Valorant is available free now on Xbox and PS5 consoles after shadow drop-Adam Starkey-Entertainment – Metro

Valorant is open to console players (Riot Games)

Following a beta last week, Riot’s first person hero shooter has officially launched on consoles, albeit without crossplay support with the PC version.

Valorant has become one of Riot’s biggest success stories in recent years, taking inspiration from both Counter-Strike and Overwatch.

The free-to-play first person hero shooter launched on PC back in 2020, and has since grown in popularity in esports circles, thanks to the Valorant Champions Tour.

Riot previously announced it was looking to expand the player base with console versions, and following an open beta last month, the company has now shadow-dropped the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S versions without warning.

Valorant is available now on consoles in North America, Europe, Japan, and Brazil, with all updates from here on out being released simultaneously across the console and PC versions.

To maintain the game’s competitive integrity, however, there will not be crossplay support between the console and PC versions.

Speaking about the launch, Anar Gylfason, production director on Valorant, said: ‘We’ve received so much valuable feedback from players during Limited Beta, and feel confident to deliver on our gameplay promise for console players.

‘Whether it’s hitting that perfect shot, executing a flawless team play, or wiping out the enemy team, we look forward to seeing console players experience the same gameplay thrill as Valorant PC players.’

Valorant’s transition to consoles has come with some tweaks and additions to make it more suited to a controller. The biggest new feature is focus, which is a new shooting mode akin to an aim assist which aids players when it comes to shooting from the hip.

This means players can jump between hip-fire when they need to prioritise speed or dodging, and focus which reduces sensitivity during hip aiming and allows for a greater deal of precision – to bring it closer to the PC version.

Beyond the console versions, Riot is also working on a mobile version of Valorant, although a release date has yet to be announced.

Valorant is closer to Counter-Strike than Overwatch (Riot Games)

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