The date of the following Valorous Night Market coincides with Pearl Harbor Day, which is December 7. The FPS game has unintentionally become linked to the incident as a result of the release of its most recent controller agent, despite the fact that some may view this as pure coincidence.
Swaggering into Valorant in style, new controller agent Harbor has become intrinsically linked to the historical event. Upon release, players began to refer to ‘Pearl Harbor’ lineups; an unfortunate combination of Harbor’s name and underwater map, Pearl.
This is why the next Night Market’s date is so surprising. Set for December 7, it falls on the anniversary of, you guessed it, Pearl Harbor. In the early hours of December 7 1941 the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service unleashed a devastating attack on the US controlled naval base of Pearl Harbor, killing 2,335 people and injuring a thousand more. The date has been etched into American history as one of the worst disasters in the country’s lifetime, and retains its cultural significance in the modern day.
“Bro I’m sorry but y’all are so funny. Pearl, Harbor, December 7 you drop; st no way that’s a coincidence” writes one fan on Twitter. “Really on the nose with WWII dates and names huh! Pearl, Harbor, NOW THIS ST WOW,” comments another.
While this is likely coincidental on Riot’s part, it is a bit of an awkward one. Given the date doesn’t change and the game has been associated (although largely in meme form) with the event before, perhaps Riot should have taken a closer look at its calendar.
Sure, most people will treat this as yet another meme, but for those who perhaps lost loved ones, or hold the date close to their heart, this is an insensitive mistake.
If you’re looking to pick up some skins in the next Night Market, though, it might be worth checking out how much money you’ve spent on Valorant to make sure you have some cash left over for Christmas. If you’ve already got enough skins, make sure you put them to good use by loading in one of the best Valorant crosshairs from our list.