Valorant Celebrates 5 Years of Dominating Esports and Growing Its Community

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The game called Valorant generated a lot of buzz as soon as it was announced. This first-person tactical shooter came out for PC on June 2, 2020. Given that games from its developers and publishers, Riot Games, have massive fan bases, it was expected that Valorant would be successful no matter when it was released. However, what made Valorant particularly noteworthy was that it was launched during the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similar to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Valorant served as a comforting distraction for many gamers during those uncertain times.

However, it’s widely debated that the greatest mark Valorant has left in its five-year timeline is within the esports community. Riot Games paved the way for Valorant in the competitive gaming scene right from the start by organizing the First Strike tournament in 2020. This inaugural tournament established Valorant‘s presence in esports, propelling it to become one of the most prominent games in its genre.

Valorant Dominates ESports

The First Strike competition marked the start of Valorant’s competitive gaming scene, yet it’s the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) that most gamers link with the shooter game. Interestingly, VCT was introduced just five months following Valorant’s debut. This year-long tournament series is structured into three tiers: Champion, Masters, and Challengers. Each tier is geographically divided, with Champions serving as the world championship for VCT, Masters hosting a mid-season series of international competitions, and Challengers determining who will advance to Masters through regional tournaments. This competition system was active during the Open-qualifiers period from 2021-22.

In a shift to a collaboration model, Valorant now works with thirty franchised teams in tandem with the game. The Champions and Masters competitions have largely remained the same in this partnership era, but a fresh set of International Leagues serve as qualifiers for both Masters and Champions. These leagues are divided into four regions: Americas, China, Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Asia-Pacific. A non-partner system for Valorant still exists where the Challengers tier plays its role. Ascension follows the same four-tiered structure as the International Leagues, serving as a qualifier for these competitions.

Apart from the competitive scene, Valorant has made its mark in various other gaming arenas as well. In addition to professional teams, recreational and college squads have been established around this Riot Games shooter. Furthermore, Valorant introduced a Premier mode with a global launch in 2024, enabling players to create their own teams and hone their competitive skills, aiming to nurture aspiring professional gamers. While other popular shooters like Marvel Rivals may be prevalent, Valorant has achieved significant success in streaming and content creation. The success of Valorant’s esports scene appears to have synergized with its content creation, as many professional Valorant players also produce content on platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Twitch alongside their professional play.

How Valorant Has Grown and is Celebrating its 5th Anniversary

Without a doubt, the continued success of Valorant as a game can be attributed to the constant addition of new content for players to explore. At launch, Valorant‘s lineup consisted of eleven agents and four standard play maps. Since then, that number has grown significantly, with twenty-eight agents and eleven standard play maps now available. The game’s narrative has also expanded, with hints about the connections between Valorant’s Alpha and Omega Earths hidden in the game’s battle passes and maps for players to discover.

To commemorate its fifth anniversary, Valorant is hosting celebrations at various Riot Play Clubs across the UK, Ireland, Finland, Norway, and Stockholm Comic Con. In addition to these in-person events, players can expect a host of enjoyable in-game treats. Some of these rewards are included for free in the VAL5 Event Pass and even pay tribute to earlier cards and sprays. The Beta Bundle, which contains weapons that were available during Valorant‘s beta in April 2020, is among the shop items on offer. However, there are significant updates coming to the game as well, such as a new map set to join Valorant‘s competitive rotation at launch. Riot Games has also announced that a replay system will be introduced in v.11.06 this September for PC and later this year for consoles. It seems that Riot Games is committed to growing the esports side of Valorant, but the planned updates in Patch 10.10 demonstrate that, with player feedback, Valorant could thrive for another five years.

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2025-06-02 18:44