Cheating — and the anti-cheat systems game developers create to protect players from it — is always a hot topic in the PC gaming space, and is particularly relevant to highly competitive PvP shooter games like Counter-Strike or Valorant. The latter is actually going through a pretty sizable commotion right now that's centered around its anti-cheat, ignited by a controversial post from Riot Games, the studio behind it.

On Tuesday, Valorant players began to report that an update to Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat software was preventing DMA firmwares — specially made pieces of hacking hardware that connect to your PC and bypass kernel-level anti-cheat solutions — from working properly.

Even when the free-to-play tactical shooter isn't running or Vanguard is removed from your system, the firmwares no longer work; the only way to make them functional on your PC again is to fully reinstall Windows or whatever other operating system you're using.

You might be thinking, "What's the problem?" Well, Vanguard's new effectiveness against DMA cards might have been celebrated by the Valorant community, were it not for Riot making quite a bold statement: "Congrats to the owners of a brand new $6k paperweight."

That was posted to X (Twitter) along with a photo of dozens of DMA firmware cards strewn about an office, and many took the post to mean that Riot's anti-cheat system is actually bricking the PCs people are using while trying to hack in Valorant, making them unusable. And as you can imagine...that didn't go over well. Not at all.

The misunderstanding of the post spread like wildfire and stirred up a colossal uproar, driving Riot to clarify things in detail in a lengthy follow-up post. "Well, that escalated quickly," the developer wrote. "There’s been a wave of claims by cheaters about Vanguard 'bricking' their PCs, so let’s clear that up: Vanguard does not damage hardware or disable your devices."

The studio went on to explain that Vanguard hooks into your PC's Input-Output Memory Management Unit (IOMMU) security feature to detect and counter devices like DMA cards, preventing them from working while IOMMU protections are enabled. Disabling them will make the firmware devices work again — but since Valorant and other Riot games require them, you won't be able to use them in those titles.

"This means the cheat device won’t work with our games, but your PC isn’t 'bricked.' We would not, and cannot, impact your PC’s functionality in any other fashion," Riot said. "This functionality only applies to systems attempting to use DMA cheat devices, and players who are not using DMA-based cheat setups are not affected."

Ultimately, that clears things up pretty clearly, though some still argue that Vanguard's protections are overreaching here, and shouldn't affect a piece of hardware that someone buys. Others, however, feel they're appropriate since that hardware is being used to breach Valorant's Terms of Service. Some have also expressed concerns about potential issues with false positives with the anti-cheat.

It's an undeniably murky topic, and one around which debates will surely rage on ad infinitum. But at the very least, I'm glad Riot took the time to clarify to people that Vanguard isn't bricking the PCs of Valorant players.

What are your thoughts on Valorant's Vanguard anti-cheat, and the fact it prevents DMA cards from working without disabling IOMMU or reinstalling the OS? Let me know below.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.

I've been a little busy working through the gaming backlog and, well, working, to spin it up in a while, but one of my favorite competitive multiplayer shooters is VALORANT. So, when I learned that HP was making a limited-edition VALORANT PC, I leapt at the chance to be among the first to get their hands on it.

This is the HP OMEN 35L VALORANT Limited Edition, a pre-built tower based off the HP OMEN 35L (2024) I reviewed and praised. It's the introductory fanfare for the OMEN 35L Stealth Edition coming later this year as the official PC for Riot Games' VALORANT and League of Legends esports tournaments.

Yes, I have the OMEN 35L VALORANT Edition on my desk, and I'm honestly impressed by all the detail in this design throughout the case and internal components. This isn't some unobtainable showpiece, either — the HP OMEN 35L VALORANT Limited Edition is now available for preorder for $1,829.99 at BestBuy.com, and you can even configure your own from $1,672 at HP.com.

A capable pre-built tower with an even sleeker design

To the surprise of absolutely no one, this desktop is based off the standard HP OMEN 35L, and that's a good thing. It's one of the better pre-built towers for gamers and creators, with a beautiful design, excellent performance, and a wide range of available configurations.

Being a limited-edition variant, though, this OMEN 35L makes some notable changes to the design. I'm honestly surprised by how in-depth this collaboration is, because few elements seem to remain untouched.

