Riot Games, the developer of Valorant, has taken down the Recon Bolt app, a third-party app that has been a subject of contention among the game’s community. Recon Bolt provided various features, such as stat tracking, queue acceptance, viewing the item shop, and changing skins in real-time. However, its most controversial feature allowed players to instantly lock in their desired character before the selection even appeared on the PC client. This paywalled feature led to approximately 338,000 downloads since its launch in October of the previous year.
Julian Dunskus, the creator of Recon Bolt, confirmed its shutdown on the app’s Discord group after receiving a cease and desist order from Riot Games. The company threatened legal action if Dunskus did not comply with their request. Dunskus thanked the app’s fans for their support in response to the situation.
VALORANT App "Recon Bolt" known for its ability to help Insta-Lock agents has been forced to shut down via Cease & Desist letter from Riot pic.twitter.com/N1poqUCOub
— Valorant News (@ValorINTEL) July 19, 2023
The reaction from the Valorant community regarding the shutdown has been mixed. Some players are disappointed to lose such a useful feature, jokingly expressing sadness at not being able to select an agent while using the bathroom. Dunskus argued that the app helped level the playing field against players with faster PCs or those who were quicker at clicking the necessary buttons or using macros.
On the other hand, some players pointed out that Recon Bolt’s instant character selection provided an unfair advantage to those who used the app, leaving others at a significant disadvantage. This concern is difficult to dispute, as having the ability to lock in a preferred agent instantly gives a clear advantage before the match even begins.
Ultimately, the core issue might lie in the way Valorant’s agent selection is designed. Currently, agents are chosen on a first-come-first-served basis, creating situations where players with faster reactions or using tools like Recon Bolt gain an advantage. Dunskus hopes that the selection process will be improved in the future to ensure a more equitable playing experience, where speed doesn’t determine the outcome of the selection process.
