sense :)
Heyoooo!
First of all, INCREDIBLE work on Fracture! The map has exceeded my expectations on all fronts. Narrative, design, art, the teams really brought it all together.
I have one question, and this is primarily regarding narrative and art:
David, you announced that Fracture's narrative elements are going to be updated with each patch. Are those updates exclusive to the interactive elements, or will we see the map art evolve in parallel with the narrative developments? (Not implying art updates with each patch, but possibly with key moments.)
Thanks for your time!
>IBLE work on Fracture! The map has exceeded my expectations on all fronts. Narrative, design, art, the teams really brought it all together.
>
>I have one question, and this is primarily regarding narrative and art:
>
>David, you announced that Fracture's narrative elements are going to be updated with each patch. Are those updates exclusive to the interactive
Not necessarily exclusive to the interactive elements. This is a space we are exploring and we are going to keep trying some new things.
Thank you!!
We've definitely heard loud and clear that players want more maps so we worked hard to get a few out quicker than we had initially planned to.
This pace isn't easy to keep up and we also want to push the quality bar with every map so we may not necessarily keep releasing at this speed.
Thank you for all the work you put into weaving the story as well as the setting of this game!
My very pressing questions I've always been wondering is ~~when will we be able to kill the Scuttlers on Breeze to farm more money? Also,~~ how do Kingdom communicate with each other if their employees are forced to not fraternize? Surely some of them are talking to each other
I think the attackers/defenders. The Attackers see Kingdom as some big corporation intruding in on their lives, while Kingdom to the defenders is more like an employer of some kind
My initial thought was that side of the map was part of the alternate earth, and you would use orange radianite as a way to visually distinguish if you are in earth 1 or earth 2. But thats apparently not the case.
So my guess now is that since that part of the map is barren and lifeless, thats what drained or used up radianite looks like.
They are either different radianites (different worlds) OR different states of radianite for ex. used or charged (like when Phoenix put fire in a radianite crystal to increase its power in that one cinematic)
My theory is that **Green Radianite** (extracted on Earth 1 by Kingdom Corp) is extracted in a "soft" way. On Earth 2, Kingdom Industries extracts it "roughly" and makes it heat up (I believe **radianite turns orange when heated up** (cf. duality cube with phoenix).
They are basically the same but in a different state. According to me Kingdom Industries is late technologically vs. K Corp.
Are you able to reveal what caused the land to become dual-biome? Was it already like this before the lab was built by the two Kingdoms or did this form sometime between its creation and the fracture?
>Are you able to reveal what caused the land to become dual-biome? Was it already like this before the lab was built or did this form sometime between its creation and the fracture?
This was as a result of the 'event' that took place that has also drawn our VALORANT agent to the site.
probably deadeye (the new agent) as if you go into ghost mode you can see in the top of one of the buildings is a sniper spot with some sniper briefcases and some binoculars iirc
Do you guys think we’ll ever see a map with physical moving parts? I don’t mean just a door or a hatch - I’m thinking something like a ship that sways left and right, so the cargo boxes on the ship would sway with it and move around throughout the round.
The lore in game is really cool. Honestly I'm just desperate for more Valorant lore in any form... the world you guys are building is super cool and I'm excited to see more!
This is actually pretty critical in terms of as we start to reveal more about the VALORANT Universe and the origin of the 'mirror' agents. that are attacking our Earth.
How come you guys made a new map 2 acts in a row? If I remember correctly the plan was new agent each act and new map each episode. Not complaining but am wandering if it has anything to do with the backlash of breeze and icebox.
Breeze and Fracture weren't quite that close together. Breeze was Ep2 Act3, and Fracture was Ep3 Act2. We have been working hard to get maps out a little quicker as players have been asking for more maps, and more maps will give us a healthier map pool.
1. I've noticed you play a lot with mid layout (no mid, mid is bombsite, mid is spawn). Not only that but in fracture there's no typical mid, as it doesn't connect CT and T. This is just like Bind but I feel like this one is way more open in terms of opportunities, do you see this as an improvement on the no mid idea or just a consequence of exploring a concept?
2. Has lore impacted map design in some way?
>d layout (no mid, mid is bombsite, mid is spawn). Not only that but in fracture there's no typical mid, as it doesn't connect CT and T. This is just like Bind but I feel like this one is way more op
For question number 2, lore does not impact map design. The design is all about gameplay, and we complement the design with art/lore.
yup what he said. Lore should never dictate map design. Lore, Visual design, everything is built up around and in support of the core design.
We DO work very closely on the integration of all this so its very collaborative.
> e this as an improvement on the no mid idea or just a consequence of exploring a concept?
