Valorant players suggest Riot add a new spectating feature

Olivia Richman Published 14/11/2020

Valorant players have come up with a useful feature that they hope Riot Games will implement in a future update.

The tactical shooter has gained a massive following and as the competitive scene grows, players are continuously looking for ways to improve at the game and climb up the ranks. One player recently suggested that Riot developers should add a feature that lets players spectate their friends’ matches. This would allow players to guide their friends and offer advice based on what they are seeing. It would also let them learn some new techniques from watching their friends’ gameplay.

Basically, a Valorant player would have to request to spectate someone’s match. The other person would have to accept the request, allowing the player to watch the match from their point of view. The spectator would not be allowed to use their mics, although they can use the whisper chat.

Spectating is a standard feature in CSGO, Dota 2

CSGO spectating Valorant

The Valorant community immediately pointed out that this feature is available in other competitive titles. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has an option where players can spectate anyone, flying freely around the map. Even though players are two rounds behind the live game, they still get to watch the rounds unfold from any angle or perspective.

Dota 2 also has a similar spectator mode where players can watch games live on a delay and have full control over what they see, or they can download replays and watch old matches at any time. League of Legends, another Riot title, also allows spectating. One player even pointed out that more simplistic games like PUBG Mobile even have spectating tools.

There are workarounds like sharing screens to friends over Discord while playing, but this is still a far cry from the standard features of other esports titles.

Other Valorant fans pointed out that Valorant isn’t “missing” any features, including spectating. Instead, it just hasn’t implemented them yet. Compared to Dota 2, CSGO, and League of Legends, Valorant is a relatively new game. Riot’s newest title came out in June, 2020, making it less than five months old.

Developers are continuously creating teams to better action on community feedback. While no Riot employees responded to the request for a spectating tool just yet, it’s very possible that this is something coming in Valorant’s future.

For now, updates have been slowed down. Recent updates have caused game-breaking bugs and their implementation also disrupted ongoing esports tournaments. Patch 1.12 was smaller to avoid those sorts of issues as Valorant esports heads into a busier part of the season. Riot developers claim regular-sized updates will resume in December.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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