Valorant devs quash Protocol 781-A skin concerns after 'troubling' clip surfaces

Valorant’s new Protocol 781-A weapon skin line may be one of the flashiest yet, but a potentially game-changing feature raised some eyebrows and forced Riot Games to launch an investigation.

With Valorant Episode 4 now in focus, players are chomping at the bit to get their hands on all the latest content. Naturally, a new Agent tops the bill, but a next-level skin line is also stealing the spotlight.

New Protocol 781-A skins are unlike anything Valorant has seen thus far. These Ultra-tier designs aren’t just providing a new coat of paint. Instead, they actually bring a new artificial intelligence into the fold, fit with custom voice lines and personality traits.

Beyond this innovation, however, another eye-grabbing feature seemingly made the cut. Early footage appeared to highlight a knockback effect that repositions enemy corpses. 

After wiping out nearby targets, a preview clip of the new skin line revealed how enemy corpses don’t simply drop to the ground. Instead, three kills led to three bodies falling forward a great deal.

This may have impacted gameplay in a number of ways, leading to hundreds of players voicing their concerns. Before long, Riot’s own Premium Content Producer Preeti Khanolkar issued a response to the growing panic.

Despite showing the effect in their preview footage, “this isn’t happening in-game,” they clarified. It turns out, the bizarre knockback has “nothing to do with the [Protocol 781-A] skins at all.”

“This knockback is due to the spot where we recorded the videos,” the dev explained. That particular section of Icebox is to blame due to an awkward interaction when “[shooting] the enemy from behind].”

After testing with “several skins” and even “default guns,” Riot concluded the new skin line is not at fault. If you down a target anywhere else on any given map, they will drop as intended.

The Protocol 781-A skin line is sure to be a popular pick as Episode 4 rolls around. But before you lock in your pick, we’ve got an early look at everything included in the latest Battle Pass.

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