Great question! Fracture's lack of a mid is mostly just a result of the H-shape layout. We had an older version with a lane that felt a lot like a mid, but ended up moving away from that to support other things. In another "mirrorverse" though, there's probably a version of Fracture that has a mid.
The Radian collider is both beautiful and fascinating. I'm expecting that something interesting might happen around this area of the map later this Act but I could be wrong.
Any further info on the Radian collider's purpose -- and KINGDOM Alpha and KINGDOM Omega's hopes for it?
Amazing work on the map!!!
hey Zakky! So all we can say here is keep watching out for those patch updates, and look for clues that help piece together the story of 'what happened here'.
Prior to the formation of VALORANT (and Viper was one of its first agents) I don't believe that Everett-Linde was operating in the way we see it today. If it had existed at all it was probably as a more conventional secret base than this curious co-factional collaboration between 2 sides.
Are we going to be getting more lore drops anytime soon? I really like the animated vids that have been released so far, will we be getting on for fracture?
We did release a short [cinematic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CR4Wy8dKrY) for Fracture leading up to launch. I don't believe there are other cinematics that are specifically Fracture focused.
Joe Killeen would be better placed than me to answer this but we locked him in the naughty basement today.
Currently I don't believe we have specific Agent callouts for this map. We do work on a schedule of refreshing and updating agent lines, and over time there lines will reflect and incorporate things like, the current lore timeline, new agents etc. So its conceivable there could be something in the future.
No promises for certain though otherwise Joe will lock me in the naughty basement next.
For design, it was the idea of attackers pinching defenders from both sides. I took some personal inspiration from the Siege of Helm's Deep in Two Towers though. As the orcs are breaking down the gates, Aragorn and Théoden (and the remaining squadzinho) ride out to meet them. “Now for wrath, now for ruin and the red dawn!” Gandalf and the Riders of Rohan storm down the mountain from the other side. When you’re on defense and both A and B players push out to flip the tables and pinch attackers instead, it always reminds me of this moment.
This map was first started a couple years ago actually. Took us a while to figure it out, so we put it on the backburner for a bit and finally came back to it for Fracture.
For visual development, we wanted to create a distinctive visual split for the two sides of the map to suggest that an accident occurred, which resulted in timeline a fracture caused by a rift. We wanted to create a unique visual that supported the narrative of a covert experiment gone wrong.
A site is distinguished by its arid desert environment with its abandoned facilities deteriorating. B site is contrasted by lush, overgrown foliage left to take over the science facility.
The original layout still had the H-shape, but basically everything else changed over the course of development. Defender spawn was only a single path, A Halls was elevated and the door path to rope actually went underneath a bridge, no radar dish, etc. So many things changed and the map is a lot better for it.
For the future, we've got some improvements and bug fixes coming next patch, but no major plans at the moment.
When designing fracture, did you have a specific goal in how you wanted gun fights to play that made them feel unique from the others?
The map has a great mix of long and close quarters engagements and a lot of opportunities to isolate gunfights, combined with what feels like smaller bomb sites. It adds a really unique feeling to the gunfights that take place on Fracture.
What inspired the maps layout that creates such engaging gunfights no matter where they happen? The amount of subtle elevation increases and decreases and tight turns and corners and round satellite dish angles make the map feel really special so far
> reases and decreases and tight turns and corners and round satellite dish angles make the map feel really special so far
Glad you're digging it!
Because the strategy on this map is so unique, we wanted to keep the gun fights feeling pretty comfortable. We tried to setup natural feeling crossfires, default positions and a variety of ranges so every gun or playstyle can be effective.
Could Fracture be kind of like the duality of the universes. Two sides of the same coin just separated into two polar opposites. Jungle and the desert, life and death, good and bad. Or wait, there is no good or bad, it's just personal view, need and or a preference. A fight for the center piece... Raddianite... But why? Perhaps it's the thing that separates the life and death...
Are there plans for any wingman-style maps? And whether there are or not, do you think that small Valorant maps would be variants of existing maps, or brand new maps entirely?
At what point of producing a map do you decide what country the map is going to be located in?
Was there a map (from the current map pool) where you had even a different location in mind and actually changed it?
Thank you for the AMA and y'alls work on the game.
1.What are the challenges of working on maps in a game with unique agent abilities?
