Much more than just new colours and added effects, Valorant’s cosmetics, and especially the skins, bring many compelling elements to the game. One of these elements that people normally don’t care much about is the storytelling elements and the little links that these cosmetics make with different parts of the game.
Valorant’s skins can carry really interesting stories, no different from gun buddies (you can find some of their rich backgrounds in this article). From alternate realities like the Glitchpop or the Protocol 781-A collections to adapted gun dragons, it's difficult to imagine the limits behind them. Unfortunately, this aspect of skin lines isn’t always what makes people interested in them; over lore and amusin
g stories, what makes people want to spend money on skins is a good-looking set of effects and a cool-looking exterior.
There are some collections, however, that knowing its background can help it distinguish from other skins, even if it doesn’t carry an insane finisher or effect. In this article, you’ll learn about four collections: two that pioneered the ways that make Valorant’s skins distinguish themselves from other games; one born from a question made by a Rioter and raised to the sky; and one that capture some of the most beautiful places in Valorant’s maps. So, without further ado, let's start with our Pioneers.
To start our list, nothing is fairer than selecting the collections that pioneered the features that make the current Valorant’s skins unique. Already present during the Beta days of the game, both the Luxe and the Reaver collection brought the two single aspects of Valorant’s skins that make the game’s cosmetics different from many other similar games: the colour variations and SFX upgrades.
Image from Valorant Beta Skins and Unlockables YouTube channel
During that Beta period, the Luxe collection, different from the one released together with the full version of the game, had three different variants, with the vanilla version being the red one shown above, not the blue one. The third variant was also unique, in a sense that it carried a military-style not seen in other skins until today. To illustrate how the system with upgrades without new effects being added worked back in the day, think about the battle pass skins that contain variants.
On the Reaver collection, considered the top skin line during the Beta days, the whole collection was a lot simpler than the one re-released as a Premium bundle - the red ones - months later. It already featured, however, upgrades that gave it some SFX; and in the case of the Operator, even one colour variation.
Image from the Valorant Beta Skins and Unlockables YouTube channel
In hindsight, one can definitely say that these extra features were one of the reasons that made the Reaver collection so cherished among the player base. After all, if even nowadays people go crazy with the finishers and sound effects made by Riot, imagine the impact it created when first announced.
With an uncertain background, the confirmed story of our little swine begins in one butcher shop located in the Italian city of Venice.
Located near the entrance of A main in Ascent, this little shop ended up attracting the attention of a passing Rioter, that ended with one question in mind: what if one of these pigs escaped and flew away? This question gave birth to one player card, which was given as a battle pass award, called “Pigs may fly”. From this question, and battle pass, other pieces were created over time, expanding our little swine’s adventures, and even turning it into an icon similar to Froggie hat or the Beta Chicken
The last interaction with this iconic figure is the Divine Swine skin collection. Another award from the Battle Pass, this collection feature a plethora of angelic pigs flying around one major pig, which can easily be understood as our first escapee.
The last collection featured in this article is also the one with the most interesting theme: the Galleria collection. Released into the game together with Valorant’s transition from beta to fully released title, the Galleria collection is one of the many skins lost in the oblivion, forgotten by the majority of the player base. Priced as a Selected edition type of skin, the lack of color variants or SFXes on the skin line can definitely be one of the causes for this forgetfulness. However, don’t let this absence of flashy effects make it go by your attention.
Just like in an actual galleria, every gun on this skin line works like a canvas, carrying one special piece of art on its body. The cause of this specialness is also the reason I choose to talk about it here: each and every one of these paintings can be found as Graffiti on the walls of certain Valorant maps.
Starting with the collection’s sidearm, the first place we’ll need to Visit is Ascent. One of the maps with the highest amount of wall art, Ascent has many iconic pieces - like the octopus in the opposite wall of B main's attacker entrance or the lion next to defender's spawn. The one used in the Classic Galleria skin, however, is a little less conspicuous.
Located at Catwalk's entrance, near the high radianite box, one spectacle of colors should grab your attention; here is the first piece of our exposition.
Next, to find the graffiti that decorates both our Shotgun and our Marksman Rifle's bodies, we'll have to fly out of Venice and head to the land of the rising sun - more specifically, to Tokyo.
After arriving in Split, you'll find one dichotomy between the two sides of the map - one with older and poorer buildings and another with the high-tech style distinctive of Kingdom’s architecture. Head to the one not dominated by Kingdom if you want to see the next pieces of our exposition.
Starting with our beloved Bucky, the place you want to go while looking out for its soaring cranes is Mid. From the attacker side’s perspective, go straight from Market until you reach the metal crate on the right; then, turn left and look up.
The following graffiti, responsible for covering our Guardian up, can be found if you just follow up through Mail, past B Tower, and slide down the rope. There, you’ll find our Swords on the outer wall next to New Box on the left.
One thing that needs to be pointed out in the Guardian case is that, in this specific gun, the art piece shown on the skin does have some subtle differences from the one on the wall - some details and traces at the front of the gun that cannot be found on the wall one, more specifically. These tiny details, however, don’t change the whole picture or our comparison.
In order to finish our Galleria, we’ll need to travel to Bhutan, in the Mountain Range where Valorant’s three-sited map, Haven, is located.
There, from an attacker’s perspective, after landing, go straight through Mid Window, and walk past Courtyard until you reach the B site’s entrance. There, look to your left, to the place that can be conveniently called ‘Rabbit’. Here is the Graffiti bound to the main rifle of our collection.
To complete our Galleria, head back and climb Window again, turn your left and walk into A Long. There, on the left wall, you’ll be able to find an exquisite flower arrangement; which carries the last graffiti in the collection.
One thing that differs, from this specific wall art to the other shown until now is that the key feature of the graffiti - the flower bud - can be found in other pieces of art around the map; more specifically on the walls that build the A site.
Even on the actual skin, one attentive look will notice that the flowers that decorate it aren’t exactly like any of the three examples, but an arrangement that brings a little bit of each one of them, with the bud on its center.
With so many compelling storytelling elements, Valorant’s skins are much more than just the addition of SFX and new gun body models. And while these upgrades do look amazing, I hope that, after reading this article, you start paying a little more attention to these relegated skin lines, since they can make your experience with the game more vivid and rich. Try to find these little links in skin lines and map locations and even little backstories in your skins and other cosmetics. I guarantee you it’ll be a fun ride.
