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Valorant Esports & Game OverviewThe famous free-to-play first-person hero shooter by Riot Games
Valorant is Riot Games’ rising FPS supertitle set at competing with both Overwatch and CS:GO. Released in 2020, this game now serves 14.9 million concurrent players, and is quickly becoming one of the top esports titles on the market.
Stylistically, Valorant draws inspiration from both CS:GO and Overwatch, and as such is a natural choice for fans of both games. The game rewards both precise gunplay and creativity in movement and execution, in the most refined of styles.
Valorant is a completely online multiplayer experience, with the entirety of gameplay happening on live servers. The only way to play this game alone is in practice mode shooting at static targets. Everything else happens against real opponents in real time.
Valorant Gameplay & Game ModesEverything you need to know about the game
Valorant is a team-based first-person shooter. Players choose from a selection of characters called Agents and engage in bomb defusal scenario matches. On top of being a typical shooterama, Valorant Agents have unique abilities that enable them to navigate the map and control choke points for competitive advantage. The game has the usual assortment of weapons for player to choose from ranging from pistols to heavy machine guns.
The standard bomb defusal match is based on 25 round matches (or first to 13), similar to how old competitive Counter-Strike 1.6 was. In terms of gameplay the Valorant game reminds eerily of both old and new Counter Strike in terms of recoil patterns, map design and play style. It also does relate heavily to Overwatch in the ability set-up and the way abilities are utilized in a match.
Most of the current gameplay revolves around ranked play. Valorant Ranks have been added recently, and more then 80% of the players are competing in a ranked play.
Valorant Maps
Valorant currently features seven competitive maps. All of them are bomb (Spike) defusal scenarios and stylistically follow the same design mentality. Players fight over entry points by peeking around corners, hiding behind boxes and utilizing the map layout to best their opponents.
Bind is set up to be what Dust is for Counter-Strike. It is aimed as the default map everybody knows and loves. It features a double bomb site and middle-eastern setting style design. The attacker side comes from the towns outskirts into one of two bombsites while the defenders try to stop em. What is special about Bind is the placement of two teleporters on the map. Once entering a teleporter you instantly get beamed over to the other part of the map. This makes bind a heavy rotational map where players need to set up their defenses accurately and respond to in-game events quickly.
Haven is the most radical of the three maps in Valorant. Instead of the usual two bomb sites players are used to, Haven has three. This usually means most defensive scenarios or opening duels happen in a 1v1 or 1vTeam situations. While rotational pathways are short between the three sites it still a taxing endeavor to keep an eye on all entry points at once. While there is the opportunity to push many areas on the map as an attacker, the map is set up to favor defenders positionally. Most defender areas are from elevated positions or between bomb sites featuring large amounts of clutter and boxes they can peek from. In our opinion, Haven is the best designed map out of the three currently available.
Split is the most straightforward out of the three maps currently available in Valorant. It features two bomb sites and a total of three entry points between them at Site A, Site B and Middle. Design wise it’s the most unbalanced map in regards to defender > attacker advantage. Defenders can easily control the three entry points with enough utility to hold out an assault. Rotations between defender sites are short and safe to execute. From the attacker perspective the map revolves heavily around controlling the middle area of the map in order to cut rotations and navigate forward easily.
Set in an Italian, Venice type scenery, Ascent is one of the most balanced maps in Valorant. With four entry and defence points, both teams have equal footing when attacking or defending. Creative wall-bangs and unique ability placements are key to winning rounds on this map. From both an attacker and defender perspective, Ascent is all about controlling the middle point of the map (Garden). Whichever team holds this area will likely win the round.
Set in an icy arctic landscape, Icebox was the first map to heavily utilize vertical and horizontal ziplines, and ample multilevel viewpoints. With only three main entry/defence points, the map heavily favours fast and explosive gameplay.
The tropical paradise of Breeze is the perfect map for both attackers and defenders. With just enough entry points to cover both rosters, individual prowess and fast rotations are key to dominating a half. Long range shots and pin-point accuracy are key. In terms of design, the map utilizes elements from every previous map on the roster.
The newest map in the Valorant lineup is Fracture. The “H” shaped map puts the defenders in the middle of the map having to defend 4 different areas of entry at the same time. Vertical ziplines down the middle give attackers the option of hitting multiple sites at once and quickly rotate around. Defends have the benefit of having each entry point as a narrow corridor to funnel the attackers. Coordination is key on this map.
Valorant EsportsThe last arrived but (definitely) not the least
The Valorant esports scene is currently under heavy development. Riot Games has quickly pledged they would like Valorant esports to grow organically and utilize third-party event organizers in unison with their own events.
Early on, the developer got in touch with esports organizations, to have them prepare for the competitive ecosystem ahead of time. Esports athletes from all titles have already committed to going pro in Valorant. Overwatch pros switching to Valorant specifically has become a trend.
Currently, most competition revolves around the Valorant Champions Tour and show match events. We are yet to see a franchised system be developed for this title.
Valorant betting is gaining momentumYou should keep an eye on it
When talking about placing wagers, Valorant draws on previous experiences and betting markets established in CS:GO. The familiarity in competitive structure between the titles, makes transitioning Valorant markets into odds a breeze. Since 2021, most esports bookmakers feature Valorant in their repertoire for both amateur and professional competitive matches.
Fantasy Valorant still has ways to go, but Valorant betting is already fully established in the scene. Check with your favorite site if they cover this up and coming esport.
Our experience in ValorantA word from the experts
We played Valorant ever since the beta kicked off. Some of our authors are ranked Radiant, while others are hard stack Silvers. However, everyone is still playing competitively on the Ranked Ladder. Learning the game is fun, and playing it brings a lot of nostalgia feelings about the olden Counter Strike days. We encountered zero cheaters so far, probably because Riot Vanguard is doing its job.
Based on our assessment, Valorant will likely become a premier esports title within this year or definitely next year. If you are a fan of FPS titles, specifically CS:GO or Overwatch you should definitely give Valorant a try. Valorant betting is already becoming a booming market.
