Client: Riot Games
Year: 2023
In the two years since its launch, VALORANT has become one of the most-watched FPS esport worldwide. We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have participated in shaping its visual identity right from the outset, beginning with the game’s debut in 2020 and continuing into the VCT in 2021.
In 2023, We teamed up with Riot once more to lead their initiative to adapt the VCT design system into a robust global set of tools for the future.
As the VCT entered a formal franchise system in 2023, Riot needed to build a brand system that would last and be adaptable for many years. We helped them refresh the core broadcast design language, the logo system, and a new set of social, motion and marketing toolkits.
With the help of Tendril as our production and 3D partner, we also created new visual key artworks to support this years new look.
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With over 1700 unique deliverables, the Championship had to be designed as a modular identity system for 10 sub-brands simultaneously, with executions for all the stages of the event; the Challengers series, Masters, Champions, Game Changers, LCQ, The International Leagues, as well as their evergreen VCT core brand.
The system was separated in 4 different categories, each created in 10 color variant for various stages of the Championship.
01-Identity
02-Key Art
03-Broadcast
04-Design toolkits: motion, social
01—Identity
Logos & graphic language
In addition to designing a hero lockup for ‘VCT’ and ‘VALORANT CHAMPIONS TOUR’. An extended family of logos were designed for all the other VCT events, each with its own distinctive color scheme, all following the same hierarchical structure as the main brand.
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– New Logo and animation for the main hero “Valorant Champions Tour” lockup for 2023
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Logo Animations
To ensure uniformity in the motion language across all events, the same signature animation style was used for each mark and will later inform the typography animation style for the motion toolkit.
02—Key Artworks
The previous VCT kits were based on a fixed set of illustrations from the VALORANT marketing materials. For this package, in order to maximize visual diversity and meet the needs of content releases throughout the season, we embarked on a mission to craft an entirely new collection of artworks to serve as a flexible and expandable library of backgrounds for all design kits.
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Color variants were created for each event to ensure the artworks color match each sub-brand primary and highlight colors used for graphic and type design overlays.
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Additionally, we generated a grittier textured version of each artwork to be used in different design toolkits where optimal contrast with typography and overlaid information is needed.
03—Broadcast toolkits
2023 introduced new events to the Champions Tour, providing players and fans with more opportunities to watch all of their favorite regional and international rivalries play out. The broadcast event is where the crux of the rebrand shines brightest. Throughout the year, an extensive set of design tools are used to seamlessly broadcast VALORANT matches around the globe in over 15 languages. Unforgettable events that combine spectacle with top-tier competition.
04—Design Toolkits
VCT is the highest level of competition you can see in esport. The matches are high-stakes, intense, and never predictable. It’s a non-stop highlight reel. Keeping up with all the latest takes place on social channels in the forms of motion or stats highlights. The aim of the highlights is to convey the experience of attending a VCT event.
Aesthetically different than the broadcast work which is presented live and more fast-paced, the VCT social voice is even more vibrant, playful, authentic, and stylish. Our motion templates add branding and color-specific flair to these fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled highlight reels, capturing the energy and excitement of the events.