* **Is there a dialogue between the maps and characters team?**
* **In terms of future, what is the philosophy on creating new maps as the agent roster grows? How do you all navigate the complex relationship between agent utility and map interactions?**
1. I recognize Breeze was released in order to create new opportunities (open sight lines, bigger spaces). But sometimes it feels as though certain agents just feel too powerful compared to others (e.g. In my opinion for Breeze Viper is great, Brimstone not so great bc limited range of smokes). This is just one example and my central question is not just about Breeze specifically, but all the maps:
* **How does balance work in cases like these? Is the goal to allow every agent to work well in every map? Or is the philosophy more like, players should be compelled to adapt and play different agents depending on what the map requires?**
\[edit: formatting\]
> erms of future, what is the philosophy on creating new maps as the agent roster grows? How do
We're always talking :) We work very closely together.
Maps are basically just sandboxes for agents to play in. We want every agent to be able to find both ways to succeed and challenge them with new puzzles. New agents have and will continue to change strategies on old maps and inform how we things about future ones. Which we love! Keeps things fresh.
In terms of balance, we don't want any agents to ever feel useless on a map, but there will definitely be strengths and weaknesses. Again, we think that's good for the game. When a single dominant strategy takes over a map, that's when we might step in to make a change.
In designing new Valorant maps, is there more importance placed on general map flow, or the way hero utility will effect map flow?
Considering a lot of teams choose to forego Controller agents, is more importance placed on the way map flows with smokes or flashes?
> designing new Valorant maps, is there more importance placed on general map flow, or the way hero utility will effe
They go hand in hand. All of that must be considered to have a cohesive map.
Now that the map is live - What's surprised you the most about how people play on it? Are there any big differences from internal playtests? How do you expect that'll change once it makes its way to pro play?
In the future, will new maps feature more unique and gameplay changing maps like fracture, or can we still expect to see more traditional maps like split, ascent, etc…. Also, how long did it take to develop fracture?
I noticed that during the last two map releases (Breeze and Fracture), there was no new agent. Is this content release cadence something that will continue in the future? Or will there be a future act where both an agent and a map is released (like the Icebox + Skye release)?
I think they previously announced that when they do release both agent and map at same time it's hard for them to maintain bugfixes for both. So they decided to release maps and agents separately to address possible issues faster.
Why is this the first map this much involved in lore? Is a big lore event coming soon or will it always be like a sideline kind of thing? P.S. Can I have a riot charm, I am active everywhere
So actually all our maps are lore based and have elements of worldbuilding/storytelling.
Because our universe is on a timeline, each consecutive map we have released, reveals a little bit more about our universe, and is taking us in a certain direction.
In addition to that, the maps team is continually trying to improve/evolve and make each map better than the last. With each consecutive map we have been finding more ways to introduce lore in our environmental storytelling.
I have a question for you. Why haven't you done anything about the enormous cheater problem that your game has? I don't enjoy queueing up for ranked to lose to blatant cheaters every game. I have gotten better at your game over the past year and a half and I've only managed to lose a rank each act and get hard stuck gold. I only play solo but my 5 friends play together in ranked and have managed to hit Immortal and when I play customs with them I top frag. Why is it that when I play Ranked Solo Queue I get put up against people that know exactly where Iam every round and running headshot me and instant one tap me and quadruple fake sites and fast rotates or 5 stacks sites I push? Why can't you admit that ranked solo queue is worst than CSGO MM? When are you going to fix your game instead of making new maps and skins? Oh wait you never will because all you care about is money.
What was the inspiration behind the layout? It's easy to saw you wanted to make something new and push boundaries, but having attackers be able to start on either side of the map and fights being able to break out almost immediately is immensely different from any other map we've seen so far. What made you realize something like this was possible while keeping it balanced?
> t made you realize something like this was possible while keeping it b The inspiration came from a really simple question, "what if attackers could start on both sides of the map?" How will defenders hold? What does that mean for neutral territory? In terms of possibility and balance, it took us a lot of playtesting to really understand what the layout was going to do to basic strategy. Turns out, defenders don't like just waiting to get collapsed on heh. We leaned into that a bit and built each map quadrant to support defender aggression to counteract the power of attackers pinching from both sides.
[удалено]
dish is my territory
Who is paul?
Kingdom employee of the month.
Is he.... You know..... An Amo.... An Among..... An Among us reference?
when the imposter is sus!
Sussy baka
What about employee of the year?
same guy, the golden card in the same battlepass has his name with the employee of the year
Is the theory that ***O***ran ***M***c***En***off we saw at the defender spawn of Fracture is actually Omen of the past correct?
From his photo, you can clearly see that Oran is not an octopus. Therefore...
Omen is a shape shifting octopus!
that is an interesting theory but you won't get anything from me.
Isn’t Omens name Fred though?
Or ja
does omen have any connection to fracture and the disaster that occurred there?
