Both changes in the headline have shipped. VALORANT moved from Unreal Engine 4.27 to Unreal Engine 5.3 in Patch 11.02 on July 29, 2025; its replay system launched for selected PC modes in Patch 11.06 on September 16, 2025. Replays have since expanded to additional Custom modes and eligible friends’ matches.
What changed, and when?
| Change | What it means | Release |
|---|---|---|
| Engine upgrade | VALORANT moved from Unreal Engine 4.27 to Unreal Engine 5.3. Riot described the player-facing effect as small performance improvements, with the larger value being a foundation for future development. | Patch 11.02, July 29, 2025 |
| Replay system | Players can review supported recent matches using multiple player perspectives and playback controls. | Patch 11.06, September 16, 2025 |
These are related updates to the same game, not competing features: the engine change updated VALORANT’s technical foundation, while replays added an in-game way to inspect matches. Riot said the Patch 11.02 download would be larger because of the engine update, but that the installed game would occupy half its prior disk size after patching; later download sizes would return to normal. Minimum system requirements were also updated. Riot’s Patch 11.02 notes contain the engine and storage details.
Which matches can you watch?
At launch, replay functionality covered Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay, and Premier matches on PC. Support later expanded:
- Custom Swiftplay and Standard: Added in Patch 12.00 on January 6, 2026. A party leader must opt the Custom game into recording through the lobby settings.
- Friends’ replays: Patch 12.10, released May 27, 2026, added access to friends’ replays for eligible modes from their Career pages.
- Custom recording: The lobby owner must enable recording before the match, and must turn it on again for each new Custom game.
Mode eligibility and platform rollout have changed since launch. Riot’s launch-era guide listed PC availability outside China, with later scheduled China and console releases; those historical dates are not a guarantee of current availability in a particular region or on a particular platform. Check Riot’s current in-game support and Patch 12.10 notes for the scope described in the latest cited expansion.
#1 Best Overall
- Fearless ROG Design – The G700’s dual-glass chassis showcases iconic ROG design with the ROG Slash and Aura Sync RGB lighting. Its 58L capacity supports triple-slot GPUs.
- Unstoppable Power – Equipped with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 16GB DDR5 RAM, and 1TB SSD PCIe 4.0 storage for seamless gaming and multitasking.
- Optimized Thermals – Stay cool with a quad-fan system, while dust filters and efficient airflow ensure long-term reliability.
- Advanced Connectivity – Game without lag with 2.5Gbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, and versatile ports. Dolby Atmos audio and AI noise cancellation enhance sound and communication.
- Ready for Upgrades – Designed with tool-less access, easily swap out components, ensuring future-proof performance for years to come.
How replay review works
Riot describes replays as a way to examine what happened at the scale of a moment, round, or full match. The viewer lets you switch among first-person views from all ten players or use a third-person free camera. You can pause, set playback speed from 0.1x to 8x, skip between rounds, and seek along the timeline. Timeline markers identify kills, deaths, and ultimate usage.
Additional viewing controls include friendly or enemy outlines, projectile following, minimap and HUD toggles, and the combat report. These options make it possible to check a duel from another player’s perspective, trace a utility sequence, or review how a round developed rather than relying only on memory. Riot’s replay guide documents the viewer and its intended use for understanding match events.
Rank #2
- System: AMD Ryzen 5 5500 3.6GHz 6 Cores | AMD B550 Chipset | 8GB DDR4 | 500GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD | Windows 11 Home
- Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT 4GB Graphics | 1x HDMI | 1x DisplayPort
- Connectivity: 4 x USB-A 3.2 | 4 x USB-A 2.0 | 1 x LAN | WiFi 5 | Bluetooth 5.0 | 7.1 Channel Audio
- Tempered Side Case Panel | Custom RGB Lighting | Keyboard and Mouse
- 1 Year Parts & Labor Warranty, Free Lifetime Tech Support
Important limits in the replay display
A replay is a review aid, not a perfect reproduction of every piece of information each player saw. Riot notes two minimap and placement-preview limitations:
- Turning off enemy outlines does not remove enemy positions from the minimap or megamap. Interpret those views accordingly when assessing what a player could know during a live round.
- Ability minimaps and placement previews do not appear during setup. Riot cites Brimstone’s Sky Smoke, Clove’s Ruse, Tejo’s Guided Salvo, and Armageddon as ability-minimap examples, and Killjoy’s turret outline, Deadlock’s Sonic Sensor preview, and Cypher’s Trapwire preview as placement-preview examples. Once deployed, the resulting ability appears on the minimap and in the world.
