Riot Games will port its first-person shooter VALORANT into a mobile version, with Southeast Asia (SEA) to have “the priority” to test the gameplay.
One year after the initial public release of VALORANT, Riot Games is set to expand the title to the mobile platform. There is still little information available regarding the mobile version of the game, but Riot says that it is “preparing to expand the franchise in order to bring VALORANT to more players around the world.”
“One of our top goals this first year was to earn the trust and respect of the global FPS community, and to prove to them that VALORANT will always uphold the fundamentals of a truly worthwhile competitive tac-shooter,” said VALORANT executive producer Anna Donlon.
ALSO READ: How to Download VALORANT PBE Test Server – Client, Requirements, FAQ
“To see our growing player community recognize and appreciate what we’re trying to do with VALORANT is beyond what we could’ve expected and we’re thrilled to soon offer the same competitive VALORANT experience to even more global players.”
Riot has taken a similar approach with Wild Rift, a League of Legends mobile spinoff game. Overall, the Wild Rift esports scene is thriving, especially in the Southeast Asian region, with many major organizations joining the bandwagon, including EVOS Esports, Team Secret, Alliance, and others. Riot Games’ commitment to growing the Southeast Asian mobile gaming industry has been apparent through the Summer Season of the SEA Icon Series and the 2021 Summer Super Cup for Wild Rift.
At the time of publication, Wild Rift has awarded a total of US$1,531,773 prize money since its initial release in October 2020.
Early Stages of Development
Riot Games’ tactical first-person shooter is coming to mobile devices soon, according to the game’s executive producer Anna Donlon in an interview with Polygon. Riot Games Global Influencer Programs Lead Ali Miller backed up Donlon’s statements with a tweet, dismissing speculations and leaks regarding the game’s mobile version.
VALORANT Mobile is still in its early phases of development. Riot Games intends to provide gamers with a different dynamic than VALORANT PC, rather than just a simple port of the FPS game’s to a mobile version.
Southeast Asia as VALORANT Mobile’s first market
Riot Games General Manager Justin Hulog discussed the likelihood of the mobile version of VALORANT coming to Southeast Asia (SEA) in an interview with ONE Esports.
“In many ways, it does make sense to potentially go out in Southeast Asia first,” said Hulog. “But there are also unique challenges and very high expectations for how a game should perform on mobile. That could mean that we may look at other regions that are less demanding first.”
“VALORANT Mobile is going to have a really big focus in Southeast Asia just because of the fact that it is a mobile-first region,” continued Hulog, citing the advantages of a later release. “But whether it comes first is a question that we need to weigh. One of the nice things about not going first is that it gives us time to work out the bugs.”
For more insights on the Asian VALORANT scene and upcoming content like this, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. Don’t forget to follow VALO2ASIA on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
