Just days after VALORANT’s fourth anniversary, Riot Games has confirmed its popular FPS is coming to consoles. The news was shared during the 2024 Summer Game Fest live event on June 7, where Riot confirmed beta testing for the console version will commence in less than a week.
Riot’s highly popular tactical shooter will debut on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles when it enters limited beta testing on June 14. Initially, VALORANT console beta testing will be limited to players in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Europe, and Japan. Players can sign up on VALORANT’s official beta testing website.
In a press release for the announcement, Arnar Gylfason, production director of VALORANT, and Andy Ho, the game’s new executive producer, highlighted Riot’s commitment to delivering the “same uncompromising, competitive experience” provided to those on PC.
They also confirmed that cross-play will not be available between PC and consoles to preserve VALORANT‘s “competitive integrity.” In addition, to uphold the game’s core competitive principles, Riot has created a new feature, called Focus, to make up for the not-so-precise hipfire of controllers.
Moving forward, players will have a connected, shared inventory and gameplay progression tied to their VALORANT account across all platforms, allowing for cross-platform progression. Additionally, live patch balances, new agents, maps, and other live service features will be released simultaneously on consoles and PC.
When VALORANT first launched, Riot made it clear its primary focus was on PC. But in June 2023, the developer began actively hiring personnel to assist with the game’s expansion to consoles, suggesting the player base for VALORANT was about to expand.
The upcoming console release of VALORANT marks a pivotal moment for the game and its community. As the beta testing phase begins next week, veteran VALORANT players and newcomers are eager to see how this expansion will shape the landscape of their favorite game.
Published: Jun 7, 2024 05:42 pm