Riot Games‘ popular free-to-play tactical shooter is now officially live on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S, the developer announced on Friday. It marks Riot's first live-service game on console, as its other hits like League of Legends and Teamfight Tactics remain PC exclusives.
Like the existing PC version of the game, Valorant is free to play on consoles, and it's currently available to players in the United States along with Canada, Europe, Japan, and Brazil. Moving forward, PC and console players will receive “simultaneous platform releases of all live patch balances, new agents, maps, premium content, and additional live service features," the developer said.
While PlayStation and Xbox players will be able to play together, cross-play between PC and console player matches remains off the table for now, which Riot says is to “maintain Valorant’s renowned standard for competitor integrity.” However, the game will support cross-progression, so any skins or Battle Pass progress you have will carry over between PC and console.
Valorant initially arrived on consoles in June in beta form, and players needed an invitation code to gain access. While codes weren't especially hard to come by, for those players who did struggle to get in, this announcement is a welcome change.
“We’ve received so much valuable feedback from players during Limited Beta, and feel confident to deliver on our gameplay promise for console players,” Arnar Gylfason, production director of Valorant at Riot Games, said. “Whether it’s hitting that perfect shot, executing a flawless team play, or wiping out the enemy team, we look forward to seeing console players experience the same gameplay thrill as ‘Valorant’ PC players.”
Riot Games has made some tweaks to its 5v5 tactical shooter to make it more controller-friendly, including the addition of a new shooting mode called Focus.
“Focus is a new shooting mode that behaves essentially like hip-fire, but with reduced sensitivity,” said Gylfason. "This way, players can use hip-fire whenever they need speed in moving their camera/aim, but utilize focus mode whenever they need precision. This also approximates the shooting mechanic to what console players are used to in shooters, all of this without losing the added value Valorant’s aim down sights provides.”
Valorant is now available to play for free on PC, Xbox Series S and Series X, and PS5.
