What is the core philosophy behind creating a '10,000 hour game' like League of Legends or Valorant?

The key is to deeply understand and empathize with the target player, focusing on intrinsic motivations like social connection and mastery, rather than solely relying on external rewards. Developers strive to build games that players genuinely want to invest extensive time into.

Can a 10,000-hour game be made with a small team and budget?

Yes, numerous successful games like PUBG, Valheim, and Among Us were developed with constrained resources, challenging the notion that significant cost and large teams are strictly necessary for a compelling, long-lasting game.

What are the essential 'table stakes' for a modern competitive shooter?

Crucial elements include robust anti-cheat systems, high server capacity for low latency (e.g., 128-tick servers), and overall smooth client performance including high frame rates, which are expensive but vital for player retention.

How did Riot Games approach the challenge of innovating in the crowded shooter genre for Valorant?

Instead of focusing on new features, the team concentrated on perfecting core elements like anti-cheat, performance, and server infrastructure, while also adopting a 80/20 approach: maintaining familiar mechanics (80%) and innovating in key areas (20%) to attract existing players.

Was Valorant designed from the start as a character-based shooter?

No, the decision to incorporate character abilities was a later development ('backed into it'). The team aimed to simplify learning by segmenting game knowledge, making it easier for players to grasp and progress, inspired by mechanics from games like League of Legends.

What led Stephen Lim and Trevor Romleski to leave Riot Games to found Raid Base?

After the success of Valorant, Stephen felt a desire to work with a live audience and explore new game types. The team's shared passion for PVP sandbox MMOs, inspired by games like Rust and Lineage 2, led them to pursue this genre with their new company.

What kind of game is Raid Base currently developing?

Raid Base is creating a new IP in the PVP sandbox space, described as 'science fantasy' with elements reminiscent of MMOs. The focus is on player agency, emergent gameplay, and fostering deep social interactions beyond just combat.

What is the most crucial advice for aspiring game developers starting a new studio?

Know your audience fundamentally – understand their motivations, desires, and how they interact with games. Continuously engage with them, iterate based on their feedback, and use this understanding as a North Star for all design decisions.

How does Raid Base approach team building for their new startup?

Raid Base prioritizes alignment around the product thesis and audience understanding over raw skill. They seek individuals with a blend of 'hunter' mentality for the startup phase and 'gatherer' stability for long-term needs, fostering high energy and shared vision.

What's the biggest regret Trevor Romleski has regarding his gaming history?

Trevor considers missing out on playing Ultima Online during his formative years as his biggest gaming regret.

Why is anti-cheat considered a critical 'table stake' for competitive shooters?

Cheating fundamentally breaks the intrinsic motivation of mastery. Players lose the drive to improve if they perceive the system as rigged or unfair, leading to frustration and abandonment of the game, making robust anti-cheat essential for long-term success.

The Story of VALORANT | Making a Modern FPS Masterpiece

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Gaming3 min read86 min video

Jun 1, 2023|5,945 views|177|17

VALORANT VCT Riot Games Riot FPS Shooter

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Key Moments

TL;DR

Riot Games developers discuss creating "10,000-hour" games like Valorant, focusing on player empathy, intrinsic motivation, and strategic design choices.

Key Insights

Creating "10,000-hour" games requires deep understanding and empathy for the target audience, focusing on their intrinsic motivations rather than solely external rewards.

Valorant's tactical shooter direction was solidified by a team vote after the announcement of Overwatch, highlighting the importance of team alignment and market context.

Key to Valorant's success were "table stakes" features like robust anti-cheat, low latency servers, and high performance, which Riot invested heavily in.

Riot Games prioritized the "tactical shooter" audience first for Valorant, believing it to be the hardest to serve, and then expanded outwards.

Raid Base's new game aims for a PVP sandbox MMO space with a focus on emergent gameplay, player agency, and a diverse range of social interactions beyond combat.

Building a successful game studio, especially a startup, relies heavily on team alignment around a core thesis and audience, even over individual skill sets.

THE ORIGINS OF VALORANT AND EARLY DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES

The discussion begins with the developers' backgrounds, highlighting formative gaming experiences ranging from console classics to competitive PC titles and MMOs. This deep immersion in gaming fueled their desire to create impactful titles. A pivotal moment for the Valorant team was witnessing the announcement of Overwatch, which, rather than discouraging them, reinforced their commitment to a tactical shooter approach, differentiating them from the more action-oriented gameplay they observed.

CRAFTING "10,000-HOUR" GAMES: PLAYER EMPATHY AND INTRINSIC MOTIVATION

Creating games that players engage with for thousands of hours hinges on understanding the audience at a fundamental level. The developers emphasize that this requires imagining a specific player and empathizing with their needs and desires. Intrinsic motivations—like mastery, social connection, and self-determination—are crucial. Games like League of Legends and Valorant succeed because they tap into these core human drives, providing sustained engagement that goes beyond simple reward loops.

THE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT OF VALORANT: FROM CONCEPT TO LAUNCH

The journey to Valorant involved significant strategic decisions, including a critical vote that solidified its identity as a tactical shooter. The team prioritized core mechanics and player experience over flashy, potentially market-disrupting features. Key investments were made in essential but often invisible elements like anti-cheat systems and server infrastructure, demonstrating a commitment to competitive integrity and performance, which are crucial for long-term player retention and building trust.

INNOVATION AND CORE GAMEPLAY: THE VALORANT APPROACH

Rather than seeking radical feature innovation, the Valorant team focused on refining existing mechanics and addressing player frustrations. They recognized that the shooter genre had matured, and reinventing the core shooting experience was unnecessary. Instead, they concentrated on "table stakes" improvements, such as superior anti-cheat, low latency, high performance, and quality-of-life enhancements like an intuitive buy menu. The addition of character abilities was a later development, designed to complement, not overshadow, the core gunplay.

THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND RAID BASE: A NEW ADVENTURE

After years of developing Valorant, the founders, Stephen Lim and Trevor Romleski, established Raid Base to explore new horizons. Their focus is on a PVP sandbox space, which they describe not as a traditional MMO but one that shares feature overlap. The goal is to foster emergent gameplay, player agency, and deep social interactions, moving beyond combat-centric experiences to build a world where players can role-play and form meaningful connections facilitated by a science-fantasy IP that allows for creative "shenanigans."

BUILDING TEAMS AND ADVISING STARTUPS: LESSONS LEARNED

The formation of Raid Base emphasizes building a team with high alignment around a core thesis and audience, prioritizing this even over individual skill sets. They advocate for a deep, ongoing understanding of the player base, stressing that it's a continuous journey of empathy and iteration. For aspiring game studios, the advice is to define a clear audience-centric thesis, build a team that shares this vision, and remain persistent in understanding player motivations to make sound design decisions.

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Common Questions

The team held a vote, with the decision ultimately tipping towards tactical shooter due to its depth and historical appeal, solidified by their experience playing Overwatch at BlizzCon 2014 and finding it less compelling than their own tactical direction.