Are League Of Legends And Valorant Set In The Same Universe?
Riot Games has a habit of linking its games back to "League of Legends," like with "Legends of Runeterra" and "Teamfighter Tactics." So, when the developer released "Valorant" in late 2020, fans wondered if it would have some connection to its flagship franchise.
For the most part, "Valorant" is separate from "League of Legends." Riot intended for "Valorant" to build its own world through "environmental storytelling." Creative Director David Nottingham clarified early on that the team planned to gradually expand "Valorant" lore similarly to "Fortnite." Still, one of the concrete facts is that "Valorant" is grounded in reality. This emphasis on reality clashes with the "League of Legends'" fantasy setting.
It's set in the future of our world, as evidenced by the different nationalities represented by the agents. For example, Neon hails from the Philippines and her design makes an effort to reflect that authentically. "Valorant" also emphasizes gunplay over special abilities. Agents are meant to use their abilities as tools rather than as their main weapon, unlike other Riot titles that emphasize magic as the main power source.
Here's what the "Valorant" design team said about its decision to set the two games in separate universes.
What the Valorant design team says about its relationship to League of Legends
Companies often leave bits of lore up for interpretation, but that's not the case with Riot. In an interview with US Gamer, "Valorant" director Joe Ziegler confirmed that the game takes place in a separate setting from "League of Legends" because his team found it difficult to incorporate aspects of "Legends of Runeterra" with what it needed for "Valorant."
"Our game had physical, weighty guns that fired like real life weaponry and our abilities were not designed to dominate the battlefield over these guns," Ziegler said. "In other words, guns were the star of the show and in Runeterra, magic was the star of the show. We didn't want to do an injustice to fans of the world of League of Legends by forcibly trying to make it conform to our needs."
Players might be confused because "League of Legends" still technically made it into "Valorant" with the Sentinels of Light crossover bundle. However, that was just a cosmetic bundle — not an event or an extension of the lore.