For quite some time now, rumors have been swirling that the first-person shooter game Valorant is getting a mobile version. Of course, given the success of other similar franchises crossing over to mobile, such as Fortnite and Call of Duty, the notion of Valorant getting a mobile version seems like it's only a matter of time.
Several days ago, developer Riot Games confirmed what everyone has been waiting for as the studio revealed that Valorant is heading to mobile. Although exact details about the forthcoming mobile version of the game remain slim, here is a breakdown of everything we know so far and what fans could expect from Valorant Mobile.
What Can Fans Expect From Valorant Mobile?
At the moment, specific details about Valorant Mobile's gameplay are still being kept under wraps. Players should expect Valorant Mobile to be similar, if not the same, to its PC counterpart. During the initial announcement of Valorant's mobile version, executive producer Anna Donlon revealed the idea of bringing the game to mobile started as a question. "We didn't start out with 'We're making Valorant on mobile,' we started out with 'Can we make Valorant on Mobile?' with a lot of skepticism."
It should also be noted that Valorant Mobile isn't a direct port of the PC version but is a new build that is completely optimized for mobile devices to bring the genuine Valorant experience to mobile players. Given this, players should expect a game specifically tailor-made for mobile devices, which ideally won't compromise the quality of the gameplay that PC players are currently enjoying.
Valorant Mobile Release Date and Platforms
Despite Riot Games' confirmation of Valorant Mobile, the game still doesn't have a release date. However, the announcement of Valorant Mobile confirms that the game is currently under development. According to Donlon, "we're not confirming dates, but hopefully, that's something we'll be able to see in year two."
The upcoming mobile version of Valorant will be available to both iOS and Android devices, so players on both systems with compatible devices should be able to run the game. At the moment, given that Valorant Mobile is still a couple of years away from release, the exact devices that the game will support remains unknown. However, if Riot Games is truly bringing the same quality as the PC version of Valorant, players should expect that older devices may not support the upcoming mobile title.
Unfortunately, it appears that Valorant Mobile won't be supporting crossplay between PC and Mobile. During the announcement, Donlon clarified that the mobile version of Valorant wouldn't affect the PC version. "We're not trying to convert Valorant PC players into Valorant Mobile players or vice versa. We're absolutely just as committed to keeping the PC experience at the quality level it is or higher, and we're not going to compromise it to address the mobile market."
Lastly, Donlon addressed questions regarding a console version of Valorant, saying that it is still exploring that option. Still, a console version of Valorant is something Riot plans to do in the future. The executive producer remarked that while consoles are an obvious choice for FPS games such as Valorant, the studio thought that transitioning the game to mobile is slightly easier. Nonetheless, fans waiting for a console version of Valorant should rest easy that it will happen sometime in the future, but it will take a backseat to mobile, which is Riot Games' priority for now.
Valorant is available now on PC. A mobile version is currently in development.
Source: Polygon