Valorant
Valorant
Ascent returns to Valorant competitive map pool, players confused
M Alzamora
Barely days after taking the map out of its active rotation, Valorant has already announced that Ascent will be returning much sooner than most players would have expected. Heading into its fifth anniversary, the Valorant team isn’t one to settle. 2025 has already given players a new agent and VCT team capsules for the fresh competitive season. Now it’s also changing the available map pool to rotate every Act rather …
Valorant
VCT Team Capsules return in 2025, here’s what you can get
M Alzamora
Fans can look forward to seeing new VCT Team Capsules and other rewards in the 2025 competitive Valorant circuit, but what might you find in them? Valorant sells cosmetic bundles based off different high-achieving teams to help generate revenue for those teams and the game itself. In the year 2024 alone, the company behind them reported making over $44 million USD to distribute from these cosmetic bundles. Now, Riot Games …
Valorant
New Valorant agent Tejo detailed with release date and abilities
Hannan Mundia
Valorant’s 27th playable agent, Tejo, is about to join the roster and fans will want to know all about his abilities and the release date at which they’ll be able to play him. There’s no shortage of free-to-play FPS games in today’s marketplace. From Counter-Strike 2 to Call of Duty: Warzone, only the games that keep things fresh for players tend to stay relevant. The others are forgotten and eventually …
Valorant
This is the easy way to change regions in Valorant
Olivia Richman
Valorant players who want to change regions may run in to a few issues, but there are ways to get it done. Valorant continues to be a popular game, with nearly 5 million players a day due to the tactical shooter’s colorful cast of agents and competitive matches. One issue that gamers have consistently brought up is how to change Valorant regions. This could become relevant if a player has …
Valorant
How to get Valofessor in Valorant, and what it does
Fariha Bhatti
If you’re struggling to defuse the Spike during a clutch situation, this new Valorant app called Valofessor can help win rounds. Valorant is a high-pressure game, and players are often looking for any help they can get to rank up. Thankfully, there are many websites that provide detailed data, tips, and tricks to improve in Valorant. However, it’s easy to blank out during a competitive match. To tackle this, Valorant …
Valorant
Is Riot about to let betting sponsors into LoL, Valorant esports?
Steven Rondina
League of Legends and Valorant esports might look quite different moving forward with Riot Games reportedly set to allow betting companies to sponsor teams in official leagues. Gambling of any kind is a historically touchy subject. That’s especially been the case in video games where streamers have fought with fans over playing slots on-air and loot boxes are reflexively criticized. Riot Games, for its part, has opted to steer away …
Valorant
Valorant agent 27: Codename, role, and release date info
Steven Rondina
Valorant agent 27 is coming, and fans are starting to find out some key details about Terra. Riot Games has done strong work since Valorant’s release of keeping regular players engaged. At any given point, there’s a slow drip of information regarding the next major release in the game. Whether it’s a new stage, a new weapon, or a new agent, there’s always something on the horizon. It’s not just …
Valorant
Valorant patch 9.11’s Neon and ping nerfs confirmed
Steven Rondina
Valorant patch 9.11 will bring a pair of major changes to the game including a long-awaited nerf for Neon and changes to the ping system. In any game where there are defined characters with unique abilities, there’s always going to be a singularly best option. That’s the case with fighting games, Pokemon, hero shooters, or anything else. Developers are often in a constant battle with this fact, and need to …
Valorant: Here’s how to unlock free Arcane player cards
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Valorant
To celebrate the much-anticipated release of Arcane Season 2, Valorant players have a chance to get exclusive player cards featuring iconic characters, Vi and Jinx, for free. Riot Games has made it easy for fans to earn these special cards with just a few simple steps. This article explains when these cards are available and the steps you need to take to add them to your collection. Related: Valorant Arcane …
Valorant Arcane 2.0 bundle – What we know so far
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Valorant
With Riot Games officially teasing the Arcane 2.0 bundle, Valorant fans are buzzing with excitement. This new bundle is set to be released with Episode 9 Act 3, continuing the successful collaboration between Riot’s hit games Valorant and League of Legends, especially as Arcane Season 2 premieres on Netflix. Unfortunately, not much has been confirmed, however several leaks have revealed a glimpse of what this bundle may offer. stirring up …
NRG Sports Unveils Team For VCT 2025 Tournament
Tokoni Uti
Valorant
