The challenge:
Introduce VALORANT players to the game’s newest agent, Astra - a Ghanian Controller who taps the power of the cosmos to enter astral form and gain strategic foresight for her team.
With players around the globe favoring different platforms to learn about a new agent before release, we needed to ensure everyone, everywhere knew Astra was coming. And with a patch timeline that meant players would know about the new agent nearly two weeks before they could play her, we had to sustain the excitement once they were aware of her upcoming release.
Astra’s gameplay reveal trailer
VALORANT // Astra Agent Release
PHASE 1 // 1 MONTH OUT FROM RELEASE
Get core players speculating around the next agent by first introducing her visual style, then hinting at her place in the wider VALORANT lore, and finally giving players some clues about her unique abilities. Posts included an interactive 3D map shared via Facebook, a teaser illustration for Instagram created by an external art team, and an Astra inspired agent playlist created in collaboration with Spotify and Riot’s music team.
PHASE 2 // 2 WEEKS OUT FROM RELEASE
Get hundreds of dedicated VALORANT content creators to generate a weekend of Astra hype by offering them exclusive access to test out Astra’s gameplay and share their thoughts on their own channels. Coordinate a single global embargo time so that players around the world are talking about Astra all at once, filling Twitch, Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram feeds everywhere with footage of the new agent. Invite endemic press to capture and share their thoughts of the same event. Engage and amplify from VAL’s owned channels.
PHASE 3 // ONE WEEK OUT FROM RELEASE
After a first look at gameplay from creators around the world, we reveal the full details of Astra’s gameplay, including a detailed description of her kit. Tactics included Astra’s gameplay reveal trailer and dedicated landing page on the VAL website.
PHASE 5 // POST LAUNCH
A player’s main in a game like VAL is part of their personal identity. We’ll continue to reinforce that identity with a steady drip of content that highlights great UGC gameplay and more of Astra’s persona. We also drop GIPHY stickers that allow players to express their love for Astra across IG, Twitter, and iMessage.
PHASE 4 // ASTRA GOES LIVE IN GAME
Drive players to jump into game with Astra, testing out the new agent and earning their way through Astra’s agent contract for in-game content. Remind them that it’s not just the launch of a new agent; it’s the start of a brand new act with tons of new content.
