What is VALORANT?

What is VALORANT?

VALORANT is a 5vs5 Character-based Tactical First-Person Shooter developed and published by Riot Games. VALORANT takes aspect from other popular FPS titles such as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rainbow Six: Siege and Overwatch, and blends them into a precise, consequential and highly-lethal shooter experience.

Players assume the role of “agents” within a near-future dystopian world with each having a unique set of abilities to compliment the lethal set of 17 different guns available to every player.

What is the objective in VALORANT?

The game's competitive mode is 5vs5 with one team assuming the attackers and the other the defenders with the first to reach 13 rounds to win the match.

The attacker’s goal is to plant and detonate an item called “the spike” at one of two (or three) sites on the battlefield, while the defender’s objective is to prevent the spike from detonating, both teams can also win the round if they eliminate the enemy.

Each round is 2:10 minutes in total with 30 seconds dedicated to the preparation period and 1:40 minutes of time for each team to achieve their respective objectives. Teams switch sides at round 13.

What are the maps in VALORANT?

There are currently three maps available for players: Haven, Split and Bind.

Haven: Based on an oriental townscape impacted by a mysterious object, the map itself features three areas for Attackers to plant the spike. The B bombsite is the central area where each of the adjacent areas converge giving Defenders an interesting proposition when deciding how to effectively protect each area.

Split: Set in Neo-Tokyo, Split follows a conventional map design with two bombsites. The map features alot of verticality which places emphasis on Attackers and Defenders to effectively use their agent abilities to take control of areas. 

Bind: The most unique map of the three available, Bind has two bombsites and two teleporters that allow players to quickly move around the map. The teleporters give the Attackers the opportunity to change strategy extremely late into the round while the Defenders can use it to reestablish presence on the map.

Who are the VALORANT agents?

In the Closed beta phase of VALORANT there will be 10 agents available for play. Here are the official descriptions for each agent:

• Phoenix: Phoenix’s star power shines through in his fighting style, igniting the battlefield with flash and flare. Whether he’s got backup or not, he’s rushing in to fight on his own terms.
• Jett: Jett’s agile and evasive fighting style lets her take risks no one else can. She runs circles around every skirmish, cutting enemies up before they even know what hit them.
• Viper: Viper deploys an array of poisonous chemical devices to control the battlefield and cripple the enemy’s vision. If the toxins don’t kill her prey, her mind games surely will.
• Sova: Sova tracks, finds, and eliminates enemies with ruthless efficiency and precision. His custom bow and incredible scouting abilities ensure that even if you run, you cannot hide.
• Cypher: Cypher is a one-man surveillance network who keeps tabs on the enemy’s every move. No secret is safe. No maneuver goes unseen. Cypher is always watching.
• Brimstone: Brimstone’s orbital arsenal ensures his squad always has the advantage. His ability to deliver utility precisely and safely make him the unmatched boots-on-the-ground commander.
• Sage: Sage creates safety for herself and her team wherever she goes. Able to revive fallen friends and stave off forceful assaults, she provides a calm center to a hellish battlefield.
• Omen: Omen hunts in the shadows. He renders enemies blind, teleports across the field, then lets paranoia take hold as foes scramble to uncover where it might strike next.
• Breach: Whilst the official description for Breach is yet to be released, his abilities revolve around manipulating fault lines.
• Raze: Raze loves explosives. With her blunt-force-trauma playstyle, she excels at flushing entrenched enemies and clearing tight spaces with a generous dose of "boom".

VALORANT esports - Built for competition

Competitive integrity has been a big focus for the developers of VALORANT with investments into 128-tick servers to ensure tactile and responsive gameplay when played online, graphical optimisations to provide the maximum amount of frames per second (fps) for low-end and high-end computers and a new anti-cheat system called 'VANGUARD' that leverages a combination of technologies including artificial intelligence to prevent cheaters.

While there haven’t been any announcements for esports tournaments for VALORANT so far, more information can be expected when the game releases in Summer 2020.

VALORANT Closed beta access and VALORANT release date

VALORANT will go through a Closed beta phase to test server infrastructure, receive feedback on gameplay and make further optimisations prior to full release. To receive access to the Closed beta, players have to watch selected livestreamers on Twitch.TV to get a chance to be randomly selected to participate.

Be sure to bet on VALORANT with Pinnacle!