Hit FPS game Valorant was released in June 2020, and with its anniversary comes in-game and real life events. Exactly a year after launch, Riot Games has announced the incoming release of a version of Valorant meant to be played on phones and other mobile devices. While neither a release date nor more details have been revealed, there will be a live stream on Twitch on June 21st, 2021, at 10 am PT, where game developers will discuss the future of the game.
It’s been explosive. It’s been oh so clutchy… It’s been an AMAZING 12 months 💪
Here’s to you for making it epic – bring on the next 12! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/Q5Ruy9KKT4
— VALORANT // UK, IE & Nordics (@VALORANTukn) June 2, 2021
In the year it has been out, Valorant has proven itself as a formidable FPS, and will presumably become more so once it becomes accessible to different audiences. Every month it averages 14 million active players, which is half the userbase of iconic FPS game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. A number like that, and its popularity on Twitch, secure Valorant in its role as a game that is not going anywhere anytime soon.
This is also not Riot Games’ first ambitious mobile project- this is the company that brought League of Legends to mobile devices. The choice has already been made to not allow cross-platform play, so the developers are free to optimize gameplay in a way that makes sense with the different limitations and needs of different devices. This extends to the possibility of Valorant on console, although that would be further down the line. The key takeaway from the comments of the developers is that Valorant mobile will be just that, a separate (but not lesser) entity from PC Valorant. As the anniversary event and year progresses, more will be revealed, and the game can only continue to grow, much to the delight of its fans.