The matte black case is marked by various red accents and details, and the glass side panel is adorned with various etched symbols. There's also a new glass front panel, with a tasteful gap behind it to allow for airflow. Even the internal components enjoyed the VALORANT treatment, with color-matched elements and subtle details throughout.

HP and Riot Games also include a magnetic VALORANT Gun Buddy accessory in the box, which can attach to any of the metal panels of the OMEN 35L... or anywhere else you want, honestly. No one is going to buy this PC just for this little accessory, but it's still a fun addition.

A lot of licensed limited editions would only ever appeal to hardcore fans of that franchise, but this PC looks great even if you're not a VALORANT fan. It also helps that there's a really capable desktop at the center of it all, although this OMEN 35L is far from the most powerful you can actually buy.

It's powered by an Intel Core i7-14700F, up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (16GB), up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM, and up to 4TB of PCIe Gen4 SSD storage. It may not be the cutting edge on every front, but that's more than enough power to compete with the best in VALORANT.

The configuration that I think will appeal to most people is the one offered for $1,829.99 at BestBuy.com, with an RTX 5060 Ti (16GB), 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage under the hood.

HP and VALORANT are going hand-in-hand from now on

The VALORANT Edition is obviously the news of the day, but HP previously announced an OMEN 35L Stealth Edition that's coming in the near future. Riot Games chose HP as its partner for its esports tournaments, and it's the sleek, matte black Stealth Edition that professional VALORANT players will be using to compete with each other.

I'm planning to review that Stealth Edition, and I'm probably more excited than I should be for it, but I also didn't expect HP to release a separate VALORANT Edition targeting hardcore fans outside of esports tournaments. The former is meant to blend into the background, so everyone focuses on the match, but the latter is perfectly over-the-top and just as capable.

HP isn't gatekeeping either version, though. You can actually preorder the HP OMEN 35L Stealth Edition for $2,589.99 at HP.com right now, and the fact the VALORANT Limited Edition is available at HP and Best Buy in multiple configurations reassures me stock isn't too limited (but you probably shouldn't wait too long, regardless).

It's tiring to see one-of-one special edition PCs that no normal person will ever be able to have, so it's refreshing to see HP put in the work to make a proper limited-edition design and offer it to the masses. The HP OMEN 35L VALORANT Limited Edition honestly does look awesome, too; it's a little on the pricey side, but it is a custom licensed design, so I expected as much.

As 2025 gets underway, one of Riot Games' big titles is getting a bit of a shake-up.

Tejo is the latest agent being added to Valorant, Riot's 5v5 free-to-play competitive shooter. With new abilities that focus on map domination through slow-moving but deadly ordnance, Tejo is a big threat to any players that aren't quick on their feet.

I recently had the chance to briefly go hands-on with Tejo, as well as experiencing what it's like to be on the receiving end of his kit for a few matches. Overall, he's an extremely fun addition to the game, and I strongly suspect he'll be seriously reshuffling previously-favored team compositions for the year.

Move or die, Agents

While most of his abilities are of the pyrotechnic kind, Tejo is also equipped with a stealth drone that's perfect for getting intel at the start of a round, enabling your team to quickly locate any enemies bearing down on your location or hiding around a corner.

Meanwhile, his bouncing sticky grenade and Guided Salvo abilities remain dangerous all throughout a round. The latter is particularly nasty to deal with, as the wide damage radius means it's extremely easy to get hemmed-in if you aren't being careful.

Across several matches, this ability killed me and my teammates numerous times, and while it takes a moment to actually use, the damage output is well worth it. Even this early on I've seen some really clever plays using the Guided Salvo that determined the course of the round, and I'm curious what other clever ways players will find to utilize it.

Tejo's Ultimate ability, Armageddon, continues this destructive trend, calling down a rolling barrage across a portion of the map. The slow-motion of the bombing run is fairly easy to escape if I ran to the side, but whenever I was unlucky enough to get caught in the middle of a narrow street, death was almost certain. Even if players are fast enough to escape, I can see this Ultimate being perfect for denying critical pathways, buying teammates precious seconds when planting or disarming a spike.

I'm also pretty curious to see how different team compositions will be able to counter Tejo's abilities. A few matches is hardly enough insight to judge a full season, but no matter what, it's clear the next few months should prove interesting for Valorant, whether you're a casual player or deep in the competitive scene.

