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Riot Games has begun their Pride celebration across their entire ecosystem, with in-game rewards and cosmetics also appearing in Valorant. This has been a yearly tradition with Riot as they continue their pledge to create inclusive spaces for all players where they can feel their identities are represented.
Earlier, Riot shared their Pride-themed itinerary for the popular tactical FPS, which lists the bundle and all the items available to players between June 1 to June 20. Players can equip these in-game all year long to display their support and pride.
The community has also responded positively to the cosmetics brought in by the publisher. A Twitter user recently shared their ideas regarding a skin concept that would rightfully echo the Pride theme of the month.
Valorant is celebrating Pride over the month of June
Twitter user ScraftMike is known for their weapon concept art. Shared on Twitter, the sketches portray the ever-trusty Classic pistol in different shades and also a possible Pride-themed animation. There are four variants that ScraftMike has posted on Twitter, stating that they used the Kingdom Class from the first BP as a base for a greenscreen skin.
The four are Pride, Trans, Enby, and Ace, with the skin showcasing the word "PROUD" on one side of the gun. ScraftMike also shared a fun animation through the sketches, where inspecting the gun would lead to a rainbow flag being released from the weapon, which the Agent can then grab and wave with their left hand. Interested readers can check out this talented artist's work on ArtStation as well.
Community engagement such as this helps further the cause of creating inclusive spaces and initiating conversations about how to achieve it. The need for a diverse space that represents all identities, without judgement or derision, is dire and moreso in online spaces, such as Valorant, where toxicity has been well documented.
Riot shares the cosmetic bundle for Pride month in Valorant
The publisher has revealed the details of the in-game Valorant items and how players can procure them. The Pride Collection bundle features eight player cards with their own distinct color schemes and two player buddies. The bundle has been marked free for players to purchase from the store. To learn more about how to redeem the bundle and what each card signifies, check here.
In an earlier statement, Riot had explained their goals as:
"We want all players to feel their identities are represented. No matter where you live, who you are, or who you love, we want to make sure you can see yourselves while you play. Our champions and agents have their own identities which are representative of our globally diverse playerbase."
Even with the usual caveats, it is heartwarming to see Riot committing to their ongoing tradition of coming together, celebrating LGBTQIA+ communities, recognizing the progress they have made and working towards creating further such inclusive spaces for everyone.
