shroud blasts "pay-to-lose" animations of Ruination skins

Fariha Bhatti Published 10/07/2021

Valorant’s anticipated “Ruination” bundle is actually not that good, at least according to Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek who thinks the League of Legends-inspired skin collection may ruin your games.

Riot Games’ cross-title event came to Valorant in the form of Ruination skins. The bundle created a good bit of hype among players with both its ties to LoL and its stylish dark embellishments and emerald glow. However, Shroud says that the flashy skins are actually a pay-to-lose transaction.

The Ruination skins are easily one of the most sought-after skins in Valorant as they were released as part of the Sentinels of Light event. Not only this bundle is the product of Valorant’s first crossover with any title, the skins also stand out with their unique colorations. The collection bears a hefty tag of 8,700 Valorant Points, but players were still quick to grab the items from the shop. Unfortunately, popular streamer shroud thinks that players are “paying to lose” by buying Ruination skins.

Ruination skins too visually noisy, says shroud

On his recent Valorant stream, Shroud tested out the new arsenal and noticed that Guardian’s post-shot animation lingers for a bit too long and has weird audio. He explained that upgradeable VFX and SFX on Guardian could actually make you whiff shots. shroud feels the unique sound effects for the weapons will trip up players who rely on sound cues when it comes to their shooting. In particular, the Ruination Guardian’s animation lingers for too long, which can be distracting. The former professional player didn’t hold back and said that these weapons would ruin your game.

“If you don’t think that’s pay to lose, you’re out of your mind. Any normal Guardian doesn’t have this lingering effect when you shoot it. Listen to how long that lingers for. That’s like four seconds…these skins are cool, but you’re not getting an advantage. All you’re getting is a mental ‘this skin looks cool,’ but you’re getting a disadvantage because it’s so loud, it’s so annoying, it’s so in your face with the visual effects and shit,” shroud said.

Heavy embellishments and dark metallic details are the appeal of this skin bundle, but Shroud thinks it’s a bit too much. Like Elderflame, Ruination skins have a lot going on in their animations, which can be distracting in intense games. Both the skin bundles cost more money than any other premium bundle, so players are paying for the over-the-top gun body. Players who prefer minimalistic designs would agree with Shroud, who’s not a fan of the visually “loud” skins.

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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