Fortunately, you don't have to wait. You can check Tejo out for yourself now that's he's been added into Valorant. You can pay to unlock him with Valorant Points, but it's important to remember that like all Agents, he's instantly available to play day one for anyone that's subscribed to Xbox Game Pass.

Valorant is currently available as a free-to-play game on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5. The console versions feature cross-play.

What you need to know

• Epic Games is launching a new first-person mode titled, Fortnite Ballistic.
• Launching in early access on December 11 with Ranked + Unranked gameplay.
• Ballistic is a round-based 5v5 competitive game mode with a performance-driven economy like Counter-Strike.
• So far it seems to be Counter-Strike made in Fortnite.

Fortnite's history is crazy. It was formed as a concept within Epic Games during an internal Game Jam in 2011. Cliff Bleszinski, who resigned from the company over a decade ago, was the lead developer at the time. Not only that, but it started out as a base defense game! Does anyone even remember that?

Since the initial launch of its genre-defining battle royale mode, Fortnite has continued to iterate over the years with new maps, modes, and a unique tool called Fortnite Experiences. Launching in 2023, Experiences allowed players to assemble completely new ventures using Unreal Engine 5 and Fortnite assets. The move turned what was once a base defense game into Epic Games version of Roblox. Now, Epic has added another layer in hopes to compete with other genres.

Revealed today, Epic Games has announced Fortnite Ballistic—the Unreal Engine version of Counter-Strike. That's a long route from where it initially started, and frankly, I could not be more fascinated by the idea. While Fortnite has had first-person mode since the beginning, it's never been a helpful feature, nor has it ever been worked on since its release.

Here's a quick, too-long-didn't-read of what Ballistic will entail.

• Launching in early access on December 11 with Ranked + Unranked.
• Ballistic is a round-based 5v5 competitive game mode.
• It will launch with a single map, Skyline 10
• It will feature a starting set of weapons and a limited number of items for players to use.
• Ballistic will have a Counter-Strike-like player economy.

It looks as though Ballistic is using the blueprint Counter-Strike has heralded for over twenty years for Fortnite. With round-based matches, no respawning between rounds, and a performance-based economy, Steam may have another free-to-play contender looking to pinch some of its market share.

"In Ballistic, players are sorted into two teams at the start of the match: attackers and defenders. Attackers aim to plant a reality-tearing Rift Point Device at one of two sites on the map, while defenders do their best to thwart the device from being planted and detonated.

There are no respawns in Ballistic — a round is over if the Rift Point Device explodes, or either team is fully eliminated. After 6 rounds, players will swap sides, giving defenders a chance to be attackers and vice-versa. The game is over when either team has won 7 rounds total!"

Moreover, players will earn currency that they can spend on weapons and items depending on how well they and their team perform. "You'll start the game with a Ranger Pistol and 800 Credits. In Ballistic, Credits can be earned from scoring eliminations and planting the Rift Point Device, and spent within a match at the beginning of every round on additional items and weapons to bolster your chances of success."

All in all, I don't see anything here that sets itself apart from Counter-Strike. While other games that look to take on the market leader, like Valorant, attempt to separate themselves by adding unique hero abilities. What sets Fortnite's Ballistic mode apart from the competition outside of Fortnite skins is yet to be seen, but be sure, I and I'm sure millions of others will be keeping an eye out.

Are you excited to try out Fortnite Ballistic? Let us know in the comments below or on social media. I'll be sure to cover the mode once it launches and give everyone my initial thoughts as a Counter-Strike player with over 2,000 logged hours. Until next time, game on!

What you need to know

• Valorant Studios head Anna Donlon took the stage at Unreal Fest 2024 in Seattle to announce the competitive shooter is moving from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5.
• Donlon also teased "totally hypothetical new playable experiences" for Valorant as part of the announcement.
• The switch to UE5 is not expected to change Valorant's visuals or performance at first dramatically. Still, Donlon describes the switch as necessary for the game's future despite the difficulty of changing a live service game's engine.

Among the speakers to take the stage during the opening session of Unreal Fest Seattle 2024 was Anna Donlon, the SVP and studio head of Valorant. Donlon announced that the developers at Riot Games are porting the competitive, live-service first-person shooter to Unreal Engine 5 and teased additional Valorant projects.