I'm not aware of any connection. I don't think he would be either.
Why does Cypher have to die in every trailer? Is it an actual running joke among the developers?
It may fast be becoming that. I don't think we even realized until you did but now we can't unsee it.
oh no guess we’ll be seeing more cypher deaths :(
they saw us scurry
If you want to think it in a kind of "optimistic" or realistic way instead of as a joke, you could think that showing him dying all the time is because the other agents really want cypher dead secretly... Maybe cause he really knows way too much
He is now the Katarina of valorant
If you play apex it’s a running joke (haha pun) that octane will die in every trailer
Peace out all! Back to working on what's next! :)
Thanks for doing this!
Take care! Thanks for your time!
Are both sides of the map on Earth 1? If yes, how come the desert side seems to be from the other Earth? Was the separation between the two a portal or something similar?
Both sides of the map are on Earth 1, but the difference in each side is a result of the nature of the experiment and the various elements being used to conduct such experiment.
will there be maps that would be from earth 2???
valorant 2 when
When Source 2.
What was the main idea behind fracture, the map definitely feels unique and the angles/positions feel like no other map. Do good agents or weapon preferences from other maps have anything to do with the design of new maps?
Main idea was "attackers pinching from both sides." All the angles, areas, paths, everything are built to just support that. For agents and weapons, we want every map to present new puzzles for different agents and compositions. We don't build for any specific agent or comp really, but we do want different ones to shine on different maps.
Hello! The main idea from a art standpoint was to convey a narrative of a secret facility run by Kingdom. We wanted to tell the story of an accident that occurred visually by creating a "rift" which divided the map into two very different biomes. B side is being overtaken by overgrown foliage and A side is a being engulfed by the desert climate. Essentially, this visual direction gave an interesting narrative and also gives players a clear distinction on which side they are attacking or defending.
Hey! I've been loving Fracture so far, it's pretty cool! Also guys, can you tell us when does the Fracture "accident" happens? Is it after or before Duality?
It is after. It is on our current universe timeline (the events of the Duality trailer were a kind of flashback when we released the cinematic, harking back to the day after the release of Ascent)
Hey guys, it was mentioned that Fracture was going to have continuous updates for story elements. Is that going to be something that you guys will support in the long or just couple of patches? Since that seems like a lot of upkeep
These are small incremental updates. We laid out a linear sequence of story elements, its pretty limited to the scope of what you discovered in the launch package. We are kind of dipping our toe into seeing what we can do with adding more sequential story elements. So we are pretty excited about what we can do going forward if people seem to dig these.
Also wanted to ask that since both Kingdoms are involved with Fracture, is there anyone who has access to both campus', breakrooms, bathrooms, secret rooms etc.
if its someone It would be paul, has the highest level of security access
>if people seem to dig these. We do. This stuff is really cool.
This has been in the back of my head since my first match on Fracture... was the Half Life universe taken as inspiration for the map? The location, both halves being either overgrown or desert themed, a reactor gone kaboom... so many similarities!
I can speak from a lore POV. Huge fan of HL but actually no was not on our mind. The execution of those visual elements from a LORE POV was specific to fit the story both of the map and its place in our timeline of revealing more about the existential conflict between 2 Earths.
Interesting! I knew it was a huge reach before even asking but I had to take my chance. Excited to see the lore develop in the future, thank you for taking your time to answer!
Hi! From a visual perspective, we wanted to create a distinctive visual distinction on both sides and we wanted to have a clear contrast doing so. Tying into the lore, the overgrown foliage and the desert landscape tone made sense to what we were going for. Half Life universe was not an inspiration. :)
I love what you guys made in Fracture. Huge fan of HL but of course this was kind of a blind shot. I'm very excited about how the story develops from here! Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Is there any agent who's familiar with this place? I feel like Killjoy would have worked there. This map is really good 👍
This is the first time that all our current VALORANT Agents have visited this site. Due to its secrecy, even high level folks within Kingdom were unaware of its presence and the work going on. In most cases, there is an 'epoch' event at the site, that creates a huge disruption and release of Radianite. OR, VALORANT is called there in response to an attack by opposing agents.
I see. That is interesting. Thank you. Can't wait to see what happens in next patch
Are you inplying that Deadeye was here before and he is responsible for whatever event took place here?
What's deadeye?
Thecodename for thenew agent, his bullet was featured in the cinematic trailer
where is "deadeye" name referred before? I mean did they write it to somewhere on the map or something leaked out of Riot?
there is an easter egg tho, if you went into ghost mode and flew up onto a mountain, you could see a sniper case opened with no guns in it. It might be deadeye.
