Valorant is a first-person shooter video game for PCs (Microsoft Windows). Even though the game's development started way back in 2014, it wasn't until June 2, 2020, that it was officially released.
Developed and published by Riot Games, the same videogame powerhouse behind League of Legends (LoL), Valorant has climbed up the ranks to become a favorite among fans of first-person shooter games rivaling the likes of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO) and the Call of Duty (COD) franchise. Upon its release in 2020, it became an instant hit. Almost two years later, Valorant's popularity is witnessing exponential growth.
Valorant in numbers
According to statistics, Valorant maintained approximately 12 million active players monthly in 2021, and in 2022, the numbers keep soaring. There have been around 16 million active players monthly in 2022, translating to about 1.5 million players daily. These numbers are evidence that, indeed, Valorant has been revolutionary. Several reasons can be attributed to Valorant's popularity.
First is Riot Games' choice of Unreal Engine 4, which delivers a fluid gaming experience with excellent graphics and sound for an immersive gameplay experience.
Second is that Valorant is a free-to-play videogame meaning fans of FPS games can get into the action without spending a dime.
Finally, Riot Games has also made the game bigger by constantly adding new content, including new heroes (agents), maps, features, game modes, and other components.
Valorant gameplay and objectives
Set in the near future, Valorant is a tactical shooter game that pits two teams in a 5v5 tactical battle that requires individual skill and teamwork. The objective of the game depends on the game mode. Valorant has seven game modes: Unrated, Competitive, Deathmatch, Spike Rush, Escalation, Replication, and Snowball Fight.