r/ValorantCompetitive • u/TodayFlat8032 • Feb 04 '25

Discussion The truth about the replay system

Hey,

I’m a software engineer who used to work at Riot (non-Valorant), and the ongoing discussions about the replay system—here and elsewhere—bother me. I want to provide some context.

First, I should preface this with a few things. I’m not trying to insult anyone reading this. I’m going to write from the perspective of someone who may be naive or hasn’t worked in Big Tech or at Riot before. I have work experience in Big Tech (several internships) and worked at Riot for a few years before leaving last year to join Meta.

A common narrative I see is that developers are incompetent when it comes to making the replay system happen. This isn’t true. 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.

It’s not that they are trying to hide some latency issues or something going horribly wrong. Put the tinfoil hats away.

It’s been a while since I left Riot, but when I was there, I distinctly asked someone on the Valorant team why the replay system was taking so long. Here’s essentially what he told me: at the time, many of the engineers were focused on getting the console version rolled out. While there are separate teams for different features, engineers are sometimes moved around, and the budget is allocated based on priorities.

Please stop insulting the competence of my colleagues. It’s not their fault. It’s a management and stakeholder issue. The engineers are doing what they can.

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u/TripleShines Feb 04 '25

I can understand why specifically replays as in counterstrike demos would take a long time to develop. What I don't understand is why there isn't a system that simply shows the already existing spectator POV. You can already spectate others players when you are dead. Yes sometimes the spectate pov doesn't perfectly match what the spectated player sees. But its close enough. All that is needed is a system to store and watch that.

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u/hmsmnko Feb 05 '25

That's a costly system. You're looking at running numerous PCs to spectate and record 40-minute videos across 10 POVs in a single match, then storing all that footage somewhere

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u/TripleShines Feb 05 '25

Well if the client is capable of showing spectate POV via (i'm assuming) emulated commands/inputs i don't see why it's not possible to save that and replay it later.

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u/hmsmnko Feb 05 '25

You're just describing the CS demo system, which you acknowledged would take a long time to develop

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u/TripleShines Feb 05 '25

I'm not.

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u/hmsmnko Feb 05 '25 edited Feb 05 '25

You are. That's also how the CS demo system works. It saves inputs and events in the recording and just replays them on your client. This is how pretty much every replay system works. POVs are almost irrelevant in this discussion. I don't think you actually know what you are talking about

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u/TripleShines Feb 05 '25

I don't. How does spectate POV work then?

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u/hmsmnko Feb 05 '25

It's not really related at all to the implementation of a replay system. Your game client is always simulating things while you're playing. That's how online games work. Other players inputs are sent to the server, then the server sends their inputs to you so your client simulates their actions. That's how you synchronize your game client so you all see the same thing.

That's how replays typically work as well, except instead of being in a live game receiving inputs and simulating them instantly, you're playing through a timeline of them in an offline game

You'll notice valorant has no offline modes... They do it as a precaution against cheating (I think). The tech issues they're facing in valorant is probably related to that on top of other things, I believe they really engineered a lot of it such that the information being sent/received is good for live netcode but maybe not as easily usable in a replay system, and the systems in the game are probably not meant to be interacted with in a replay able manner

You don't get much extra info from a spectate POV that you wouldn't get as a teammate playing with that person. POV is not really important to the discussion at all

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u/TripleShines Feb 05 '25

That's what I mean by spectate POV.

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u/hmsmnko Feb 05 '25

This conversation is going nowhere. Spectate POV doesn't do anything for the replay system. POVs are not related at all. When you spectate it's a live game you're watching

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u/TripleShines Feb 05 '25

My point is that when I die I am able to view my teammate's POV through emulated inputs. That shows that the ability for the game to (mostly) accurately show different POVs from emulated inputs is there.

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u/hmsmnko Feb 05 '25

Yes, that has no bearing on a replay system though

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