Valorant's first 'ultra' skin will set you back a whopping $100

(Image credit: Riot Games)

Riot Games has unveiled the first 'ultra' skin for Valorant. The four-piece Elderflame skin set turns player's weapons into (epic-looking) fiery dragons, but it doesn't come cheap – costing a whopping $100.

Valorant has a pricing tier for its skins, ranging from select edition skins (costing 875 VP or Valorant Points) to exclusive editions (which vary in price). The second-most expensive skins Valorant offers are the ultra edition skins, costing 2475 VP each. So, to pick up the Elderflame skin set bundle (of four skins), it will set you back 9900 VP. 

Valorant Points are sold in bundles and to get the 9900VP for the full Elderflame set, you're looking at around $100 (roughly £90) – or $25 (£25) per skin.

And there's more

For some, it may be hard to justify spending this amount of money on in-game skins, especially given that you don't even get the best version of the skin set. 

In Valorant, Radianite is used to upgrade skins, allowing players access to new animations, effects and other cool features. Radianite is earned through the Valorant battle pass, but that means to truly get the most out of your Elderflame skin you not only need to purchase the set for $100 – you also need to purchase the battle pass.

These microtransactions aren't a huge surprise given that Valorant is free-to-play, and Riot Games will need to make their money somewhere, but it still stings. However, compared to the likes of CS:GO, this price is somewhat mild – although CS:GO players often trade lucrative skins, while Valorant skins are untradeable.

We're expecting Valorant exclusive skins – with their varying price – to cost somewhat more than this. But, considering these skins have no effect on player performance, they really are for those who just want to look extra flash.

The Elderflame skin set will be available in Valorant from July 10.

Vic Hood
Associate Editor, TechRadar Gaming

Vic is TechRadar Gaming's Associate Editor. An award-winning games journalist, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's also an avid mental health advocate who has appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.