Valorant

Despite being almost exclusively known for its popular MOBA League of Legends for a decade, Riot Games published a tactical shooter called Valorant in 2020. The game combines the core gameplay of Counter-Strike with elements of hero shooters like Overwatch and Apex Legends, making for an experience that is more accessible for some new players while also offering a different sort of depth than most competitive first-person shooters.

Valorant’s development process played out over the course of several years. Riot sought outside assistance from developers  and professional players associated with other successful FPS games, combining those experts with internal Riot employees to craft a team that could design a new tactical shooter capable of making headway in a competitive market.

Valorant was first released to players on June 2, 2020, and was immediately lauded as a success. The game’s combination of tactical shooting elements with diverse hero abilities wielded by powerful agents was enough to convince droves of players to pick up the new game and stick with it.

New agents and maps have been added in the years since the game’s release, as have a variety of new cosmetic options. The continual balancing of agent abilities means that Valorant changes more often than most other tactical shooters.

The game has already established a vibrant competitive scene, culminating each year in the VALORANT Champions event that sees the best teams from around the world gather to do battle and determine which squad is truly the best in the world.

Riot Games is dedicated to continuing to build up Valorant, and players are intrigued to see where the game goes in the years to come.