Valorant, a hyper-competitive, tactical 5v5 shooter, is not known for being a "graphics-forward" game, which Donlan acknowledges during her presentation. "We wanted our game to be truly global," said Donlan, "One that not only reflects and celebrates our global communities but also supports them by running on machine specs that sometimes feel downright uncomfortable."  Donlan attributes Unreal Engine with providing a foundation that was adaptable and flexible, providing developers the freedom to focus on innovation as opposed to focusing on the game's engine. She goes so far as to say that without Unreal Engine, Valorant couldn't exist.

Donlan also shares that Valorant is currently running on Unreal Engine version 4.27. "We have squeezed literally every ounce of everything we could get out of UE4, so now we make the move to UE5," said Donlan. Despite the leap in engine technology, the new upgrade is not expected to mark any dramatic shift in Valorant's visual fidelity or overall performance, so much as it is expected to provide a foundation for future projects.

"Maybe those devs are working on something I can't talk about," said Donlan, "Maybe those devs are thinking about ways to expand the Val universe into new playable experiences. Maybe we feel very fortunate to have everything UE5 can offer at our disposal."

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Valorant was, first and foremost, designed as a PC game but launched on Xbox and PlayStation earlier this year. "FPS on console? Sure. But a tactical shooter on a console? Especially one that's trying to deliver the gameplay experience that we are? We really couldn't wrap our heads around it," said Donlan. Donlan adds that if Valorant had been developed on a PC-first proprietary game engine, the console ports may not have happened, as Riot had never launched a live-service title on console. 

According to Donlon, Unreal Engine's support for multiple platforms provided features like rendering implementations and platform native input handling on a readily optimized engine. These features gave the development team the ability to focus on core gameplay mechanics, anti-cheat, and other elements of Valorant rather than focusing on the porting process. 

"Millions of players are playing Val on console now, and we owe a huge part of that to our relationship with Unreal," Donlan revealed. Valorant currently has 35 million players across all platforms.

What you need to know

• VALORANT's Episode 9: Act II is set to kick off on Aug. 28 with a new Battle Pass and more cosmetics.
• It's also debuting the latest addition to the VALORANT Agent line-up following Clove, finally adding a new Sentinel to the roster.
• Vyse is all about isolation and manipulation, and utilizes various liquid metal powers to control her opponents.
• This includes setting various traps and even jamming the primary weapons of the enemy team, which could be a very powerful tool.

It's almost time for a new VALORANT era to begin, resetting the rankings once again and debuting a new Battle Pass for players to grind through. Episode 9: Act II kicks off on Aug. 28, and we now have our first information on one of the biggest new additions coming with this update. That's right, the VALORANT Agent roster is about to get a little larger.

Riot Games has officially revealed Vyse, a cunning new Agent that specializes in isolating and manipulating her opponents. Finally, another new Sentinel is joining the fray, helping even out the various roles. There may be more information about the update's Battle Pass and potential new cosmetics coming out in the future, but for now we can at least fawn over Vyse.

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Liquid metal traps to trap and control your foes

Vyse will be the sixth Sentinel in the VALORANT roster, and is the latest new Agent since the undead Controller Clove was added during Episode 8. The last Sentinel added to the game was Deadlock, who specialized in preventing enemy ingress from happening in the first place. Vyse, on the other hand, is an expert at manipulating enemies after they've entered a site.

Here are the abilities Vyse will have at her disposal.

• Arc Rose. Vyse's default ability will allow her to equip a metallic projectile. She can fire the Arc Rose onto a surface (where it will be hidden from view), or she can alt fire in order to shoot the Arc Rose through the surface and onto the other side. Firing the Arc Rose again will blind all players looking at it. Vyse can pick up the Arc Rose to resuse it.
• Shear. The first of Vyse's optional, purchasable abilities, Shear sees Vyse fire an invisible filament of liquid metal onto the ground. When enemies cross the trap, it springs into action, becoming a temporary, indestructible wall blocking their retreat.
• Razorvine. The second of Vyse's purchasable abilities, Razorvine is another hidden ground trap. However, this nest of liquid metal explodes into a large bramble of razor-sharp wire, slowing and damaging all players that pass through it.
• Steel Garden. Vyse's Ultimate Ability is unlike any other in the game, in which Vyse unleashes a torrent of liquid metal thorns that tear through an area after a brief wind-up. All enemies caught in its path will have their primary weapons temporarily jammed and disabled.