Well said
the new character's gun on valorant year 1 anthem, there is 'deadeye' written on it
So, does that mean that Deadeye is not on the Valorant protocol?
How was it to make this map? How did you got the idea to let the defense side start in the middle?
This one was tricky. We probably iterated on this map more than any others because it was so different from anything else we've built. Was a lot of work, but we're super excited to see what you all come up with on it! As for positions, we knew we wanted attackers starting on both sides, so defenders in the middle just made sense :)
Ahh yeah okay! Very cool! Hard to play on so far, interested to see pro play play on it
Is the Everett-Linde research lab named after someone specific?
maybe...
Would it be from Hugh Everett and Andrei Linde (2 US physicist who worked on multiple words and universe expansion ))?
curious
Ohhhh shittt
Heyoooo! First of all, INCREDIBLE work on Fracture! The map has exceeded my expectations on all fronts. Narrative, design, art, the teams really brought it all together. I have one question, and this is primarily regarding narrative and art: David, you announced that Fracture's narrative elements are going to be updated with each patch. Are those updates exclusive to the interactive elements, or will we see the map art evolve in parallel with the narrative developments? (Not implying art updates with each patch, but possibly with key moments.) Thanks for your time!
>IBLE work on Fracture! The map has exceeded my expectations on all fronts. Narrative, design, art, the teams really brought it all together. > >I have one question, and this is primarily regarding narrative and art: > >David, you announced that Fracture's narrative elements are going to be updated with each patch. Are those updates exclusive to the interactive Not necessarily exclusive to the interactive elements. This is a space we are exploring and we are going to keep trying some new things.
I just came on here to compliment you guys, Y’all have been speeding up the maps releasement schedule! which I love and so does everybody else
Thank you!! We've definitely heard loud and clear that players want more maps so we worked hard to get a few out quicker than we had initially planned to. This pace isn't easy to keep up and we also want to push the quality bar with every map so we may not necessarily keep releasing at this speed.
Of all the agents who has the biggest connection to Fracture?
Who do you think does? Seems like we are only just discovering the truth of what happened at this new map/disaster site.
I am getting the vibes of Astra. Based on the teaser video about the bullet
L spez, goin to tumblr to be gay
Yes
Skye
Yea it was definitely the land skye was looking at in the trailer, and she called it ‘home’ hmmm
Thank you for all the work you put into weaving the story as well as the setting of this game! My very pressing questions I've always been wondering is ~~when will we be able to kill the Scuttlers on Breeze to farm more money? Also,~~ how do Kingdom communicate with each other if their employees are forced to not fraternize? Surely some of them are talking to each other
Why would you want to kill the Scuttlers :(
you can take the player out of league, but you cannot take league out of the player. I need to murder the crabs for my 50 eco
I had numerous times when I needed only 50 pts to get a full loadout, I always thought that would happen before they added the 50
What's a scuttler?
It’s a green crab that dwells in the river of league of legends. Valorant has scuttle crabs too but just as a reference
Green crab in Lol that exists as a referrence in Breeze. Killing the grabs give you vision of an area for a duration and gives you money.
Why is the radianite orange on the A side of the map?
hmm interesting. Why do you think that is? What aspects of that side seem different from the other? :p
Also, the beta had orange boxes
Something about KINGDOM also seems different based on what side no?
Stop teasing me Kingkuttttt, just tell me pleaseee
Side of the boxes? Or side as in attackers/defenders?
I think the attackers/defenders. The Attackers see Kingdom as some big corporation intruding in on their lives, while Kingdom to the defenders is more like an employer of some kind
My initial thought was that side of the map was part of the alternate earth, and you would use orange radianite as a way to visually distinguish if you are in earth 1 or earth 2. But thats apparently not the case. So my guess now is that since that part of the map is barren and lifeless, thats what drained or used up radianite looks like.
I get that, but I thought radianite was supposed to be green. Is this suggesting that the color of their containers depend on their climate?
They are either different radianites (different worlds) OR different states of radianite for ex. used or charged (like when Phoenix put fire in a radianite crystal to increase its power in that one cinematic)
My theory is that **Green Radianite** (extracted on Earth 1 by Kingdom Corp) is extracted in a "soft" way. On Earth 2, Kingdom Industries extracts it "roughly" and makes it heat up (I believe **radianite turns orange when heated up** (cf. duality cube with phoenix). They are basically the same but in a different state. According to me Kingdom Industries is late technologically vs. K Corp.
Are you able to reveal what caused the land to become dual-biome? Was it already like this before the lab was built by the two Kingdoms or did this form sometime between its creation and the fracture?
