VALORANT: Riot defends Replay system launch and promises improvements ahead

Marcus “Riot Nu” Reid, Director of Software Engineering for VALORANT, responded to the wave of criticism surrounding the new Replay system, which launched on September 16 with Patch 11.06. In a message posted to his X account on September 19, Reid explained that this first version was designed to meet a specific need, one that is not centered around competitive or community use.

“The overwhelming majority of players use replay systems to review their own matches. That is why we focused on creating a smooth, functional experience centered on gameplay,” he wrote. Reid added that Riot Games expected the tool to be regularly used by a subset of dedicated players, despite the large demand expressed across social media.

His comments came after strong backlash from both professional players and community. Canadian star Tyson “TenZ” Ngo criticized the restrictions, noting, “If the replay system has no plans to allow viewing of other people’s games, what is the point of releasing it?” He argued that without this option, teams cannot properly study high-level play or create fragmovies. Brazilian streamer Guilherme “Tixinhadois” Cheida echoed the frustration, reporting that during a private presentation, developers told him there were no plans to include competitive or professional matches in the future.

As detailed in the Patch 11.06 notes, the system currently supports only Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay, and Premier matches, with replays set to expire automatically after a few weeks. Players cannot access replays from other accounts, custom lobbies, or esports matches. This stands in contrast to games such as Counter-Strike, where demos can be downloaded and stored indefinitely.

Reid stressed, however, that this launch is just the beginning of the feature’s development. “Yes, you can consider this the launch version of Replays. Further updates and improvements are on the way,” he confirmed, adding that support for Custom Games is already “on the priority list.”