Riot offers the option to pay for changing the appearance of your weapons in the game Valorant to weapons from the game Counter-Strike

Valorant's new Black Market cosmetic package is causing a sense of déjà vu. It pays homage to the game Counter-Strike and ties in nicely with Valve's recent announcement of Counter-Strike 2. Interestingly, the Black Market package is the complete opposite of Valorant's typical style, which features bright and fantastical magical skins. The five included skins turn the standard Valorant weapons into versions that resemble those in Counter-Strike. For example, the Vandal becomes an AK-47, the Bulldog becomes a FAMAS, the Marshal becomes a Scout, the Classic becomes a Glock-18, and the Knife becomes a butterfly.

If you're still not convinced that this is a coincidence, the Black Market package even refers to the terrorist/counter-terrorist format in Counter-Strike, changing the appearance of each skin for attack or defense. If this comparison holds, then you'll only see the wooden Vandal during an attack.

Reactions to this package are varied. Some players enjoy the wonderful reinterpretations of Counter-Strike, while others believe that it is a sign that Riot is feeling competition from Counter-Strike 2. Personally, I think that these skins, while simple, are a significant improvement compared to Valorant's dull black standard skins. It's a shame that they'll likely be extremely expensive; official prices haven't been announced yet, but based on how pricing works in Valorant, expect to pay anywhere from $60 to $80 for all five skins (or $16 to $23 per skin).

"Well, that's all well and good, but I can't justify spending money on basic weapon skins that I've used in all FPS shooters for the past 20 years," wrote Reddit user xStickyBudz.

Another common reaction is disappointment that the ability to change the appearance of weapons depending on the side (attack/defense) will only be available in this set. Valorant players have been requesting this feature for any skin for several years, but according to Riot employees, it hasn't been implemented due to potential hardware requirements.

"More skins and more memory = longer load times," wrote Associated Art Director Sean Marino in response on Reddit. "We want players to get into the game quickly and nothing to get in their way - more memory means bigger hardware requirements."

It's a fair point, but if I were a Valorant player, I don't think I would be satisfied. Would players be against slightly longer load times if it gives them more freedom to show off their skins?