Toxicity and harassment are still too widespread in the Valorant community, according to the game’s developers who have announced new plans to tackle misconduct and bad behavior.
A blog post outlines how the game will better deter and respond to such behavior, while reaffirming Riot's commitment to creating a more inclusive environment.
“While we can never remove the bad conduct itself from individuals, we can work to deter behavior such as insults, threats, harassment, or offensive language through our game systems,” the blog reads. “There’s also room to encourage ‘pro-social’ behavior.”
The blog post outlines several steps Valorant’s dev team has been taken so far, including following up player reports of misconduct and implementing a muted words list that lets players manually filter out phrases they’d rather not see. But it also admits these efforts have had little tangible impact on players’ experience and more work needs to be done.
“When we surveyed players, we noticed that the frequency with which players encounter harassment in our game hasn’t meaningfully gone down,” the blog says.
“Long story short, we know that the work we’ve done up to now is, at best, foundational, and there’s a ton more to build on top of it in 2022 and beyond.”
The team is currently working on several additional features to crack down on abuse in-game. These include harsher punishments for those caught by existing systems, improved moderation of voice comms, and real-time moderation of the in-game chat, which should allow the game to automatically administer punishments during a match, rather than after it ends.
The blog post also mentions the Valorant team will begin testing ways of recording and evaluating voice comms after a misconduct report is submitted. This would provide clearer evidence to support claims of abuse.
“We’re trying different ways to engage with the player base in the coming year to better understand where we can improve, and we’ll be sure to be transparent about where we are in terms of the tech we are building and where our head’s at/heading so we can keep the feedback loop open with you all.”
Metroid Prime 4: everything we know so far
Metroid Prime 4 is in development, but when exactly we'll get our hands on it remains uncertain.
Metroid Prime 4 has had a turbulent development, to say the least. The next entry in Nintendo's Metroid Prime series was first announced way back in 2017, but the only detail we got about the game at the time was a logo – that was it. There was no developer information, a release date or gameplay footage. The lack of information (and subsequent radio silence) later made sense when Nintendo announced in January 2019 that it had scrapped the original project and was starting over with Retro Studios.
But that was three years ago and since the announcement that the project was being rebooted, we've heard very little in the way of solid details about Metroid Prime 4. Our Metroid-shaped gap was somewhat filled by the release of Metroid Dread , the first 2D Metroid entry in the franchise in nearly 20 years, in October 2021 but - if anything - Samus' last outing has only made us more excited about her next one.
Fortunately, while Nintendo is remaining tight-lipped about the project, recent job listings have confirmed that Metroid Prime 4 is still in development (phew), despite concerns the game may have been canceled. We're hoping 2022 will be the year we finally get solid details on the next Metroid Prime game, including confirmation on when we'll finally get our hands on it. Until then, there are plenty of rumors to dissect about when and what we should expect from the next Metroid Prime game. Want to know more? Read on for everything we know so far about Metroid Prime 4.
Metroid Prime 4: cut to the chase
Metroid Prime 4 doesn't have a release date yet but we do know that it's coming to the Nintendo Switch family of consoles.
When exactly we'll get our hands on Metroid Prime 4 remains a mystery, especially as Nintendo announced in 2019 that the project was scrapped and started again with help from Retro Studios.
As a result of the reboot, the earliest we would have expected to see Metroid Prime 4 was 2022, thanks to the studio change and likely delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, it's been three years since that announcement and we've still heard no solid details from Nintendo, so we imagine we could be waiting a bit longer.
First-look trailer Back at E3 2017, Nintendo released a first-look trailer for Metroid Prime 4. To date, it's the only trailer we've seen so far for Metroid Prime 4. Check it out below:
It's still in development (despite radio silence) A recent job posting from developer Retro Studios reminds us that the game is indeed still in development. It's now been roughly three years since the elusive Prime sequel restarted development at Retro Studios, being handed over from Nintendo's previous in-house efforts.