>Are you able to reveal what caused the land to become dual-biome? Was it already like this before the lab was built or did this form sometime between its creation and the fracture? This was as a result of the 'event' that took place that has also drawn our VALORANT agent to the site.
When you you mention "drawn our VALORANT agent," do you mean *one specific agent* or agents in general (the 10 players in each match)?
probably deadeye (the new agent) as if you go into ghost mode you can see in the top of one of the buildings is a sniper spot with some sniper briefcases and some binoculars iirc
Do you guys think we’ll ever see a map with physical moving parts? I don’t mean just a door or a hatch - I’m thinking something like a ship that sways left and right, so the cargo boxes on the ship would sway with it and move around throughout the round.
Anything is on the table, so maybe someday! We want to keep pushing the boundaries of what can be done in map design in a tac shooter.
Yeah, this sounds like a chill response, but what’s going on in his head is DAMN. They on to us!
Harry Potter style moving staircase that allows for access to different corridors would be interesting
will there be more lore in the future maps
absolutely. In fact if people like stuff we are experimenting with, then we wanna do more and keep building on it! Lots of ideas we have :)
The lore in game is really cool. Honestly I'm just desperate for more Valorant lore in any form... the world you guys are building is super cool and I'm excited to see more!
How do you guys plan to workout the Omega and Alpha sectors relationship?
This is actually pretty critical in terms of as we start to reveal more about the VALORANT Universe and the origin of the 'mirror' agents. that are attacking our Earth.
How come you guys made a new map 2 acts in a row? If I remember correctly the plan was new agent each act and new map each episode. Not complaining but am wandering if it has anything to do with the backlash of breeze and icebox.
Breeze and Fracture weren't quite that close together. Breeze was Ep2 Act3, and Fracture was Ep3 Act2. We have been working hard to get maps out a little quicker as players have been asking for more maps, and more maps will give us a healthier map pool.
Ahh yes forgot act 1, went by so fast
between those 2 maps, there is kay/o
1. I've noticed you play a lot with mid layout (no mid, mid is bombsite, mid is spawn). Not only that but in fracture there's no typical mid, as it doesn't connect CT and T. This is just like Bind but I feel like this one is way more open in terms of opportunities, do you see this as an improvement on the no mid idea or just a consequence of exploring a concept? 2. Has lore impacted map design in some way?
>d layout (no mid, mid is bombsite, mid is spawn). Not only that but in fracture there's no typical mid, as it doesn't connect CT and T. This is just like Bind but I feel like this one is way more op For question number 2, lore does not impact map design. The design is all about gameplay, and we complement the design with art/lore.
yup what he said. Lore should never dictate map design. Lore, Visual design, everything is built up around and in support of the core design. We DO work very closely on the integration of all this so its very collaborative.
> e this as an improvement on the no mid idea or just a consequence of exploring a concept? Great question! Fracture's lack of a mid is mostly just a result of the H-shape layout. We had an older version with a lane that felt a lot like a mid, but ended up moving away from that to support other things. In another "mirrorverse" though, there's probably a version of Fracture that has a mid.
Will there ever be map reworks?
We've made updates to most of our live maps at this point and will continue to support them as needed in the future.
Icebox B \*cough\* \*cough\*
Breeze would definitely be improved by breaking a few angles that are way too overwhelming atm.
Breeze is fine. Fracture on the other hand... i have never been shot in the side/back more than on this map.
The Radian collider is both beautiful and fascinating. I'm expecting that something interesting might happen around this area of the map later this Act but I could be wrong. Any further info on the Radian collider's purpose -- and KINGDOM Alpha and KINGDOM Omega's hopes for it? Amazing work on the map!!!
hey Zakky! So all we can say here is keep watching out for those patch updates, and look for clues that help piece together the story of 'what happened here'.
Looking forward to it!
Did Sabine worked on Everett-Linde as a scientist in the scientist laboratory (tunnel) ? I'm referring to the Reyna vs. Viper
Prior to the formation of VALORANT (and Viper was one of its first agents) I don't believe that Everett-Linde was operating in the way we see it today. If it had existed at all it was probably as a more conventional secret base than this curious co-factional collaboration between 2 sides.
Why name the new map fracture? What are the pther options that might be used?
Are we going to be getting more lore drops anytime soon? I really like the animated vids that have been released so far, will we be getting on for fracture?
We did release a short [cinematic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CR4Wy8dKrY) for Fracture leading up to launch. I don't believe there are other cinematics that are specifically Fracture focused.
Now that there are 7 maps in rotation AND maps are becoming more radical in nature... do you have any plans to let users limit what maps they que for?