Vyse looks awesome, with her grey and purple color scheme and robotic helmet, but her unique kit of abilities also presents some interesting new additions to the VALORANT meta. She's another Sentinel with a selection of stealthy traps, letting her set up at sites without drawing enemy attention. Her ability to also block enemies from retreating in addition to slowing, damaging, and blinding is fascinating.

Of course, her headlining ability is being able actually disable primary weapons entirely. Forcing your enemies to rely entirely on their secondaries and abilities, even if only for a limited time, can massively influence the flow of a round. I'm excited to see how players use Vyse and whether she can find a regular place in the meta that other Sentinels have sometimes struggled to maintain.

Vyse will be available in VALORANT on Aug. 28, 2024 as part of Episode 9: Act II, presumably launching alongside a new themed Battle Pass. Players will be able to unlock Vyse in-game simply by playing (there will likely be a Vyse-specific challenge to unlock her more easily this Act), but Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Windows PC and Xbox consoles will instantly have access to Vyse as part of their subscription.

In case you missed it, VALORANT has officially launched in full on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, instantly making it one of the best Xbox games for shooter fans. Xbox Game Pass subscribers enjoy additional perks like increased Battle Pass XP and instant access to every single Agent.

What you need to know

• Weeks after the release of the VALORANT closed console beta and the opening of that beta one week ago, the game has now officially been launched on Xbox Series X|S and PS5.
• The competitive 5v5 shooter is one of the most popular in the world, and its release on console has been long awaited by Xbox and PlayStation fans.
• There's no crossplay between console and PC, but Xbox and PlayStation players can play the game together. There is cross-progression, so purchased and earned cosmetics as well as XP progress will carry over between all platforms.
• Xbox Game Pass users get some exclusive VALORANT benefits, including access to all Agents, a 20% XP boost to progression, and a 10% discount on VALORANT Points (the shooter's in-game currency).

Weeks after Riot Games' popular competitive title VALORANT came to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 in closed beta and just one week after that beta was opened to all players, the free-to-play 5v5 hero shooter has now been fully released on consoles. This port is now available to console players in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Brazil, and is nearly identical to the PC version that's been a worldwide hit since its release in summer 2020. Riot announced the news with a new cinematic trailer you can watch below (or with the hyperlink).

Something important to note is that VALORANT on console does not support crossplay with the PC version of the game, though Xbox and PlayStation players can queue and match together. This has been done to ensure the integrity of the shooter's competitive nature in both versions; both controller and mouse and keyboard have some unique advantages and disadvantages, so mixed input play would add bumps to an otherwise even playing field. This is also why VALORANT on PC has not gotten controller support.

VALORANT does support cross-progression, however, so as long as you're using the same account on both platforms, any skins and XP you earn in one version of the game will carry over to the other. Riot has also confirmed that PC and console players will get access to all future patches, Agent releases, and cosmetics at the same time.

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In case you're wondering, VALORANT's console edition features all the same Agents, abilities, and weapons that you'll find in the PC one, though notably, it's gotten some small adjustments to make the game more enjoyable to play on console. For more on how the experience feels to play, check out our VALORANT hands-on Xbox beta preview.

Also, as part of a wider partnership between Microsoft and Riot Games that began in 2022, Xbox Game Pass players have access to some exclusive perks and benefits. These include access to all of VALORANT's current Agents, guaranteed access to all future Agents, a 20% XP boost (including for progress on Battle Passes and Events), and a 10% discount on all VALORANT Points purchases (this is VALORANT's in-game currency). These apply on both Xbox and PC (provided you're using the Microsoft Store version), through regular Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Overall, it's great to see VALORANT officially make it to console so soon after the arrival of its beta, though if you were already playing the game on Xbox or PS5, nothing has ultimately changed for you with this release. Still, it's good to know that new updates and content will now release on this version of the shooter as well as the PC one when it arrives.

VALORANT is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5 for free, and is one of the best Xbox games and best PC games to play if you're a fan of competitive shooters. With Xbox Game Pass, you'll get several noteworthy in-game benefits like access to all Agents, a big XP boost, and a 10% discount on VALORANT Points.

