Valorant: The thrilling tactical shooter taking the gaming world by storm

Developed by the creators of the immensely popular game League of Legends, Valorant has quickly established itself as a major player in the competitive gaming scene, attracting millions of players worldwide.

When did Valorant come out?

Valorant, a highly anticipated first-person shooter game developed by Riot Games, was officially released on June 2, 2020, marking a significant entry into the competitive gaming scene.

What is Valorant?

Valorant is a free-to-play, 5v5 character-based tactical shooter that combines precise gunplay with unique agent abilities. Set in a near-future Earth, the game pits two teams against each other: the Attackers and the Defenders. The objective is simple – the Attackers must plant a bomb (known as the Spike) and protect it until detonation, while the Defenders must defuse the Spike or eliminate all the Attackers before the time runs out.

What sets Valorant apart from other shooters is its cast of agents, each with their own unique set of abilities that can be used to gain a tactical advantage on the battlefield. These abilities range from creating vision-obscuring smoke screens to revealing enemy locations, adding a layer of strategy to the game’s gunplay.

Each character brings a unique set of skills to the battlefield, enhancing team strategy and gameplay dynamics. From vision-blocking clouds and explosive energy blasts to healing powers and resurrection capabilities, discover how each agent’s abilities can be leveraged for competitive advantage.

1. Jett

• Cloudburst: Throws a projectile that expands into a brief vision-blocking cloud on impact with a surface.
• Updraft: Propels her upwards after a brief wind-up.
• Tailwind: Allows her to dash a short distance in the direction she’s moving.
• Blade Storm (Ultimate): Equips her with several deadly throwing knives that deal moderate damage and kill on a headshot. Scoring a kill restores all daggers. LMB throws a single dagger, RMB throws all remaining daggers in a short-ranged burst.

2. Phoenix

• Blaze: Casts a flame wall that blocks vision and damages anyone passing through it, but heals Phoenix.
• Curveball: Throws a flare orb that moves in a curve, blinding anyone looking at it.
• Hot Hands: Throws a fireball that explodes after a delay or upon impact, healing Phoenix and damaging others.
• Run It Back (Ultimate): Marks his current location. If he is killed during the ability’s duration, he is resurrected at the marked spot with full health.

3. Sage

• Barrier Orb: Creates a large, solid wall that can be rotated before placement.
• Slow Orb: Throws an orb that bursts into a slowing field upon hitting the ground, slowing players caught in it and making noise when they move.
• Healing Orb: Heals herself or a teammate over a few seconds.
• Resurrection (Ultimate): Revives a dead teammate with full health after a short duration.

4. Sova

• Shock Bolt: Fires an explosive bolt that emits a damaging pulse of static energy upon impact.
• Owl Drone: Deploys a pilotable drone that can fire a dart to reveal enemies hit.
• Recon Bolt: Fires a bolt that deploys a sonar emitter, revealing nearby enemies caught in the line of sight.
• Hunter’s Fury (Ultimate): Fires up to three deadly energy blasts that spear across the entire map, each dealing heavy damage and marking enemies.

5. Reyna

• Dismiss: Consumes a nearby soul orb, becoming intangible for a short duration. If Empress is active, also becomes invisible.
• Devour: Consumes a nearby soul orb, rapidly healing for a short duration.
• Leer: Throws an eye orb that Nearsights all enemies who look at it.
• Empress (Ultimate): Greatly enhances her combat skills by increasing firing, equip, and reload speed. Automatically casts Devour on killing an opponent, even without a soul orb.

How big is Valorant?

Since its launch, Valorant has experienced a meteoric rise in popularity. The game’s closed beta, which ran from April 7 to April 28, 2020, attracted an average of 3 million players per day, with peak concurrent viewership on Twitch reaching 1.7 million, breaking records for a single game category.

Upon its official release, Valorant continued to draw in a massive player base. In October 2020, Riot Games announced that the game had reached 14 million monthly active players, cementing its position as one of the most popular competitive shooters on the market.

Valorant’s success can be attributed in part to its thriving eSports scene. Riot Games has actively supported the game’s competitive ecosystem, partnering with over 20 eSports organizations from around the world to create the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) – a year-long, global competition.

The VCT features three levels of competition: Challengers, Masters, and Champions. Teams battle their way through regional Challengers events to qualify for international Masters tournaments, with the top teams from each Masters event earning a spot at the prestigious Champions tournament, where they compete for the title of World Champion and a substantial prize pool.

In addition to the VCT, Valorant has also been featured in numerous third-party tournaments, such as the Allied Esports Odyssey, Nerd Street Gamers Summer Championship, and the Twitch Rivals: Valorant Launch Showdown, further expanding its reach in the competitive gaming world.

As Valorant continues to grow and evolve, Riot Games has committed to providing regular updates and new content for the game. This includes new agents, maps, and game modes, ensuring that the game remains fresh and engaging for players. Moreover, with the ongoing success of the VCT and the game’s increasing presence in the eSports scene, it’s clear that Valorant has a bright future ahead of it. As more tournaments are organized and new talent emerges, Valorant is poised to become a mainstay in the competitive gaming landscape.

Start playing today!

Valorant’s rapid rise to prominence in the gaming world is a testament to its engaging gameplay, unique agent abilities, and thriving competitive scene. With a dedicated player base and the backing of Riot Games, Valorant has established itself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of tactical shooters and eSports. As the game continues to evolve and grow, it’s exciting to think about what the future holds for Valorant and its passionate community of players.