Here’s your first look at a round of VALORANT

It's more CS:GO and less Overwatch.
Screengrab via [Riot Games](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8amyzDHOKw)

There’s still quite a while to go before Riot Games’ tactical first-person shooter, VALORANT, is released. But the developer released a gameplay review today in an effort to sate fans’ appetites.

Recommended Videos

It’s definitely a lot more CS:GO than Overwatch, whether it comes to gunplay, movement, or even abilities. Players can purchase different types of weapons to cover their weaknesses or augment their strengths.

The concept of the objective showcased in VALORANT is pretty much entirely CS:GO’s. Teams of five players clash with each other. One team plants the bomb, which is called the Spike in-game, while the other team races to defuse it.

While each agent has their own unique set of skills and abilities, they function more like consumable resources rather than Overwatch‘s abilities that are decidedly more MOBA-like with cooldowns and unlimited usage.

Each agent’s abilities serve different functions. CS:GO uses throwable items like grenades and Molotov cocktails to zone, but characters can use toxic green walls or floating wind bubbles to close off pathways in VALORANT.

Since their abilities are limited in stock and cost currency, players will need to pick and choose their battles instead of just freely using them. Players will be able to earn currency by completing objectives, such as eliminating opponents or planting and defusing the Spike.

It’s all available in the buy menu at a glance. Players can access all the purchasing options in just one screen, along with an information blurb that will help new players quickly identify what they need for any given situation. Different types of equipment are separated by columns and rows, while Shields provide protection like Kevlar in CS:GO.

For this current roster, at least, mobility options are nowhere like Overwatch‘s. Players exercise caution while moving around and the crouch and aim gunplay is a lot more reminiscent of CS:GO.

VALORANT will include dedicated 128-tick servers for all players on release. It’s an uncommon choice, even for FPS esports that benefit the most from it, and even more so for online servers. It’s going to ensure that the game is buttery-smooth, though, giving all players access to consistent and competitive gameplay.

With the first gameplay preview released on VALORANT‘s official YouTube channel, more content will likely be revealed by the devs before the game’s official release this summer.


Dot Esports is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more
related content
Read Article When can Clove use their revive ultimate ability in VALORANT?
VALORANT agent Clove in the midst of casting their self-resurrection ultimate ability.
Read Article Discord adds official but expensive VALORANT profile cosmetics and effects to its store
Clove wallpaper from VALORANT
Read Article VALORANT players discover broken Clove interaction that leads to easy smoke kills
Clove in VALORANT
Related Content
Read Article When can Clove use their revive ultimate ability in VALORANT?
VALORANT agent Clove in the midst of casting their self-resurrection ultimate ability.
Read Article Discord adds official but expensive VALORANT profile cosmetics and effects to its store
Clove wallpaper from VALORANT
Read Article VALORANT players discover broken Clove interaction that leads to easy smoke kills
Clove in VALORANT
Author
Dexter Tan Guan Hao
An e-sports, fiction, and comics fanatic through and through, you can find him sipping a nice, hot cup of tea while playing Dota 2 with the few friends that he has. Or don't find him at all. He'll prefer it that way.