What you need to know

• VALORANT is a free-to-play, 5v5 competitive online shooter with a huge PC player base.
• The game now has an Xbox and PlayStation version, and the new console shooter has been in a closed beta.
• After weeks of testing, Riot Games has officially opened the doors, letting anyone join the VALORANT for Xbox beta.
• Xbox Game Pass subscribers also get additional benefits, like access to all present and future VALORANT Agents, Battle Pass XP boosts, and discounts on in-game currency.

One of the biggest surprises in gaming this year has been the arrival of PC-centric, competitive multiplayer shooter VALORANT on consoles. Riot Games shocked players with the reveal that, not only is VALORANT coming to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, it's also doing so with console-specific enhancements and features while supporting full cross-progression and content parity with PC. Now, more players can join the fun.

VALORANT for Xbox has been in a closed beta for weeks, but Riot Games is officially opening the gates to anyone who is interested. This is still a work-in-progress beta, but VALORANT is now available for free at Microsoft Store (Xbox), with nothing barring players from entry.

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It should be noted that nothing significant has actually changed about VALORANT for Xbox with this announcement, aside from the recent release of the VALORANT 9.01 patch update. Players just don't need an exclusive invite code to download and play VALORANT on Xbox and PlayStation anymore. More than that, Xbox Game Pass subscribers are getting the same exclusive benefits they do on PC... with one added bonus on Xbox.

For ages, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass subscribers have gained access to all present and future VALORANT agents in the free-to-play game, as well as a boost to XP earned toward the Battle Pass. These benefits now extend to console, too, with the added perk that players purchasing Valorant Points (a premium in-game currency used in the VALORANT game store) on Xbox can enjoy a 10% discount. Sweet.

If you want to learn more about VALORANT for Xbox and whether it's worth playing, you can check out my hands-on preview and first impressions. The quick version? VALORANT works surprisingly wonderful on a controller thanks to the smart, thoughtful changes Riot Games made. It's exciting that more players will be able to check it out now. We don't know yet when VALORANT will "officially" release on Xbox and PlayStation and exit the beta, but considering the level of polish and the total feature and content parity here, it doesn't actually matter much.

You can download VALORANT for Xbox  for free at Microsoft Store (Xbox) right now.

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VALORANT is one of my favorite first-person shooters, and there are plenty of ways to express yourself in-game with custom guns, gun charms, calling cards, player titles, and more. Decking your Agents out in flashy gear can be expensive, though, especially the super-premium weapons bundles.

That's less of a problem for me, though, since I happen to know a trick to save 20% on all VALORANT purchases... Just buy gift cards. For Amazon Prime Day, you can get a $50 VALORANT gift card for only $40 at Amazon. Or a $100 VALORANT gift card for just $80 at Amazon, or a — You get the point, it's a gift card that gives you in-game currency you can turn around and use on weapons, bundles, the Battle Pass, and whatever else. And you'll have saved 20% on all of it.

This is an Amazon Prime member exclusive deal, though, so be sure you're subscribed or start your 30-day trial for free at Amazon. It's also not going to last much longer with only a few hours left on the deal, so act fast.

Your free pass to 20% off everything in VALORANT

I love VALORANT, and I'll admit I've spent a fair bit of money in the game on individual weapon skins and Battle Passes. I've never purchased a full bundle, though, simply because they're often too rich for my blood. That being said, the new Evori Dreamwings bundle in VALORANT is honestly amazing, and I'd love to add it to my collection. Being able to get 20% off of it certainly helps me justify it.

It isn't just limited to the premium bundles, though. These are VALORANT gift cards, which directly translate to the equivalent amount of in-game currency (known as VALORANT Points). That means that once you redeem the gift cards, you'll be able to spend that that VP on literally any premium product available in VALORANT, including bundles, daily weapon offerings, the Night Market, and the current Battle Pass.

You don't have to spend it all at once, either! VP doesn't expire, so you can stockpile on discounted currency now and then wait until something that truly catches your eye arrives. A lot of people are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new RGX premium bundle in VALORANT, for example. Just pick up $100 of VALORANT Points for $80 at Amazon, and you'll be completely set!

It's a great deal, and well worth becoming an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of it. There are a few quick things you should know, though.

