Valorant Bundles are an important and reliant source of income for Riot Games. Since they are practically running the operations for a free game, they need to have an influx of money at all times. However, this is not exclusive to Valorant. Games like CS, Overwatch, and Call of Duty Warzone are free games and have to earn an income as well. Nevertheless, the way for Riot to do so is through Valorant Bundles. Essentially, these bundles include cool and bright gun skins with animations, VFX, SFX, and more.
The designs for these bundles are gorgeous which prompts people to buy them. However, for the past few months, bundles have been getting more and more expensive. The community has pondered this question now and again when an expensive bundle releases, and this article tries to find out if Valorant Bundles are getting expensive every update?
Contents
- Are Valorant Bundles Getting More Expensive Every Update? An Analysis
- The Problem with Valorant Skins
- The Valorant Skins Rarity System
- The Most Expensive Bundles in Valorant
- How the Latest Kuronami Bundle Ranks Among the Bunch
- The Verdict
Are Valorant Bundles Getting More Expensive Every Update? An Analysis
Multiplayer gaming would not be the same without micro-transactions. Previously, we had games like Modern Warfare 2 with almost zero micro-transactions. Once you bought the full game you could enjoy it without spending more money. However, the curse of providing a free game is that the developers have to earn somehow. Besides, the only way to get an income from a free game is through micro-transactions.
Valorant is a fun game and what makes it more fun are the weapon skins. Having a skin is not a physical upgrade for the gun per se, it’s a psychological one. People feel more confident to take gunfights and the kill animations are satisfying to watch. However, seeing the appeal of the skins, is Riot increasing the prices slowly without the players realizing it?
The Problem with Valorant Skins
The single biggest problem with Valorant skins most of the audience has is getting an incomplete skin after buying it. How? Well, once you buy a skin, you will need to fully upgrade it with Radianite points which are hard to come by and are quite expensive if you want to buy them at the Store. To fully experience the VFX and SFX of the skin in glory, you will have to buy Radianite points or advance the free battle pass which is a long wait.
Why should players spend more money after buying the skin they paid full price for? Most people have argued that Riot should give fully upgraded skins from the get-go but that hasn’t reached a responsive ear from the developer. Aside from that, for the price of most of these skins, you can buy full games in online shops or pay for a gaming subscription.
The Valorant Skins Rarity System
If you are just here to play the game, then the skins don’t affect you. However, for the people who do like cosmetics, they can be rather expensive. Not only that, there is a rarity system to classify skins in certain sectors. Essentially, the rarer and more expensive the skin, the higher the tier of ranking. Let us see what the Rarity System is.
There are five different rarities in the game thus far for skins. They are:
- Select Edition: These skins have a blue circle and cost about $10 or 875VP per skin. A bundle costs around $41 or 2930/3500 VP give or take.
- Deluxe Edition: These skins have a green rhombus and cost about $16 or 1275VP per skin. A bundle costs around $62 or 5100 VP give or take.
- Premium Edition: These skins have a pink triangle that is upside down and cost about $23 or 1775VP per skin. A bundle costs around $82 or 7100 VP give or take.
- Ultra Edition: These skins have a yellow diamond and cost about $30 or 2475VP per skin. A bundle costs around $100+ or 9900 VP give or take.
- Exclusive Edition: These skins have an orange pentagon that is upside down. Their cost varies.
These prices are quite steep for the people who do not earn from the game i.e. for the folks who play casually after a busy day. For the streamers or pro players who depend on the game for their livelihood, it is a necessity most of the time to show off the bundle to their audience. However, it does not fit the pocket of every playing the game.
The Most Expensive Bundles in Valorant
We saw a rough classification of the bundles above. Now, let us take a look at some of the most expensive bundles we have seen in the game. The most memorable bundles in current times that were the most expensive ones were the Radiant Entertainment System bundle, the Elderflame, the Protocol 781-A, and the Zedd x Valorant bundle.
- Radiant Entertainment System: This bundle had a Bulldog, a Ghost, a Melee, an Operator, and a Phantom. It costs 11,900 VP or $100+.
- The Elderflame: This bundle has a Frenzy, a Judge, an Operator, a Vandal, and a Melee. It costs around 9900 VP which is roughly $95.
- Protocol 781-A: This bundle has a Bulldog, a Sheriff, a Spectre, a Phantom, and a Melee. It costs the same as the Elderflame.
- Zedd x Valorant: This bundle has a Bulldog, a Classic, a Guardian, a Phantom, and a Melee. It costs 10,700 VP which is more than the cost of the Elderflame bundle at $100.
How the Latest Kuronami Bundle Ranks Among the Bunch
NEW Kuronami Vandal Animations + All Variants | #VALORANT pic.twitter.com/mildn0D5ra
— Valorant Updates (@ValorantUpdated) January 4, 2024
The latest Kuronami Bundle has gotten the community hyped due to how it functions, sounds, and changes the environment after the final kill. However, it is also the same price as the other expensive skins. It is just shy of the price of the Elderflame bundle coming in at 9500 VP or $95 roughly.
Each weapon skin will cost the players around 2375 VP. The bundle will feature a Vandal, a Sheriff, a Marshal, a Spectre, and a Melee along with some other cosmetics like sprays, gun buddies, and a player card.
The Verdict
The Verdict is that Valorant Skins are too expensive for the casual player to buy in this economy. And yes, they are getting increasingly expensive as the buying ceiling of the skins increases. We started with the Elderflame being the most expensive and ended with the Radiant Entertainment System which is the same price as buying two different games without a discount.
However, their vanity and look cause the players to invest in it regardless of the size of their wallets. At the end of the day, Riot has to earn a living through a free game somehow. The best option they have is cosmetics.
Although seeing the price patterns of the skins increase in recent times, we are not far from the days where players will have empty wallets and skins without SFX or VFX because they did not have enough left over to upgrade them.
