After a tiny open beta period, Riot Games surprised fans by officially releasing Valorant for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
Valorant Console is now available for players in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Brazil, and promises to deliver “the same uncompromising, competitive experience we’ve been bringing to PC players for years: a precision, team-based, tactical shooter.”
🚨 Invasion inevitable 🚨
VALORANT is now AVAILABLE on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. photo:twitter.com/cX5boZXPRI
— VALORANT (@VALORANT) August 2, 2024
As previously mentioned, cross-play will not be available for PC and console players, as Riot Games wants to “maintain Valorant’s renowned standard of competitive fairness.” PlayStation and Xbox players will be able to play together, however.
While this may not be the best news for some, Riot Games assured fans that their friends list, collection (skins, player cards, gun buddies, etc.), Battle Pass progress, and agent unlocks will all carry over. Additionally, both PC and console players “will receive simultaneous releases of all current updates, new agents, maps, premium content, and additional live service features.”
“We’ve received so much valuable feedback from players during the limited beta and we’re confident that we can deliver on our promise of a great gameplay experience for console players,” said Arnar Gylfason, Valorant’s Production Director. “Whether it’s landing the perfect shot, executing a flawless team play, or obliterating the opposing team, we can’t wait for console players to experience the same thrill that VALORANT players experience on PC.”
Valorant is free to play, but Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be happy to know that all current and future Agents will be unlocked.
In our 2020 Valorant PC review, we wrote: “Valorant is the most fun I’ve had in a multiplayer FPS since Valve’s Team Fortress 2. The flexibility of a cast of magical characters combined with the depth of the arsenal create a wonderful canvas for competition, if initially arduous to master. I’m already considering modern strategies to implement with friends in the future, and that’s a jovial dream I won’t be ending anytime soon.”
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Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and next ICT Tok.