What players should expect from the UE5 upgrade
Riot’s Patch 11.02 announcement characterized the immediate player-facing effect as small performance improvements; it did not promise a visual overhaul or a specific performance gain. Riot framed the main benefit as future development value. The cited official materials do not provide a benchmark measuring the upgrade’s performance impact or replay adoption, so neither should be inferred from the engine change alone.
Recommended Free Tools
Quick Recap
Best Value
- POWERED BY RTX 5070 12GB + RYZEN 7 9700X - The GeForce RTX 5070 12GB GDDR7 graphics card pairs with an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 9700X processor to drive smooth 1440p and 4K gameplay, giving this gaming PC the headroom for modern titles, streaming, and creative work.
- 32GB DDR5 6000MHz MEMORY & 1TB NVMe SSD - 32GB of high-speed DDR5 memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive deliver quick load times, smooth multitasking, and generous storage, keeping this prebuilt gaming desktop responsive under heavy workloads.
- BUILT-IN 11.3-INCH Smart DISPLAY - An integrated smart screen shows real-time CPU and GPU temperatures, usage, and weather while you play, adding a distinctive and functional touch to your battlestation.
- 850W 80+ GOLD POWER SUPPLY, 360MM LIQUID COOLING & WiFi 7 - An 850W 80 Plus Gold certified power supply provides stable, efficient power with headroom for future upgrades, while a 360mm AIO liquid cooler, WiFi 7, and an ARGB mid-tower case keep the Ryzen 7 CPU cool and connected in a clean build.
- READY TO PLAY OUT OF THE BOX - Arrives fully assembled and tested with Windows 11 Home pre-installed, so your prebuilt gaming computer is ready to set up in minutes. Assembled in the USA, and backed by a one-year limited warranty and lifetime free technical support.
Rank #4
- POWERHOUSE 8-CORE GAMING PERFORMANCE — Driven by the AMD Ryzen 7 8700F with 8 cores and 16 threads, boosting up to 5.0 GHz for smooth, responsive gameplay and the ability to handle AAA titles, streaming, and background tasks all at once
- NEXT-GEN BLACKWELL ARCHITECTURE — The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is powered by NVIDIA's cutting-edge Blackwell GPU architecture, delivering a massive generational leap in rasterization and ray tracing performance so you can experience your games the way they were meant to be played.
- Simplistic Design: Enjoy the latest generation of Windows 11 Home for your everyday needs. *MSI recommends Windows 11 Pro for business use.
- Cool While Gaming: In conjunction with an ARGB fan Air Cooler, the Codex R2 features four system cooling fans; three in the front and one in the rear to pull in cool air and push heat out of the PC.
- Turn on the Bright Lights: With the built-in RGB lighting, take your gaming experience to the next level by pressing the MSI LED button to cycle through lighting options. Customize lighting even further with MSI Center software.
Rank #3
- 8-Core 16-Thread Processing Power – Powered by the Ryzen 7 4700LE processor with Zen 2 architecture, delivering 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock up to 4.2GHz. Effortlessly handle multitasking, streaming, content creation, and demanding applications simultaneously without slowdowns.
- GeForce RTX 3050 8GB Graphics – Equipped with 8GB GDDR6 dedicated VRAM and real-time ray tracing support. Experience smooth 1080p gaming at 55-60 FPS in AAA titles like Cyberpunk 2077, 70+ FPS in Fortnite, and 90-100 FPS in Apex Legends with DLSS enabled. The 8GB buffer handles modern game textures comfortably – a step above 6GB variants
- High-Speed Memory & Storage – Paired with 16GB of DDR4 3200MHz dual-channel RAM (16GB), the PC ensures responsive multitasking—whether streaming while gaming or editing videos. It also includes a 512 GB NVMe M.2 SSD for lightning-fast boot times, quick game loads, and ample storage for your game library, creative projects, and files.
- Next-Gen WiFi 6 Connectivity – Stay connected with the latest WiFi 6 technology for faster speeds, lower latency, and improved network efficiency. Whether you're gaming online, streaming 4K content, or joining video conferences, enjoy stable, high-speed wireless connectivity.
- Ready-to-Use Value Desktop – Pre-built and ready to go right out of the box. Perfect for gamers, students, content creators, and home office users seeking reliable performance without the hassle of building a PC themselves. The mature AM4 platform with DDR4 memory offers excellent value and proven stability.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
