Why Valorant’s Replay System Keeps Getting Pushed Back: An Industry Insider Explains

Players have been eagerly awaiting the launch of a replay system in Valorant, with frustration piling up within the community day by day and members in the community have taken to memes and jokes to display their dissatisfaction under Valorant’s official pages. Many have been quick to point at the developers for the source of the delay, assuming incompetence or negligence is to blame. However, what if I tell you that the core issue may not lie on the developers, but with management decisions and resource allocation within Riot Games? This theory has been brought forward by a software engineer who used to work at Riot (non-Valorant) on the subreddit r/ValorantCompetitive.

A Management Perspective

He has pointed out and shared information that brings in a whole new perspective within the community, he stated that “ The issue is that Riot management doesn’t allocate significant resources to the replay system—and this should be obvious, even to outsiders. In my experience in Big Tech, a project can secure resources by demonstrating that it will either generate more money for the company or reduce future risk. The problem with the replay system is that it doesn’t directly attract new players, it won’t significantly increase current players’ engagement, and it won’t generate substantial revenue. It’s not a quick win. So, how can anyone justify spending millions of dollars on a feature that won’t make much money? The truth is, you can’t.
The truth is that the replay system, while highly anticipated by players, is not a feature that directly generates new players, increases engagement, or boosts revenue in a way that would justify a large, immediate investment. In the world of game development, resources—whether time, engineering talent, or money—are allocated based on business priorities. Features that generate substantial returns, such as new agents, maps, or console support, tend to take precedence over others that may not provide an immediate financial impact.”

Shift in Priorities

He further elaborated that during their time at the company, the team was heavily focused on rolling out the console version of Valorant. This was a project that required significant engineering effort and thus took precedence over other features, including the replay system. Engineers are often reassigned to different projects depending on shifting business needs, and during these times, features like the replay system are placed on the end list of priorities.
Furthermore, there are some who believe the delay is part of a conspiracy to hide problems and issues within the game like game bugs. However, this theory is unfounded. The reality is that a replay system, if anything, would actually enhance transparency, allowing players to review matches and uncover any issues for themselves. There’s no hidden agenda-just a feature that isn’t prioritized due to business realities.

Also Read: Valorant Patch 10.00 (2025) Map Pool Update: What's In & What's Out

How far is the replay system?

Ultimately, while the replay system is a feature that could enhance the Valorant experience, its delay has been due to the broader scope of developmental priorities within Riot Games. The engineers at Riot are obviously capable, but the feature just doesn’t generate enough immediate return to justify a major investment. While this has been said, it is also worth noting that the replay system might just be around the corner with the replay system icons being added in-game. We have discussed about this further in this article