A purported Valorant data leak uncovered details on the game’s future crossplay plans and uncovered the possibility of ports that could see the game arrive on the Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck.
Although League of Legends used to be Riot’s sole cash cow franchise, Valorant is quickly catching up. Blending the tactical teamplay of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and a quirky cast of heroes, Valorant made itself a household name in only a few years. This came despite the fact that the game has thus far been PC-exclusive.
Valorant’s success in the esports scene also warrants attention. The 2024 VCT Americas Kickoffs Valorant league saw hundreds of thousands more viewers than LoL’s top North American circuit, the LCS, with the preferential treatment that came with that frustrating League esports teams. That esports success has only continued in the year since.
With all this success, growth was inevitable, and new platforms are already a confirmed step in that growth. But with PlayStation and Xbox ports having been successful, just how many platforms might the game eventually come out on? Could the Switch and Steam Deck one day be included?
Will Valorant be on Nintendo Switch and Steam Deck?
Riot still has not confirmed Valorant releases for the Switch or compatibility with the Steam Deck, and it this point it seems unlikely due to compatibility issues with the game’s anti-cheat system.
In 2024, a data miner had unearthed evidence regarding crossplay that also seemingly confirms a list of platforms that could see future ports of the game. XKLaboratories on Twitter reported that they found strings in Valorant’s code that hinted at ports to several platforms, including what might be the Nintendo Switch and Linux.
If Valorant becomes playable on Linux PCs, it may finally be functional on the Steam Deck. Valorant and other popular multiplayer games such as PUBG: Battlegrounds have been unable to run on Valve’s portable PC due to their proprietary anti-cheat engines being incompatible with Linux. The Steam Deck runs on SteamOS, a Linux-based operating system.
Unfortunately, this remains a bar the game has been unable to clear. The Vanguard anti-cheat system used by Valorant is incompatible with Linux, which powers the OS used by the Steam Deck. Even forcing a Windows install onto the handheld machine doesn’t provide a neat solution.
Meanwhile, Valorant on consoles is now well-established, with the game having found a home on both modern PlayStation and Xbox devices. The Switch remains left out, the purported code leak did make reference to a platform titled “Switch.” It doesn’t take too many guesses to sort out what that might be referring to.
If that still proves true, it would be Riot Games’ first release on the Nintendo Switch. While the Riot Forge label licensed out League of Legends characters for single-player titles Ruined King and Song of Nunu for the Nintendo Switch, a Valorant port would be the first actual Riot-made game to jump to the console.
That said, even if these data mine was true, it’s not guaranteed that a Switch port will be finished or that this isn’t actually related to Nintendo’s next-gen console.
Given the enormous user base of the Nintendo Switch and Valorant’s ability to run on outdated PC hardware, it’s possible Riot Games could make it work on the 2017 console or on the new Switch 2. With the Steam Deck and other handheld PCs becoming more commonplace, multiplayer FPSs like Valorant are better-served by offering support for alternative platforms.
Fans worry about the state of crossplay for Valorant as it moves to other platforms, but that hasn’t proved an issue since its arrival on consoles. Games like Fortnite prove crossplay between mobile, PC, and console is possible and can be a solid experience, should that one day become a reality. For the time being, crossplay is only enabled for Valorant players between PS5 and Xbox consoles, while PC players are kept to their own space.
A presumed Switch port of Valorant would likely see crossplay with PlayStation and Xbox users, but the Vanguard anti-cheat issue that has kept the game off of the Steam Deck also remains an issue with the Nintendo Switch. Until that issue is resolved, it’s unlikely that Valorant will reach the Switch and its many users.
