After several years of being exclusive to PC platforms, Valorant is now available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Valorant is a team-based tactical shooter from Riot Games, the studio behind League of Legends. "Tactical" means the game favors slower-paced, more deliberate gameplay based on positioning and ability usage -- more Rainbow Six Siege than Call of Duty, though the closest comparison is Counter-Strike. But Valorant also features various agents with unique abilities, akin to Apex Legends and Overwatch.
In Valorant's primary game mode, you play as an agent on a team of five players, facing off against an opposing team as you alternate planting or defusing the spike. There are quick modes called Spike Rush and Swift Play and other game modes such as free-for-all and team death match, which are great for warming up and practicing with different guns.
Each match takes place on one of several maps with different styles and layouts -- from cramped monasteries to seaside ruins with long sightlines. One team starts as the attackers, with the goal of eliminating the enemy team and planting a bomb, known as the "spike." The other team defends the map, attempting to wipe out the attackers before they can plant, and defusing the bomb if it does get planted. In Competitive and Unrated modes, teams switch sides after 12 rounds, and the first team to win 13 rounds wins the match -- though Competitive mode requires teams to win by at least two rounds.
Players on PS5 and Xbox will get content and updates at the same time as PC players, including new agents, new maps and shop skins. However, Riot says that in order to maintain competitive integrity, there will not be cross-play between PC and console.
Valorant takes inspiration from a variety of games and blends them into a unique experience. The game is free to play, so it's easy to get started. Here's everything you need to know.
How to unlock Valorant agents
When you first start the game, you'll have access to five agents: Brimstone, Jett, Phoenix, Sage and Sova. All other agents will be locked at the start, and you'll have to unlock them with Kingdom Credits, which you earn by playing games and completing daily missions. Agents cost 8,000 Kingdom Credits to unlock, and because you earn them through regular gameplay, every player can unlock every agent without spending a single dollar on the game.
If you want to start off with your favorite character or just want faster access to an agent, you can unlock contract chapters by spending Valorant Points from the store. Unlocking an agent requires a sum of 1,000 VP, which costs $10.
Xbox Game Pass subscribers have it even easier -- all agents will be unlocked for play as long as you keep your Game Pass subscription, but you will lose access to any agents you haven't purchased if you ever cancel.
Agents can be unlocked with free in-game currency, or you can pay for more immediate access.
Riot Games/Screenshot by CNETHow to unlock Valorant's ranked mode
After you complete the tutorial, you'll have access to most of Valorant's game modes. However, the game's Competitive mode is locked until you hit account level 20, which will take most players approximately 25 hours to hit. Riot, like most game developers, wants to make sure you have a basic understanding of the game before you start competing in ranked mode.
The fastest way to hit level 20 is playing every day to get the First Win of the Day bonus, which is worth one-fifth of a level. Finishing games also raises your account level, with bonuses for winning.
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What to know before you play
There are a few facets of the game that take some getting used to, especially if you're new to the tactical shooter genre. The practice range is a good way to train your aim and get used to the different weapons, but there's plenty more to learn. Here's a basic overview to get you started.
1. You have to buy guns and abilities
Every character starts with a signature ability and basic pistol they get for free every round. Everything else you have to buy with credits earned by winning rounds, playing objectives and eliminating your opponents. Spend those credits at the start of each round to buy weapons, armor and abilities. If you survive the round, you keep whatever weapons, armor and abilities you have and start the next round with them equipped. Sometimes it's worth losing the round but staying alive so you don't have to spend as much in the next round.
Most abilities cost a few hundred credits, depending on how powerful they are. Simple smoke abilitiess to disrupt sightlines are cheaper, while abilities that gain information and block off enemies are more expensive. But each agent's strongest ability -- their "ultimate" -- has to be earned by killing opponents and capturing ultimate orbs that are planted in fixed locations around the map. Each kill and orb provides one point toward an ultimate, but different ultimates have different costs (between six and nine points).
You'll also be able to buy weapons and armor during the setup phase. You can upgrade your sidearm to one of four other handguns, and choose from 13 primary weapons that make it easier to take out opponents. Primary weapons range from 850 credits for a pump-action shotgun to 4,700 credits for a sniper rifle that will take out any opponent in one shot. Armor gives you additional health and lowers most incoming damage.
Valorant offers a variety of guns to suit different playstyles, but the biggest question you'll have to answer is whether you prefer the Phantom or the Vandal.
Riot Games2. Valorant is an objective-based game
Many rounds turn into frag-fests, with each team trying to wipe out the other, but that's not a guarantee of victory. Attacking teams are trying to plant the spike, so defeating all the enemies does mean they win the round. But defending teams can still lose rounds even after killing their opponents, if they don't defuse the spike in time. Similarly, attackers can still earn extra credits by planting the spike, even if they lose the round.
If you're the last one left on your team, you can still hurt your opponents even if the round feels unwinnable. Each enemy you kill before the end of the round means another person on their team has to spend money to buy guns and armor. Resetting your opponents' economy like that can turn around matches if they've been aggressively spending while your team was saving. Plus, you never know when you might clutch out a round win.
3. 'If you're not a good shot today, don't worry. There are other ways to be useful.'
That's a quote from Sova, one of the Valorant agents. It's also a good reminder to the players that, yes, mechanical skill will take you far -- very far -- in the game, but it's not everything. Good aiming mechanics won't save you from bad positioning if your opponent sneaks up from behind or the entire enemy team rushes you at once.
Valorant is a tactical shooter, and some people are better at the tactics than the shooting. There's nothing wrong with that. If you get taken out early in a round, watch the mini map to see where enemies are and what ultimates are available, and make concise suggestions based on that information. If you're still alive, knowing where to place smokes, when to rotate across the map and when to pop ultimate abilities can be just as crucial to victory as landing headshots.