The job ad comes directly from Retro Studios itself, specifically its official Twitter account. The studio is now looking for a tools engineer and a technology engineer to aid the continued development of Metroid Prime 4.
E3 2021 Metroid Prime 4 didn't make an appearance at Nintendo's E3 2021 showcase, however, Nintendo's Shinya Takahashi did provide a very brief update on the game, saying: "Currently, we're working hard on the latest game in the Metroid Prime series, Metroid Prime 4, which we previously announced."
It was during this showcase that Nintendo announced its first new 2D Metroid entry in the franchise in close to 20 years, Metroid Dread , which released in October 2021.
High-profile developers jump onboard With Retro Studios now running development, Metroid Prime 4 has got some fresh, big-name talent behind it, with the studio signing on some fresh talent. Jhony Ljungstedt, the former art director at studio DICE is joining the team, having previously worked on Battlefield 5, Medal of Honor (the 2010 reboot), and Mirror's Edge: Catalyst. He's being joined by Kyle Helfey (Halo character designer) and Stephen Dupree, who returns to Retro Studios having previously been the lead designer on Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
Retro Studios is hiring for Metroid Prime 4 It was something of a shock when Nintendo announced that it would be starting from scratch on the development of Metroid Prime 4 with Retro Studios. The latest news from this new phase in the game's development is that Retro Studios is now hiring and looking to increase numbers on its development team. The roles are wide-ranging and all are based at the studio in Austin, Texas.
These advertisements suggest that the game is still in the early stages of development so it could be some time before we get any more solid updates on its progress. If you're a world-class developer and a fan of Metroid, though, this could be your big break!
Nintendo scraps Metroid Prime 4 and start again In a shock announcement back in January 2019, Nintendo revealed in a development update video that it scrapped the current project as it wasn't happy with the current progress. However, Nintendo still plans to reboot the project with help from original creators Retro Studios.
"This change will essentially mean restarting development from the beginning, so completion of the game will be delayed from our initial internal plan," Nintendo's senior managing executive officer Shinya Takahashi explained in the update video. "We strongly recognize that this delay will come as a disappointment to the many fans who have been looking forward to the launch of Metroid Prime 4."
You can watch the development update from Nintendo below:
The story There’s so little Metroid Prime 4 information out there that piecing together the story is nigh impossible. What we will say is that Metroid Prime 3’s ending didn’t strike us as open enough for any kind of direct continuation. Though Samus went into hyperspace, giving the opportunity for a sequel to enter a new world or galaxy, we’d say the core story of the original trilogy is now closed.
Back in 2015, Eurogamer interviewed series producer, Kensuke Tanabe, who stated that “the stories of Dark Samus and Phazon are done” adding that any new games in the series would focus on other Prime-series elements.
Gameplay One thing we can be fairly confident in is that, like other Prime games, Metroid Prime 4 is likely to be a first-person shooter. Other than that we can’t say what kind of gameplay changes will arise from either the new developer or the new Switch platform.
Coming in as a fresh start, there’s actually plenty of room for Metroid Prime 4 to innovate. Given The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario franchises have embraced more open worlds, we wonder if this is something that Nintendo will want to bring into the Prime series, too.
It’s like that, like other Switch games, there will be optional motion controls with the Joy-Cons - we’re imagining aiming, firing, and environment scanning, for example.
A more open world As we said above, this is a new start for Metroid Prime which means room for changes. Though we’re worried it could be a case of ‘be careful what you wish for’ we’d be interested to see the Metroid Prime games follow in the footsteps of Zelda and Mario to embrace a more open-world format.
The first three titles were already pretty big, but the Switch offers more scope. We think the Super Mario Odyssey approach of large interconnected worlds could translate well. The Metroid series is replete with interesting environments we’d love the chance to see more of and the Switch is the console that has enough power to make that possible.
Be accessible Just as a new start is a chance for innovation, it's also a chance to welcome a new generation of Metroid fans. It's the same with any series that goes on for a long time - there's a certain amount of assumed knowledge and lore that makes coming in as a new player feel more like a chore than a joy.
