Look Sports Media – Riot Games has dropped a cinematic bomb to celebrate Valorant’s fifth anniversary, unveiling "Why We Fight," a visually stunning short film featuring Qing Madi’s hit single, "Ego." The cinematic delves into the lore surrounding First Light, the pivotal event that shaped Alpha Earth and the Valorant universe. A major reveal? The introduction of Mary Ade, Phoenix’s sister, Valorant’s first non-playable character (NPC) and a key figure in Phoenix’s backstory. Creative Director David Nottingham stated, "To celebrate our anniversary, we envisioned a special musical moment capturing the journey of our players and agents. This led us to create Mary, Phoenix’s sister and Valorant’s first non-playable character."
The choice of "Ego" wasn’t arbitrary. Jonny Altepeter, Riot Games’ Lead Music Supervisor, explained, "Qing Madi’s raw demo of ‘EGO’ instantly resonated with the emotional depth we aimed to capture. Her music became the heart of this cinematic, enriching the storytelling for VALORANT’s universe." This collaboration continues Riot’s trend of partnering with top musical talent, following previous successful partnerships with artists like Zedd and MILLI.
But the cinematic is just one piece of the anniversary puzzle. Riot is hosting Valorant parties across the UK in London, Durham, Manchester, and Warwick. In-game celebrations are equally significant, with the much-anticipated replay system finally going live, alongside an Unreal Engine 5 upgrade slated for the end of July. Looking ahead, Riot aims to bridge the gap between Tier 1 and Tier 2 Valorant esports teams in 2027, promising exciting changes to the competitive landscape. Adding to the festivities, a "Semidecade Slugfest" showmatch, hosted by former Fnatic coach Jacob "mini" Harris and Team Liquid content creator Connor "Sliggy" Blomfield, saw Team mini triumph over Team Sliggy with a decisive 4-1 victory, streamed live on Twitch. The anniversary is clearly more than just a celebration; it’s a pivotal moment shaping Valorant’s future.
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