Riot Games officially confirmed VALORANT mobile. The company hasn't released any details about the mobile version yet, but VALORANT executive producer Anna Donlon said that "we're thrilled to soon offer the same competitive VALORANT experience to even more global players."
The original PC version of VALORANT, a 5v5 tactical shooter, took the world by storm within a year of its launch, amassing over 14 million players worldwide, and it quickly became the #1 FPS competitive esport game thanks to Riot's constant support and community-focused efforts.
Despite its popularity, VALORANT is currently only limited to Windows PCs, but during VALORANT's Year One celebration, Riot Games confirmed that it's getting a mobile port.
Here's everything you need to know about VALORANT Mobile, including release date, gameplay details, leaks, beta information, and more.
VALORANT Mobile Release Date: When will the beta be released?
A beta version of VALORANT mobile version was released on April 7, 2022 for Chinese players. Open beta is expected to begin sometime in 2023. Riot Games’ Anna Donlon said that it’s currently under development. Previously, the executive producer said that the mobile version should be ready in the second full year of VALORANT, AKA 2022. We are now past this timeframe.
Riot hasn't announced any official release dates yet, so don't expect the game to come out by the end of this year. However, in an interview with ONE Esports, Riot General Manager Justin Hulog talked about how the mobile version would be arriving in Southeast Asia first (SEA).
"In many ways, it does make sense to potentially go out in Southeast Asia first," Hulog explained. "But there are also unique challenges and very high expectations for how a game should perform on mobile. That could mean that we may look at other regions that are less demanding first."
"VALORANT Mobile is going to have a really big focus in Southeast Asia just because of the fact that it is a mobile-first region," Hulog added, citing the advantages of a later release.
"But whether it comes first is a question that we need to weigh. One of the nice things about not going first is that it gives us time to work out the bugs."
Given the Riot hasn't shared any concrete details about the upcoming game yet, VALORANT Mobile will most likely be released next year, at the earliest, but hopefully, we'll find out more in the upcoming months.
On Oct. 12, credible leaker ValorLeaks shared an image of the beta, which suggested that VALORANT's exclusive version would require a friend invite system. He claims that Riot Games will send out beta invites soon. This means that those with access will be required to invite at least five friends to access the game. It's still unclear whether this is a chain system where the invited five can ask more players to try the mobile game.
As of Oct. 17, 2022, Riot Games hasn't announced an official release date for VALORANT Mobile.
VALORANT Mobile Gameplay: How will it be different from the PC version?
Although Riot hasn't officially revealed the gameplay for VALORANT mobile, some leaked clips from various sources showcase the potential control interface of the tactical shooter's mobile port.
You can watch the clip from YouTube here:
As you can see in the video, agent abilities can be touched on the right side of the screen. The gameplay mechanics of the mobile version of VALORANT will most likely be similar to NetEase's Hyper Front, a new 5v5 FPS mobile game accused of ripping-off VALORANT.
Executive producer Anna Donlon has stressed that the developers aren’t looking to transfer the original VALORANT to phones, so expect a version that's more suitable for mobile players.
Related: More Project M Gameplay Shows Why This Mobile Game is Being Accused of Ripping-Off VALORANT
Since mobile hardware has been traditionally weaker than PCs, don't expect VALORANT mobile to perform as smoothly as the original version.
In April 2022, mobile gaming leaker Danny INTEL leaked a few images of VALORANT Mobile, claiming that they're from a playtest that's being done in China. The photos reveal the game's in-game interface, loading screen, and character selection. While the images look similar to VALORANT's PC version, the mobile platform has a few significant changes. You can check out the images here.
DannyINTEL also shared a gameplay video from the VALORANT Mobile Chinese beta test:
The clip reveals Jett roaming around ascent, and as you can see in the video linked above, the map and the overall gameplay are identical to the PC version of the game.
Here's another look at the VALORANT Mobile test from China:
Here's a concept image of VALORANT mobile:
DannyIntel also shared a 13-minute gameplay video for VALORANT Mobile, which you can watch below:
You can also check out the quick buy and full buy menus for VALORANT Mobile below:
However, at least one mystery YouTube video attracted the direct attention of Riot's legal team. After being uploaded on April 26, the company filed a complaint at YouTube alleging copyright infringement.
As the takedown notice reveals, Riot Games demanded not only the removal of the video, but also any additional copies that may be uploaded on YouTube in the future.
There is no clear indication of what the video actually contained, but the title of the now-deleted video is reportedly said to begin with "Valorant Mobile is HERE!" and promised tutorial and gameplay video on how to install the upcoming mobile game on iOS and Android devices.
According to Twitter outlet @VALORANTMobileN, VALORANT Mobile is being developed on Unreal Engine, which is a good sign. The same outlet also reported about features coming in VALORANT Mobile:
Over on Twitter, @ValorantMNews revealed new gameplay clips for VALORANT Mobile, which you can watch below:
VALORANT Mobile Crossplay: Will mobile players be able to cross-play with PC players?
No. Riot Games confirmed that VALORANT wouldn't have crossplay to ensure a healthy esports scene and enjoyable experience for all players.
Due to mechanical differences, crossplay generally doesn't work well for tactical FPS games. PC players may have an advantage due to more advanced systems and high-end peripherals designed for the best possible shooter experience while mobile gamers would have technical limitations. Thankfully, Riot doesn't have any plans to add crossplay for VALORANT.
In Aug. 7, Twitter user VALORANTMobileN reported that we might get to see crossplay between VALORANT Mobile and the console version of the popular tactical FPS.
Related: Is VALORANT Getting A Console Release? New Leak Hints It's Coming!
VALORANT Mobile Trailer: Has Riot released a trailer yet?
Riot hasn't released a trailer for VALORANT Mobile yet, but we will update this article with the latest information once they surface.
For now, we can enjoy this Jett hype music video:
VALORANT Mobile Requirements: How much space will I need?
According to those who have tested VALORANT Mobile, it takes up to 1.8 GB of space on mobile devices, and it's expected to increase with updates. It’s worth noting that the closed beta version will require less space.
To run the game smoothly, players may want to purchase a mobile device with at least 8GB of ram.
Riot Games hasn't revealed the recommended specs for VALORANT Mobile yet, but we will share the details here once they reveal.
More VALORANT Mobile News: Are there any other updates?
Riot Games is hiring for VALORANT Mobile
According to Hitmarker, Riot Games is hiring for VALORANT Mobile. Positions for Brand Manager and Game Designer were posted on Twitter, and more positions were listed on Hitmarker.net, including Senior UX Designer and Senior Software Engineer.
In August 2022, Hitmarker posted a job description for "Product Manager III - China, VALORANT Mobile".
Game Pass Subscribers Benefits
Riot Games already announced that all Game Pass subscribers will unlock all VALORANT Agents in both mobile and PC.
VALORANT Mobile File Size Revealed
According to mobile game enthusiast Andrew Pritykin, VALORANT Mobile's app size was 1.8GB during closed beta test in China, but it's expected to change when content is added to the game.
VALORANT Mobile Prototype Video done by UI Designer
Twitter outlet @VALORANTMobileN also shared a prototype video of VALORANT Mobile from a UI Designer. The video reveals the game's interface, but note that this doesn't represent the final product.