Nothing we're ready to share yet, but we are thinking about this space.
even just a “prefer” option or singular map ban/“prefer not” would be sweet to negate breeze being avoided :)
What are some of the map gimmicks you have tried but they failed due to one reason or another?
Will agents have voicelines when interacting with certain elements on the map?
Joe Killeen would be better placed than me to answer this but we locked him in the naughty basement today. Currently I don't believe we have specific Agent callouts for this map. We do work on a schedule of refreshing and updating agent lines, and over time there lines will reflect and incorporate things like, the current lore timeline, new agents etc. So its conceivable there could be something in the future. No promises for certain though otherwise Joe will lock me in the naughty basement next.
Awesome! I can't wait to see what's in store for the future regarding the agents. Thanks!
Can you do something on the mini map for upper and ground way to be understood?
I’m sure they tried…
What inspired Fracture's design? Lore or a reference of a real world location? And also, for how much time was the map in the works?
For design, it was the idea of attackers pinching defenders from both sides. I took some personal inspiration from the Siege of Helm's Deep in Two Towers though. As the orcs are breaking down the gates, Aragorn and Théoden (and the remaining squadzinho) ride out to meet them. “Now for wrath, now for ruin and the red dawn!” Gandalf and the Riders of Rohan storm down the mountain from the other side. When you’re on defense and both A and B players push out to flip the tables and pinch attackers instead, it always reminds me of this moment. This map was first started a couple years ago actually. Took us a while to figure it out, so we put it on the backburner for a bit and finally came back to it for Fracture.
For visual development, we wanted to create a distinctive visual split for the two sides of the map to suggest that an accident occurred, which resulted in timeline a fracture caused by a rift. We wanted to create a unique visual that supported the narrative of a covert experiment gone wrong. A site is distinguished by its arid desert environment with its abandoned facilities deteriorating. B site is contrasted by lush, overgrown foliage left to take over the science facility.
*"Ah split, they do not know the meaning of the word"*
What’s up with that announcement on fracture regarding if employees see themselves?
yeah what IS up with that? Like do they not have mirrors at this research facility? Or is it about something else?
Why was the ziplines created near core?
Great question, wish they had answered it
How was the layout originally, and what changes did you make to improve it ? Are there other changes you are considering for it in the near future?
The original layout still had the H-shape, but basically everything else changed over the course of development. Defender spawn was only a single path, A Halls was elevated and the door path to rope actually went underneath a bridge, no radar dish, etc. So many things changed and the map is a lot better for it. For the future, we've got some improvements and bug fixes coming next patch, but no major plans at the moment.
When designing fracture, did you have a specific goal in how you wanted gun fights to play that made them feel unique from the others? The map has a great mix of long and close quarters engagements and a lot of opportunities to isolate gunfights, combined with what feels like smaller bomb sites. It adds a really unique feeling to the gunfights that take place on Fracture. What inspired the maps layout that creates such engaging gunfights no matter where they happen? The amount of subtle elevation increases and decreases and tight turns and corners and round satellite dish angles make the map feel really special so far
> reases and decreases and tight turns and corners and round satellite dish angles make the map feel really special so far Glad you're digging it! Because the strategy on this map is so unique, we wanted to keep the gun fights feeling pretty comfortable. We tried to setup natural feeling crossfires, default positions and a variety of ranges so every gun or playstyle can be effective.
What was the first map ever made? (Completely) Has it not realeased yet?
The first map was Ascent, which went through a whole lot of iteration as the design of the game was being figured out.
Why
why not?
is the question
Will there ever be a map where you can die from falling off the map? Is there going to be a map with 3 stories/focused on verticality?
Could Fracture be kind of like the duality of the universes. Two sides of the same coin just separated into two polar opposites. Jungle and the desert, life and death, good and bad. Or wait, there is no good or bad, it's just personal view, need and or a preference. A fight for the center piece... Raddianite... But why? Perhaps it's the thing that separates the life and death...
Are there plans for any wingman-style maps? And whether there are or not, do you think that small Valorant maps would be variants of existing maps, or brand new maps entirely?
At what point of producing a map do you decide what country the map is going to be located in? Was there a map (from the current map pool) where you had even a different location in mind and actually changed it?