One of the biggest events in the esports calendar is undoubtedly the VCT tournament. Every year, fans wait on bated breath to see who will compete and, more importantly, who will win. While we have to wait a few more months for VTC 2025, we now know more about the contestants. In a Twitter/X post from October 10, 2024, NRG Sports confirmed its team for the tournament. The NRG Sports …
Coach Chet Moves to Counter-Strike Following VCT Ban
Tokoni Uti
Valorant
Making a living from professional gaming can be very tricky. While it is many people’s dream job, your income stream can be severely impacted if you get into hot water with one of the big companies. Chetan ‘Chet’ Singh is learning this the hard way as he’s been suspended by Riot Games for several months due to a violation. Chet Singh has confirmed that he will be playing Counter-Strike 2 …
NRG Sports Unveils Team For VCT 2025 Tournament
Tokoni Uti
Valorant
One of the biggest events in the esports calendar is undoubtedly the VCT tournament. Every year, fans wait on bated breath to see who will compete and, more importantly, who will win. While we have to wait a few more months for VTC 2025, we now know more about the contestants. In a Twitter/X post from October 10, 2024, NRG Sports confirmed its team for the tournament. The NRG Sports …
Riot Games Announces Updates Ahead of Valorant Patch 9
Tokoni Uti
Valorant
Valorant fans are on edge waiting for the release of the next patch. But as they wait, Riot Games has announced several changes that will be coming with patch 9.10, including some unprecedented additions. Riot Games has announced the Regen Shield which will be unveiled with patch 9.10. This specific armour name suggests that it will allow players to regenerate after attacks and is bound to be a popular choice. …
Leviatán strengthens roster with the signing of Demon1
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Valorant
A new chapter has begun for Leviatán Esports with the signing of Max “Demon1” Mazanov, the 2023 Valorant Champions winner. The 22-year-old American, who previously played for Evil Geniuses and NRG Esports, now joins the powerhouse roster of Leviatán. This move is essential for the team as they gear up for the VCT 2025 season. His addition marks a major shift for the Argentinian squad, which aims to further strengthen …
Is Valorant shifting to Unreal Engine 5? What it means for the future
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Valorant
Riot Games has announced a major shift for Valorant, as the popular tactical shooter may be transitioning to Unreal Engine 5 (UE5). While this upgrade has generated significant buzz among players, many are left wondering what this change will mean for the game. Although the switch won’t bring immediate drastic changes, it lays the groundwork for future developments that could enhance the game in many subtle ways. Riot’s decision to …
Top Valorant Agents for new players: A beginner’s guide
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Valorant
If you’re just starting out in Valorant and are unsure which Agent to choose, you’re not alone. Valorant offers a wide variety of characters, each with unique abilities that can feel overwhelming for newcomers. However, certain Agents are much easier to pick up and play, making them ideal for new players. This guide will help you identify the best Agents for first-time players, helping you contribute effectively to your team …
Valorant Singularity 2.0 collection: Release date, price, and features
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Valorant
The highly anticipated Singularity 2.0 skin collection is about to drop in VALORANT, and fans are eager to see what Riot Games has in store this time. This collection brings sleek designs and improved animations, promising an exciting addition to the game’s already diverse selection of skins. Let’s break down everything you need to know about Singularity 2.0. From the release date to the estimated price and features, this is …
Mysterious incident in Korea hints at new Korean Valorant agent
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Valorant
The report of a monstrous event in Korea has Valorant fans buzzing with excitement. Rumors and speculations of a new Korean Valorant agent are spreading in the community like wildfire. This is what it might mean for the game’s future. Recently, a terrifying event unfolded in an old building in Korea, where a mysterious “monster” was reported. This creature, currently under investigation by local authorities, has sent waves of fear …
You’ll soon be able to block Valorant trolls forever
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
Valorant
Riot is finally putting the control in players’ hands to combat toxicity with a leaked “Blacklist” or block feature in Valorant. Valorant players have been facing toxicity in varying ways. As like with any multiplayer game, Valorant has been subject to a lot of toxicity since its release, and the players are not in absolute control over this issue. However, Riot Games is slowly taking a few steps to eliminate …
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.
