Surrender at 20: Red Post Collection: Ask Riot: New Game Modes?, Universe Update, VALORANT Release Date & more

Today's red post collection includes this week's Ask Riot, on game modes, announcer packs and more, plus new stories on the Universe, a release date for VALORANT, and more!

Continue reading for more information!

Ask Riot: New Game Modes?

Check out this week's Ask Riot - "Why don’t events have new modes like Odyssey: Extraction? When’s the next Prestige skin schedule? Announcer packs?"

"Welcome to Ask Riot!

This week, we’re talking game modes, Prestige skins, and announcer packs.

Why don’t events have new modes like Odyssey or Star Guardian did?

Our goal for alternative game modes has changed a lot since Star Guardian: Invasion and Odyssey: Extraction. Modes like this put a really unique twist on League’s core gameplay, but they didn’t hold your attention for long. In other words, players were excited to try the modes but would quickly return to Summoner’s Rift after the novelty wore off.

Creating a new game mode that significantly deviates from League’s core gameplay—such as the PvE nature of Odyssey or alt-win-con of Dark Star: Singularity—takes a while to get right. And ultimately, we want to make sure that the amount of time we spend in development is worth the amount of time y’all get enjoying it.

That said, we’ve heard the feedback around events lately, specifically that it feels like their quality has dropped over time. Beyond offering an alternative game mode with every event—which has included One-for-All and ARURF so far, with Nexus Blitz returning this summer—we’re still working on other improvements to things like the Event Pass system and mission variety. We hope to slowly make positive changes throughout the course of 2020.

HBBONG, Modes Product Lead

Are you gonna let us buy prestige skins from events at the end of the year? Will we get the schedule for the rest of 2020?

Yes, all of the Prestige skins you could earn with event tokens this year will be available for Prestige Points at the end of 2020. The accompanying icon and border is only available when you unlock the skin during the event.

We’ll be announcing the next batch of champions receiving a Prestige skin sometime after Zoe’s skin hits PBE in June.

KenAdamsNSA, Product Manager

So earlier this year you teased announcer packs. Any updates on when they’re gonna come?

When we teased announcer packs earlier this year, we had hoped to release the first ones this fall, but we’ve decided to put them on hold for now. We’re facing unexpected production constraints due to COVID-19, and avoiding health risks is a top priority—we don’t want to endanger the safety of external partners like VO actors.

This is impacting more than just announcer packs: Legendary skins and champions are also facing new production challenges. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, as the needs vary by region, type of voiceover, and many other factors. That said, we’ve been able to find solutions for upcoming Legendary skins and champions thus far, and we’ll be sure to update you if anything changes.

Bellissimoh, Director of Production"

Universe Update

The Universe has been updated! A new part of the Pulsefire story, Out of Time, is now available, as well as part 1 of a new story, Sisterhood of War!

Out of Time: Riposte

"I wake with a gasp.

Everything hurts. Like I’ve been thrown in the wash and tumbled dry.

Someone is cradling my head. A woman’s face hovers into view. Severe and stern, but in the moment, softened with concern.

“Thank goodness,” she says. “We thought we lost you in that last jump.”"

[Read the full story here!]

A new story, Sisterhood of War Part I: Old Wounds, has also been added to the Universe:

Sisterhood of War Part I: Old Wounds

“Is anything you just heard unclear to you?”

Tifalenji knelt in darkness. She did not raise her head to the voice addressing her, because the voice was part of that darkness. It filled the chamber, swelling warm and sickly sweet, with a scent like rotting flowers. Such a thing was not particularly remarkable to one whose life was sworn to the weft and wane of runes—even a smith as young as Tifalenji did not question what surrounded her, now.

She knew when to accept that something was beyond her understanding.

“All is clear,” she answered.

“Excellent.”"

[Read the full story here!]

Miscellaneous

The Zed trade paperback has been delayed due to COVID-19, here's more from the Riot Games Merch Facebook:

"We’re sad to announce that the Zed Trade paperback release is delayed until September 30, 2020 due to COVID-19's impact on the comic industry.

If you need to adjust your order, please visit our site and use the "Contact Us" form provided. https://merch.riotgames.com/en_US/"

Other Games

VALORANT:

A release date for VALORANT has been announced! Here's the article from the VALORANT website:

Hi everyone,

If you’ve been following along, you probably heard our announcement that VALORANT is launching to most of the world* on June 2 (yes that also includes you OCE!). That’s in a few weeks (we also said that)!

We also know that in announcing our launch date we raise a number of questions, with the largest being the title of this piece:are we ready? Every week we’ve touched on a number of questions, concerns, and hot topics, but it’s an entirely different conversation when launch is around the corner."

[Read the full article here!]