Riot Games has recently announced that their highly successful tactical shooter, Valorant, will be finally making its way to consoles. The game, which has been exclusively played using a keyboard and mouse since its release in 2020, is set to debut on the Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 with a limited beta starting very soon.
This move marks a significant milestone for Valorant as it looks to grow its competitive player base and enter the console market. The game has already made an impression on the PC gaming community, gaining a dedicated following and establishing itself as a major player in the competitive FPS scene. And, with its unique blend of tactical gameplay, hero abilities, and precise gunplay, Valorant has—to great success—managed to carve out its own niche in such a crowded genre.
The Origins of Valorant
To understand the significance of Valorant’s console debut, it’s essential to look back at the game’s roots. In an interview with Inven Global, Valorant’s game director Joe Ziegler (who has since moved to Bungie to lead the development of their upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon) shed light on the game’s inception.
Ziegler, who was previously a member of the League of Legends development team, wanted to create a new game that emphasized teamwork and cooperation. He noticed that while his teammates enjoyed games like Call of Duty and Rainbow Six, there was a market gap for a game that combined League of Legends’ strengths with the fast-paced action of an FPS.
LoL has multiple strengths including team play. However, there are gamers that like team play but don’t like the MOBA genre. I wanted to spread LoL’s strengths to those gamers by applying it to another genre.
—Joe Ziegler, former Valorant Game Director
This vision laid the very foundation for Valorant, a game that aimed to bring MOBA-style strategic depth and teamplay to the FPS genre.
Refining the Valorant Formula
Valorant’s development journey was not without its challenges. The game’s prototype existed long before the team began proper development, which the team began proper development, which took about three years leading up to its announcement. During this time, Riot Games developers worked tirelessly to fine-tune the gameplay, balance the agents and create a compelling world that players would want to immerse themselves in.
One of the team’s key decisions was to focus on individual skill and strategic gameplay, rather than relying solely on hero abilities. This approach set Valorant apart from games like Overwatch, where abilities often take center stage.
In Valorant, we wanted to allow players to create drastic turnarounds through individual skills even if the teamwork didn’t work out. So that they can feel the biggest thrill and catharsis.
—Joe Ziegler, former Valorant Game Director
The developers also emphasized the importance of positioning and map control, ensuring that the team that executed these aspects better through teamplay would be the one to come out on top—a fact that still holds true in Valorant today!
Valorant‘s Forthcoming Chapter: Console Gaming
With Valorant’s approaching console release, the game is all set to reach a whole new audience. However, this transition also brings with it a new set of challenges. One of the most significant hurdles will be adapting the game’s precise gunplay and “bursts” of fast-paced movement to a controller-based input system.
It will be interesting to see how Riot Games approaches this challenge, particularly in terms of implementing aim assist and other console-specific features. The developers will have to strike a delicate balance between keeping the game competitive and making sure that console players have a smooth and satisfying experience.
Despite these challenges, Valorant has enormous potential for success on consoles. The game’s distinct blend of tactical gameplay and hero abilities has already proven to be a winning formula on PC, and there’s no reason to believe console players won’t welcome it with open arms.
Valorant has come a long way in a relatively short period, and the game’s success is due to the dedication and vision of the developers at Riot Games, who saw a gap in the market and worked tirelessly to fill it. Now, as the game enters a new chapter with its console release, it’s clear that the game has a bright future ahead of it!
Valorant is currently available on PC via Riot Client and the Epic Games Store. Riot Games is set to launch its free limited beta for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 on June 14, 2024.
