Players call out Riot for poor Valorant market, request more skin slots

Fariha Bhatti Published 20/04/2022

Valorant players have voiced frustration with the game’s market, claiming the four slot store is an outdated model. The community is now requesting Riot Games reconsider the shop size.

In-game cosmetics are Riot’s drawing card for those who don’t play Valorant for its cut-throat FPS action. Valorant’s unique bundles have roped in dozens of fans who like to collect the sought-after skins that only a few can afford. Since the game’s release, Riot Games has stacked the inventory with over 170 stunning skins.

Despite the packed arsenal, the market remains limited to four slots, meaning players can only pick from random four skins that the system coins for them daily. If their desired skin doesn’t appear in the random store, they’d be forced to wait indefinitely. Competitive players may not care about certain guns, but skin collectors aren’t happy.

What’s wrong with the Valorant market?

According to the Valorant community, four slots aren’t enough when the massive inventory of skins in the current act are considered. Many have complained that they had to wait for as long as nine months to shop for a single skin. The limited market size is frustrating for skin enthusiasts who like to flex their updated collection.

The Valorant market has stayed this way since the game’s release in 2020, but inventory expansion has made it a genuine issue. For example, four slots were more than enough when Valorant had 50 skins. New guns would appear more regularly, allowing players to shop desired skins without waiting for eons. However, the rotation has become a menace, with over 150 skins in the loadout.

Now players have to wait for months before their favorite skin randomly appears in the store. If this remains the case, the odds of certain skins appearing in-store would be reduced to 0.5% as new bundles release.

The current Valorant market stimulates FOMO, tempting players to shop skins when they appear as a bundle in the main store. Player anticipation due to the rarity of skins also pressures them to shop for pricey skins as soon as they become available. As a result, the value of each skin is increased tenfold, drawing more players to shop that one popular skin. Not just that, but players often choose to buy other skins that they didn’t really want during the waiting period.

While the four-slot model sure makes Riot’s skin business more lucrative, players aren’t happy with the approach. The increased wait time has become more frustrating as Riot rolls out new bundles. The community is now requesting more slots and a consumer-friendly market.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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