An avoid list feature may be coming to Valorant very soon

Valorant may be getting a new avoid list feature intended to give players a tool for dealing with the overwhelming number of problematic users.

It’s no secret that Valorant is one of the most brutally toxic multiplayer games out there at the moment. Though Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Dota 2 are traditionally considered the worst gaming communities out there, Valorant somehow managed to supplant them. Riot Games has tried a number of things to counter this, including some extreme measures, with few results.

Now, Riot is weighing the idea of letting users do the work. Valorant players may be getting the power to handle it themselves with an avoid list.

Avoid list discovered in Valorant files

Evidence suggests that Riot Games is working on adding an avoid player list feature to Valorant at some point in the future. This was discovered by ValorLeaks, a data miner and leaker that has spoiled the release of a number of features in the past.

Avoid lists are a feature used in several other prominent online multiplayer games. The system does exactly what it sounds like, allowing players to block another player from appearing on their team in future games. It doesn’t typically block a player from being a potential opponent, but this still helps in avoiding toxic comms or potential game-ruining behavior.

There are usually some restrictions so players can’t avoid everyone they lose with. For example, Dota 2 only allows players to block a certain number of users from being teammates. In the case of Valorant, ValorLeaks reports that players will only remain on the avoid list “for the next few days.”

When will the avoid list feature be released?

The Valorant avoid list feature could drop on August 23 with the start of Valorant Episode 5, Act 2.

No official release date has been attached to this feature, and it hasn’t actually been officially revealed yet. The discovery comes a few days out from the start of the next Valorant season. It’s unclear how far into development this feature is, though. A later release date is also possible, as is Riot Games ultimately nixing development entirely.