What Mobile Valorant Means For The Game's Future
"Valorant" is a game that is reminiscent of "Overwatch," and if you're a fan of the latter but haven't played the former, it's time to give it a go. Not a big PC gamer? How about mobile games? If you're into gaming on your mobile device and haven't yet played "Valorant," you may soon run out of excuses.
Writing for Polygon, Austen Goslin sat down with Anna Donlon, who is the Executive Producer of "Valorant," to discuss what the mobile port means for the future of the game. In their conversation, Donlon explained that the team was dedicated to creating an experience that caters to mobile gamers without sacrificing the integrity of the original game. She explained that they weren't going to make this port unless they knew it would work on handheld devices.
If you're a "Valorant" fan who is skeptical of how well it will translate to a mobile device, it may be reassuring to know that the devs at Riot are only creating this version because they are confident it will work well. Both the original PC game and mobile port will be two separate entities, meaning they won't be cross-play compatible, at least for the time being.
'Valorant' is tapping into a new market
It may be too soon to tell whether "Valorant" will be one of the best Android games or best iOS games of 2021, (there's no confirmed release date, and from the interview, it sounds unlikely you'll see the port this year), however, this could help the tactical shooter tap into a whole new market. From Donlon's description, it sounds like Riot is taking the right approach to converting the game. If the developers are truly handling the port with this much care, fans can likely look forward to a quality version of "Valorant" that can be played on the go. Perhaps if more developers follow the same approach, gamers will see a whole new evolution in mobile gaming.
For the time being, it looks as though fans will be able to continue enjoying the PC game they love after the mobile version is launched without any significant changes. There will be reasons to play both, and on top of that, Riot is planning to bring "Valorant" to consoles. Last year, Pokimane predicted that "Valorant" would kill "Overwatch," and if the game does continue to spread to other platforms, perhaps her prediction will come true.
Keep an eye out for more news related to "Valorant" mobile and possible developments on the console ports as well.