Valorant
Valorant
All Real-World Locations of Every Valorant Map
Owen Harsono
Have you ever wondered why some Valorant maps feel familiar? That’s because they actually take place in real-life locations. That’s right, your favorite maps are based on real cities in our world. However, there’s also a little twist which we’ll go over. Below, we take a look at all Valorant map locations and what they’re inspired by. Before we dive into the list, there’s something you should know about Valorant’s …
News
This is how to change your name and Riot ID in Valorant
Owen Harsono
Are you bored of your Valorant name and want to switch things up? Fortunately, Riot Games makes it very easy to change your name in Valorant. In this guide, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about how to change your Valorant name. A Riot ID is pretty much the same thing as your Valorant name. Riot IDs feature a combination of your in-game display name, as well as …
Valorant
Here’s why Riot Games banned canezerra for 12 months
Khizar Mundia
Riot Games is known to punish players when they violate the terms of service or cheat, and Alex “canezerra” Banyasz is the latest to fall foul of the rules — he has been banned for one year. canezerra rose through the ranks in the Tier 2 Valorant circuit and gained fame in the Challengers circuit while playing for Envy, qualifying for the VCT Americas after winning Ascension in 2025. canezerra …
Valorant
Best Valorant Streamers in 2026
Owen Harsono
Sometimes, playing Valorant can be a little stressful and exhausting. That’s why many Valorant fans prefer watching someone else play the game instead. If you’re looking to sit back and watch some entertaining gameplay, here are the top Valorant streamers in 2026. Mixwell is a name that’s been hovering around first-person shooter games for a while. He kickstarted his career in professional Counter-Strike, where he played for a handful of …
Valorant
Best Valorant Teams in 2026
Owen Harsono
Professional Valorant is getting interesting in 2026. We’re seeing new competition with fresh blood, which makes it more exciting than ever. With VCT Masters Santiago and Kickoffs wrapped up, we have a good idea of who the strongest teams currently are. Here is our list of the best Valorant teams in 2026. Disclaimer: This article is based only on the 2026 season and was written following the conclusion of VCT Masters …
Valorant
Valorant Ranks: Our Complete 2026 Ranking System Guide
Owen Harsono
Valorant is one of the most popular competitive video games in the world, and many players spend hundreds or even thousands of hours grinding the game. That’s exactly why Riot Games has implemented a ranking system, which allows players to track their progress. Below we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the Valorant ranking system. Valorant’s ranking system gives its players a good idea of where they currently …
Valorant
From Premier to VCT Champions: Nongshim RedForce Win Masters Santiago
Owen Harsono
Nongshim RedForce pulled off one of the most dominant Valorant runs in recent memory, as the squad didn’t drop a single series on their way to the VCT Masters Santiago trophy. They took down Paper Rex in an all-Pacific grand final to claim their first international title. The storyline doesn’t get any better than this. Despite entering the tournament with a relatively low profile, Nongshim took down top opponents one …
Esports Betting
Paper Rex vs Nongshim RedForce: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions
Owen Harsono
It looks like Asia Pacific is the strongest region in Valorant, as Paper Rex will face Nongshim RedForce in the VCT Masters Santiago 2026 grand final. Will South Korean Valorant put itself back on the map, or are Paper Rex due for their second international title? Here are our VCT Masters Santiago Paper Rex vs Nongshim RedForce predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Grand Final Game: Valorant Format: Best …
NRG vs Paper Rex: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions and Odds
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
NRG take on Paper Rex for the third time in VCT Masters Santiago 2026, but this one will be the last. These two powerhouse squads will battle for the final spot in the grand final. Here are our VCT Masters Santiago NRG vs Paper Rex predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Lower Bracket Final Game: Valorant Format: Best of 5 Betting tip: These two teams have played against each …
Paper Rex vs G2 Esports: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
Paper Rex will take on G2 Esports for the second time at VCT Masters Santiago 2026, but this time, the stakes are different. The loser of this series will be sent packing, while the winner secures a spot in the top three. Here are our VCT Masters Santiago Paper Rex vs G2 Esports predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: In …
NRG vs Nongshim RedForce: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
The first finalist of VCT Masters Santiago will be determined by a match between NRG and Nongshim RedForce. Both teams have gone undefeated in the playoffs and have already secured a top-three finish, but winning this series puts one team closer to the trophy. Here are our VCT Masters Santiago NRG vs Nongshim RedForce predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: …
G2 vs BBL: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions and Odds
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
EMEA’s final hope will be put to the test as BBL Esports are tasked to face G2 Esports in an elimination match at VCT Masters Santiago 2026. The winner of this series will book a spot in the top four, while the loser will be sent home. Here are our VCT Masters Santiago G2 vs BBL predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs (Elimination) Game: Valorant Format: Best of …
Paper Rex vs All Gamers: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
Paper Rex find themselves on the brink of elimination at VCT Masters Santiago 2026 and will take on All Gamers to stay alive in the tournament. The winner of this series will secure a spot in the top four, while the loser will go home. Here are our VCT Masters Santiago Paper Rex vs All Gamers predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs (Elimination) Game: Valorant Format: Best of …
Paper Rex vs NRG: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions and Odds
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