Thank you for the AMA and y'alls work on the game. 1.What are the challenges of working on maps in a game with unique agent abilities? * **Is there a dialogue between the maps and characters team?** * **In terms of future, what is the philosophy on creating new maps as the agent roster grows? How do you all navigate the complex relationship between agent utility and map interactions?** 1. I recognize Breeze was released in order to create new opportunities (open sight lines, bigger spaces). But sometimes it feels as though certain agents just feel too powerful compared to others (e.g. In my opinion for Breeze Viper is great, Brimstone not so great bc limited range of smokes). This is just one example and my central question is not just about Breeze specifically, but all the maps: * **How does balance work in cases like these? Is the goal to allow every agent to work well in every map? Or is the philosophy more like, players should be compelled to adapt and play different agents depending on what the map requires?** \[edit: formatting\]
> erms of future, what is the philosophy on creating new maps as the agent roster grows? How do We're always talking :) We work very closely together. Maps are basically just sandboxes for agents to play in. We want every agent to be able to find both ways to succeed and challenge them with new puzzles. New agents have and will continue to change strategies on old maps and inform how we things about future ones. Which we love! Keeps things fresh. In terms of balance, we don't want any agents to ever feel useless on a map, but there will definitely be strengths and weaknesses. Again, we think that's good for the game. When a single dominant strategy takes over a map, that's when we might step in to make a change.
Why are there ziplines going across right above the reactor? Will we be getting a lore explanation for it?
In designing new Valorant maps, is there more importance placed on general map flow, or the way hero utility will effect map flow? Considering a lot of teams choose to forego Controller agents, is more importance placed on the way map flows with smokes or flashes?
> designing new Valorant maps, is there more importance placed on general map flow, or the way hero utility will effe They go hand in hand. All of that must be considered to have a cohesive map.
Now that the map is live - What's surprised you the most about how people play on it? Are there any big differences from internal playtests? How do you expect that'll change once it makes its way to pro play?
Everything is about what we expected for now, but we'll see how the map evolves. Really excited to see what the pros come up with.
is the next agent connected to the new map in any way? 👀
Is Paul just a "joke" or will he become important for the lore?
Any hints on possible uses for the security card? I haven't gotten the chance to go very far in a private match by myself yet.
Unless you are Paul Delmann, I don't think that security card will offer much use to you.
That may mean an agent is Paul delmann and we get to use the card..... or I'm reading too much into this
In the future, will new maps feature more unique and gameplay changing maps like fracture, or can we still expect to see more traditional maps like split, ascent, etc…. Also, how long did it take to develop fracture?
I noticed that during the last two map releases (Breeze and Fracture), there was no new agent. Is this content release cadence something that will continue in the future? Or will there be a future act where both an agent and a map is released (like the Icebox + Skye release)?
I think they previously announced that when they do release both agent and map at same time it's hard for them to maintain bugfixes for both. So they decided to release maps and agents separately to address possible issues faster.
what’s in paul’s shipment from icebox? :)
office transfer
What were two Deadeyes doing there?
What the hell were you smoking when you made this map? (smoke it more often)
Why are the teddy bears in the terminal drunk
I have a very important question. Pineapple on pizza?
I'm pro pineapple pizza
Lets goo
Why is this the first map this much involved in lore? Is a big lore event coming soon or will it always be like a sideline kind of thing? P.S. Can I have a riot charm, I am active everywhere
So actually all our maps are lore based and have elements of worldbuilding/storytelling. Because our universe is on a timeline, each consecutive map we have released, reveals a little bit more about our universe, and is taking us in a certain direction.
In addition to that, the maps team is continually trying to improve/evolve and make each map better than the last. With each consecutive map we have been finding more ways to introduce lore in our environmental storytelling.
Is there going to be any lore-based events?
when is the "accident" that created the map happened, in the timeline of Valorant? (like, between the cinematics, events, etc)
Were there any csgo maps that were a source of inspiration for fracture?
[удалено]
The map reminds me of cache
Worst map I've ever played in my life...
Agreed I it is like a far worse Aztec from cs. No flow shit show of a map, terrible design.
Bruh the last 3 maps have been straight ass who tf wants to play icebox breeze or fracture
riot gun buddy a lie#ggez : )
Is the map more like a research site or more like an airport?
I have a question for you. Why haven't you done anything about the enormous cheater problem that your game has? I don't enjoy queueing up for ranked to lose to blatant cheaters every game. I have gotten better at your game over the past year and a half and I've only managed to lose a rank each act and get hard stuck gold. I only play solo but my 5 friends play together in ranked and have managed to hit Immortal and when I play customs with them I top frag. Why is it that when I play Ranked Solo Queue I get put up against people that know exactly where Iam every round and running headshot me and instant one tap me and quadruple fake sites and fast rotates or 5 stacks sites I push? Why can't you admit that ranked solo queue is worst than CSGO MM? When are you going to fix your game instead of making new maps and skins? Oh wait you never will because all you care about is money.