Valorant

Valorant is one of the fastest-growing games in esports (source: pcgamer.com)

There are plenty of tactical first-person shooters (FPS). While some focus more on arcade-like action (Call of Duty, Battlefield), others strive for realism and aim to closely replicate shooting models (Counter Strike 2). The success of League of Legends allowed its publisher to expand its scope, and as Counter Strike: Global Offensive became outdated, developers from Riot Games developed their own FPS game. Valorant was released several years before Counter Strike 2 and became the most modern shooter of its time. This attracted many players, especially those who were originally loyal to Valve and games on the Steam platform. However, Valorant is not just a copy of CS. It takes the original concept but expands it with the ability to choose an agent to play as. These characters have abilities that can be strategically used to win the game not only with perfect aiming but also with tactical decisions. Riot’s new shooter quickly became a popular alternative to Counter Strike and is very popular today.

Most popular esports games

Riding the wave of success from other games: a brief history of Valorant

When Riot Games announced a new game under the name Project A in 2019 (development started back in 2014), few knew what to expect. League of Legends was at the top of the MOBA game rankings at the time, while shooters were dominated by Counter Strike. The designers were well aware of this. They combined the original concept of CS with the success of their own brand, and that’s how we got Valorant. The game’s graphics, typical of Riot games, resembled an animated film, but the shooting model was similar to CS – players had to learn to play with each weapon, which had recoil, and practice aiming. The main difference from Valve’s competitor was the ability to choose agents. Each of them has their own abilities that affect their usefulness and how players play them (in CS, every character is the same). Valorant was released in 2020 and although it faced significant criticism for being too similar to Counter Strike (which was probably the developers’ intention). There was also controversy over the anti-cheat program Vanguard. Riot Games is owned by the Chinese conglomerate Tencent, and players were concerned about being spied on by this application. The developers denied any allegations, no evidence of unauthorized data collection was officially found, but the game’s reputation was damaged. Despite these post-release troubles, the player base expanded, and the esports scene grew along with it.

Game preview

Mechanics and game objective

Players are divided into two teams of five members, with one team having to plant a bomb at a designated spot and defend it until it explodes, while the other team tries to prevent them. In addition to agent abilities, players use a purchasing system to buy stronger weapons. The match is won by the team that reaches thirteen wins first (Best of 24), with sides switching after twelve rounds.

Minimum system requirements

Operating system: Windows 10 Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 AMD Athlon 200GE Graphics: AMD Radeon R5 200 Intel HD 4000 DirectX: 11.0 RAM: 4 GB Hard disk: 30 GB …and of course, an internet connection.

Agents

Players choose an agent to play as before the match. Since the game is set in the near future, the agents come from all over the world. There can’t be two identical characters in one team, but it can happen that a player on the opposing team chooses the same agent. There are a total of 22 agents in the game. They are divided according to their primary focus: Duelists, Sentinels, Controllers, Initiators. Each of them has abilities that help them fulfill their main mission. While duelists excel in one-on-one combat, controllers have equipment that allows them to control the opposing team – for example, by limiting vision or the ability to build a breakable wall.

What about skins in Valorant?

First, we need to say that skins in Valorant (and other Riot Games titles) differ from skins in Counter Strike (and other Valve games) mainly in that they are non-transferable. Once purchased, they cannot be traded – i.e., you cannot sell them to other players. Riot does not have its own community market like the Steam platform. Since Valorant is a free-to-play game, microtransactions for skins help keep the game running. Today, there are 771 different skins, all of which are for weapons. You can purchase them directly in the game for real money or obtain them by completing tasks in the Battle Pass (which you also need to buy). If you are not an active Valorant player, buying skins is not worth it. These are non-transferable, unsellable cosmetic items.

Can Valorant compete with Counter Strike in esports?

To answer the headline question right away: we’re not there yet, but we’re getting close. Valorant’s esports scene is currently one of the fastest growing, and as CS loses popularity, Valorant gains it. The official Valorant esports league is organized under the official guidance of Riot Games. In 2023, changes were made to the competitive format, and the playing season was divided into three regional parts (compared to the original seven): America, EMEA (Europe), and Pacific. Each region has its specific rules and ways to qualify for the big international tournament called Champions. Among the most popular teams are American Cloud9 or 100 Thieves, European Team Vitality and Fnatic, and Asian T1, Gen.G, and DRX. On the international stage, the Czech Republic has representatives in the form of the ENTERPRISE team. There are also many unofficial leagues organized by third parties, but their coverage by bookmakers is minimal. For the best and most exciting matches, it’s worth following official competitions (the valorantesports.com website helps). The release of Counter Strike 2 did not stop the exodus of fans from Valve, and most of the current Valorant players are former CS players. It’s a suitable alternative with a touch of a magical element if you are tired of police and terrorists. The esports scene is still growing, and with enough care, it can reach the level of League of Legends (the biggest esport game in 2023).

Best bookmakers for betting on Valorant

	LOOT.BET Bonus: €40 welcome bonus + €5 free bet	Bet now LOOT.BET review
	Rabona Bonus: €100 welcome bonus	Bet now Rabona review
	22BET Bonus: €120 welcome bonus	Bet now 22BET review

2️⃣ Do bookmakers cover Valorant?

3️⃣ When was Valorant released?

Peter Broz

Article author – esports expert
Email: peter@slothbet.com

I came into contact with playing computer games long before a billion-dollar business with professional teams emerged around them. Although I never reached the professional level, I still have many acquaintances among the top esports players today. At SlothBet, I will primarily contribute to the esports section.

About us | Contact and cooperation