Individual Project

Platform: PC
Software: Unreal Engine

Tactical Shooter Level Design: Valorant

As part of my level design process, I conducted in-depth research on tactical shooter level design, with a specific focus on Valorant. This research helped me better understand the key elements that contribute to successful map creation, ensuring balanced gameplay, engaging environments and a strong player experience. I started by learning about the fundamental components of level design, such as verticality, sightlines, player flow and the interaction between space and mechanics. With these principles in mind, I began thinking about the specific features I wanted to incorporate into my map, drawing inspiration from popular tactical shooters like Valorant, where gameplay elements such as chokepoints, cover placement and dynamic verticality play a major role. After gathering my ideas, I sketched rough layouts to experiment with the positioning of key areas and to visualize the overall flow of the map. Once I had a solid concept, I moved on to creating the blockout in Unreal Engine, where I further refined the design, iterating based on playtesting feedback and ensuring that the final result met the goals of strategic depth and player engagement.

Key Design Considerations

• Vertical Complexity

• Site Design & Flow

• Unique Paths and Proximity Doors

• Ascending Terrain and Strategic Elevation

• Combat and Cover Design

• Bomb Planting and Strategic Depth

• Map Layout Inspiration and Flow

Conceptualization & Initial Ideas

The first step in my design process involved establishing the core objectives of the map. I aimed to design a map with strategic complexity, where verticality, player interaction with cover and the flow between bomb sites would offer a variety of tactical opportunities. The key goals were:

• Creating dynamic combat: I wanted to foster both horizontal and vertical combat by integrating multiple levels and elevated positions.

• Encouraging strategic rotation: Players should have multiple ways to approach objectives, allowing for interesting rotations and tactical plays.

• Designing for variety: Different types of engagements, from close-range confrontations to long-range exchanges, should be supported by the environment.

Layout & Key Design Considerations

With these goals in mind, I began working on the layout, considering important design elements that would shape gameplay:

• Vertical Complexity: I incorporated elevated areas on both bomb sites, giving attackers and defenders a variety of tactical choices. Verticality adds complexity, ensuring that players need to constantly think about height advantages or disadvantages, especially when pushing or defending bomb sites.

• Site Design: The A site is elevated above the B site, offering open space for attackers and strategic positions for defenders. In contrast, B site is more enclosed, encouraging tight, tactical combat with obstacles providing cover and limiting sightlines. This difference in design aims to create varied player experiences depending on the site.

• Paths and Ropes: The map features three primary routes: one through mid and one each for A and B. These provide flexibility, allowing attackers to plan their approach, whether focusing on mid or splitting forces between the sites. I also included tunnels with ropes to add more varied gameplay to get to sites.

• Corridors and Chokepoints: To create intensity in engagements, I incorporated narrow corridors and chokepoints, particularly in the transition between A, B and mid. These areas force players to commit to specific strategies and adapt to tight spaces where tactical cover becomes essential.

Balancing Site Dynamics and Height Advantages

Elevation and Strategic Play: One of the most significant design choices was the difference in elevation between for attackers and defenders. Both sites sits at a higher elevation for the defenders, providing them with a positional advantage for retaking or controlling the site. In contrast, multiple entrances are placed for attackers to offer potential spots to sneak into the site or surprise their opponents from various angles.

Bomb Planting Considerations: I also wanted to encourage unique tactics when planting the bomb. Inspired by Icebox, I created situations where players can plant the bomb at elevated locations, adding vertical complexity and requiring attackers and defenders to think strategically about positioning.

Playtesting & Iteration

After completing the initial blockout, I began playtesting the map to evaluate how it played in real scenarios. During testing, I focused on identifying areas where the map's flow and player interactions didn’t match my original vision. This process led to several iterations, where I made adjustments to sightlines, cover placement and chokepoint positioning. Playtesting helped pinpoint areas where certain paths were too dominant, allowing me to make the necessary tweaks to ensure balance for both teams. In the final stages, I refined the combat spaces to ensure they were both engaging and strategically meaningful, carefully considering the use of full, half and soft cover to optimize player movement and tactical decision-making across the map.

Valorant Research

Gameplay and Map Design Philosophy

Valorant’s map designers focus on gameplay-first design, meaning the structure and features of a map are created to enhance tactical play rather than just for aesthetic reasons. Features like doors, teleporters and ropes are added to promote strategic movement and create opportunities for dynamic interactions between players. This design philosophy emphasizes functionality alongside creativity.

Map Features and Gameplay Mechanics

Valorant maps introduce unique mechanics and features that influence both player movement and combat. Some common elements include:

• Verticality: Ropes, ziplines and elevated areas create opportunities for vertical combat, influencing player positioning and strategies.

• Interactive Elements: Doors that open/close/rotate, teleporters and breakable doors/windows add a layer of strategy, forcing players to adapt and plan for unexpected changes in the map.

• Agent Abilities: Different agents have abilities that interact with the map. For example, agents are able to smoke off certain areas on a map to block vision and creating tactical advantages in open areas.

Example Map Research

I analyzed several Valorant maps to understand their unique features and how they influence gameplay:

• Ascent: A traditional three-lane map with interactive doors and vertical spaces. It balances tight choke points with wide-open areas, providing opportunities for both close-range and long-range combat.

• Breeze: Features large open areas and long sightlines, encouraging long-range combat. The design encourages using smokes and abilities to control sightlines and space.

• Icebox: A map with significant verticality, where ropes and ziplines are key features. This adds complexity to combat, forcing players to be aware of both horizontal and vertical threats.

• Split: Designed with a focus on tactical control, Split emphasizes height differences and chokepoints. The map's design encourages strategic team coordination, especially when attacking and defending.

Every map in Valorant is designed with a specific player experience in mind, balancing accessibility and complexity. Some key goals I focused on during my research:

• Attackers vs. Defenders: Designing spaces that provide fair advantages to both teams. For example, defenders may have high-ground control or access to more cover, while attackers need to navigate these spaces strategically.

• Gameplay Beats: Understanding key gameplay moments such as probing, committing to bomb sites and agent roles during retakes helps create natural flow in a map’s design.

• Unique Points of Interest (POIs): Every map has areas of interest that drive the player’s mental map and decision-making. It also acts as landmarks or something similar to that where players will be able to recognize areas in a game and make comparisons.