Paper Rex and NRG are set to face off in the upper bracket. The winner of this matchup will book a spot in the top three. Here are our VCT Masters Santiago Paper Rex vs NRG predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: These two teams have already played against each other in the group stage, with Paper Rex taking the …
G2 vs Nongshim RedForce: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions and Odds
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
G2 Esports will take on Pacific’s first seed, Nongshim RedForce, in the upper bracket of VCT Masters Santiago 2026. The winner of this series will secure a spot in the top three. Here are our predictions for this VCT Masters Santiago G2 vs Nongshim RedForce match. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: We believe this matchup could come down to the …
FURIA vs BBL Esports: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
Two regional first seeds, FURIA and BBL Esports, are set to face each other in a VCT Masters Santiago elimination match. This means one of these teams will go home after playing only two matches. Here are our VCT Masters Santiago FURIA vs BBL Esports predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: These are two evenly matched teams, and the result …
Gentle Mates vs All Gamers: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
We’ll have to bid the first team from the playoffs goodbye as Gentle Mates take on All Gamers in a VCT Masters Santiago elimination match. Will every Chinese team be eliminated from the tournament? Here are our VCT Masters Santiago Gentle Mates vs All Gamers predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: Gentle Mates have looked like a noteworthy contender throughout …
G2 vs All Gamers: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions and Odds
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
China’s unlikely number one seed will take on G2 in the first round of the VCT Masters Santiago upper bracket. Can All Gamers carry the hopes of their region? Here are our VCT Masters Santiago G2 vs All Gamers predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: This is the first international tournament for the All Gamers roster. G2, on the other …
NRG vs BBL Esports: VCT Masters Santiago Predictions and Odds
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
NRG will take on BBL Esports in what should be the most anticipated playoff matchup at VCT Masters Santiago. Experienced winners will clash against rising talent in this upper bracket matchup. Here are our VCT Masters Santiago NRG vs BBL Esports predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: This is the first international VCT event for the entire BBL Esports squad, …
NongShim RedForce vs Gentle Mates: VCT Masters Santiago predictions
Owen Harsono
Esports Betting
Nongshim RedForce will take on Gentle Mates in the first round of the VCT Masters Santiago 2026 playoffs. Can the Pacific first seed stop marteen and his team? Here are our VCT Masters Santiago Nongshim RedForce vs Gentle Mates predictions. Tournament: VCT Masters Santiago 2026 Stage: Playoffs Game: Valorant Format: Best of 3 Betting tip: Gentle Mates’ marteen is currently the highest-rated player at the event, boasting an insane 1.48 …
Riot Games has long looked to expand its footprint beyond the success of popular MOBA League of Legends, and one of its biggest successes to date in this regard is the tactical shooter, Valorant. Blending traditional first-person shooter elements with unique and flashy hero abilities, Valorant seeks to combine the best attributes of tactical shooters and hero shooters into one cohesive experience.
Based on player feedback, the game has largely succeeded in accomplishing those aims. It’s not an easy balance, and it’s one that is arguably still tenuous, but Riot Games seems to be doing as good a job of it as most fans have hoped for.
What type of game is Valorant?
Valorant is a first-person shooter that represents a unique blend of the tactical shooter and hero shooter subgenres. There are some games that represent similar gameplay elements, but not many that offer the exact experience that Valorant puts forward to players.
The tactical shooter genre is often considered to have been defined by the release of the original Counter-Strike, a multiplayer mod for famed single-player PC title Half-Life that later became a standalone game of its own. While most multiplayer FPS games to that point emphasized prolonged battles between opposing players zipping around the game at high speeds, Counter-Strike slowed things down significantly and made players much more susceptible to each other’s firepower, requiring players to take a more tactical approach to play.
That slower and more tactical approach, combined with the lightning-quick nature of action when it does occur, proved reliably popular. That popularity can still be seen today with the ongoing success enjoyed by the Counter-Strike franchise, and it’s this gameplay type that represents the core of Valorant. It’s no accident that former Counter-Strike developers were drafted by Riot Games to help create Valorant during the game’s formative stages.
What differentiates Valorant from CS and other tactical shooters it that each of the game’s characters, called agents, wield a number of unique abilities. Some are typical for tactical shooters, like flashbangs and smokes, while others are wildly different, such as an ability that transports two players to an isolated dueling arena for its duration.
These agent abilities are more reminiscent of hero shooters, a subgenre that arguably got its start with the Team Fortress games but has best been popularized by Blizzard title Overwatch. The abilities, combind with the tactical considerations that are at the core of Valorant, separate it from most any other FPS experience available for play.
How does Valorant esports work?
Like many other popular competitive shooters, Valorant does have a thriving esports scene. That scene is differentiated by the way it’s run and controlled by developer and publisher Riot Games. Riot uses a model based on the success of its League of Legends esports scene, which sees the globe’s competitive players and team’s separated by region. These regions play out their own competitions in their sections of the world before coming together at regular intervals for international tournaments featuring the best teams from each individual region.
While League of Legends once boasted a variety of regions and regional types, Riot sought to simplify that model when setting up esports for Valorant. The game has only a handful of major regions, and these regions are held as largely equitable, each sending their best teams to international events leading up to the year-end VALORANT Champions event.
