It has been four years since Riot introduced Valorant as a new contender in the competitive shooter space on PC, and now, the company is finally ready to bring the popular game to consoles. At the Summer Game Fest showcase today, Riot announced the free-to-play team-based shooter for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. A beta is kicking off next week.
The tactical FPS that rewards precise gunplay and clever use of unique abilities is coming to consoles in beta form first. Riot says it wants to use a "limited beta" to let test out the title with a wider audience and also let incoming fresh console players get used to how the game"s maps, modes, playable characters (Agents), special abilities, and weapons work in the grand scheme of things.
The beta will kick off on June 14 and will continue through July, letting invited players try out various maps, modes, and as well as any combination of customs. While new players only have a small selection of Agents to choose from, Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have the full roster unlocked from the start, much like on PC.
Here"s the schedule for what Riot has planned for console players joining the beta:
- Unrated, Swiftplay, Deathmatch:
- June 14: Ascent, Bind, Haven, Abyss
- June 25: Sunset
- July 9: Lotus
- July 23: Icebox
- TDM
- All TDM Maps
- Customs
- All Maps available on PC
Registrations for the Valorant Console Limited Beta can be found here. Keep in mind though that Riot says only players residing in USA, Canada, parts of Europe, and Japan will be able to sign up and participate in the beta at the start, with more regions being added later. A full release date for all audiences has not been announced yet.
The console version of Valorant will feature crossplay between Xbox and PlayStation platforms, but PC players will remain in a separate queue. "We believe strongly in competitive integrity, and this is the best way for us to keep the experience fair and consistent for players on both console and PC," says the company about this decision.
However, returning players can use the same Riot account they used for the game on PC, letting them carry over all earned or purchased items like the battlepass, Agents, and skins with complete cross-progression. An FAQ covering the console version of the shooter can be found here.