We'd love to see Metroid Prime 4 take a Monster Hunter: World approach by retaining what makes it great while giving new players a way in.
New weapons and abilities The Metroid series has some seriously cool weapons and abilities for Samus’s armor and we’d like to see more of them. By all means, bring back the classics but bringing a couple of exciting new upgrades to the table will make us feel like we’re truly progressing in the game as well as the franchise as a whole.
Make it feel like a true Switch game With its motion controls and HD Rumble, the Switch has more than its portability to help its games stand out. We'd love to see Metroid Prime 4 make the most of them, though perhaps more of the HD Rumble and less of the motion control.
Motion control could create some fun and interesting shooting and environment scanning opportunities, but integrating HD Rumble into puzzle-solving or integrating it into combat situations to act as an enemy alert would be interesting.
Bring in Sylux Back in 2015, producer Kensuke Tanabe said that the ship at the end of Metroid Prime 3 actually contained Sylux, a Hunter from Metroid Prime: Hunters.
Tanabe said that he'd like to create a Metroid game that featured both Sylux and Samus and explored their dynamic, something which we'd also like to see happen; the characters have an unexplored and potentially interesting history. It's known that Sylux isn't the biggest fan for Samus or the Federation, yet he uses a Federation weapon. That alone has us thinking he'd make an engaging villain for a new title.
Billionaire prepared to pay his way again on SpaceX Dragon and the first Starship crew
Billionaire Jared Isaacman apparently hasn't gotten enough of space with last year's Inpiration4 mission. He's agreed to underwrite three more SpaceX flights – including the first crewed Starship mission – under the banner of the "Polaris Program."
Isaacman, who funded and commanded the Inspiration4 mission aboard a modified SpaceX Dragon Crew capsule, is set to command the first of three missions dubbed "Polaris Dawn."
This initial mission is set to include the first-ever private spacewalk by at least two Polaris Dawn crew, according to our colleagues over at Space , and is also aiming to break the record for highest orbital altitude.
"On Polaris Dawn, we endeavor to achieve the highest Earth orbit ever flown," Isaacman said.
Currently, the record for highest Earth orbit ever achieved by humans is held by Gemini 11 astronauts Charles Conrad and Richard Gordon, who orbited Earth at a height of 853 miles/1,373 kilometers in 1966.
The Polaris Dawn crew has already been named, and includes Isaacman; pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who was Inspiration4's mission director; mission specialist Sarah Gillis who oversees the astronaut training program for SpaceX; and medical officer Anna Menon, a SpaceX crew operations manager.
The upcoming spacewalk definitely pushes the safety envelope for civilian space operations. Generally, spacewalks are performed by seasoned astronauts who sometimes train for years for such endeavors. Isaacman's Polaris Dawn spacewalkers (Isaacman will almost certainly be one of them) will have a little less than a year to prepare.
Granted, they aren't likely to spend several hours outside the International Space Station making repairs, but it is hardly a riskless activity. What's more, the Dragon capsule doesn't have an airlock, so the entire capsule will have to be depressurized for the duration of the spacewalk.
SpaceX also has to up its game for the mission, since it's current pressure suits are not certified for operations in the hard vacuum of outer space, and so new suits will need to be designed for the purpose.
Analysis: You can't get to space without money
While it's easy to look at Polaris Dawn as just the latest installment of the Billionaire Space Race (and that's not entirely inaccurate), the first movers of any commercialization effort are always going to be the people who have the money to fund these kinds of efforts.
And while SpaceX has done an admirable job of reducing the cost of spaceflight, it still isn't cheap by any stretch. For better or for worse, this is what the commercialization of space is going to look like for now.
It will likely be decades before space becomes accessible to the rest of us, if ever, but if that time ever does arrive, this is one way that we could conceivably get there. Whether this is the best use of humanity's finite resources is another question, but it's Isaacman's money, and you honestly can't blame the guy for wanting to go back up if given the chance.