For one, you'll need to redeem the gift cards via the Riot Client on PC. I stress "redeem," because once they're added to your account it doesn't matter where you spend the VP or play the game, be it VALORANT on PC or the new VALORANT for Xbox and PlayStation. Cross-progression means all your account info, currency, and purchases sync across platforms! Finally, these gift cards are only good in the United States of America and Canada, so they can't be redeemed worldwide, unfortunately.

What is an Amazon Prime membership?

Amazon Prime is the subscription for the ultimate Amazon-savvy shopper. You can already save a lot of money just by shopping through Amazon, but the company's all-in-one subscription service shoves an absurd amount of value into one monthly or annual cost. An Amazon Prime membership includes a ton of perks and features, such as:

• Free one-day and two-day shipping on millions of items
• Exclusive deals and promotions, such as for the $100 Best Buy gift card
• Ad-free access to thousands of free movies, TV shows, music, podcasts, books, and magazines
• Unlimited full-resolution photo backup
• Free games, perks, channel subscriptions, and more with Prime Gaming at Twitch
• Savings on prescriptions at thousands of pharmacies
• Zero delivery fees, exclusive offers, and other discounts on food deliveries with GrubHub+

If you're interested in trying it out, you can get started with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime for free at Amazon, or explore paid plans starting as low as $6.99 a month (the standard pricing is $14.99 a month).

What you need to know

• Riot Games has released VALORANT 9.01 across all platforms, including Windows PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.
• There are plenty of bug fixes and optimizations included in this patch, including for the new Abyss map.
• Console players are also getting lots of attention, like recent Agent tweaks and some aim assist fixes.
• Finally, Riot has teased the upcoming RGX Bundle, a new premium weapon set featuring the Outlaw, Sherriff, and a new Karambit.

The VALORANT train never stops chugging along, and Riot Games has added more fuel to the engine. Patch update 9.01 is rolling out to players now, and while you shouldn't expect any new weapons, Agents, or maps in this minor release, there are still plenty of fixes, improvements, and changes. The update is releasing simultaneously across Windows PC and the new console version.

One notable new feature included in VALORANT 9.01 is the arrival of Pick 'Ems Beta, which will be a part of VALORANT Champions 2024. Specifically, it'll debut on July 26 alongside the impending Champions Seoul event. Pick 'Ems allows players to predict advancing teams during the Champions event, and can earn unique points for correctly guessing exact placements. When the Playoffs Stage arrives next patch, players can fill out full double elimination brackets for even more potential rewards.

Finally, VALORANT players can earn rewards just for playing, comparing themselves to the best esports players and creators. The highest performing players participating here can earn exclusive rewards. It's an interesting way to get more VALORANT players invested in the game's bustling esports community, and does technically avoid being "gambling" because you're betting for in-game points and rewards.

VALORANT Premier has fixed an issue preventing players in the IBIT zone from completing matches, and has rolled out some changes to grant additional points and ways to qualify for playoffs later on in the season. Of course, there are plenty of fixes beside the esports portion of VALORANT.

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New VALORANT fixes include removing a Neon exploit that allowed her to equip even faster than intended out of a slide, fixes for issues affecting certain settings not being properly applied in-game, and a ton of optimizations for the new Abyss map. Cypher's Spycam has had its spots cleaned up, Wingman is smarter at navigating Abyss to plant the Spike, player and ability collisions are less annoying, and more.

On console, players can now freely rebind Ability buttons, the recent Agent nerfs and buffs like Neon's slide re-equip speed being increased, Raze's Blast Pack horizontal force being decreased, and ISO's Double Tap duration being decreased are now applied to console, Lotus is returning to the map pool, and a multitude of issues affecting aim assist not being applied correctly with certainly abilities or being incorrectly applied with others have been fixed. Social features have also been improved, with superior visibility for party invites and party chat.

There are still some known issues, though, resulting in Surrender and Remake features being disabled. The Deathmatch game mode is also unavailable. Riot Games is still working on fixes for these features, so they'll be restored to console players soon.

Slightly separate from the VALORANT 9.01 patch update, Riot Games has also teased the next upcoming premium cosmetic bundle. The current weapons bundle in VALORANT is Evori Dreamwings, which has become extremely popular due to its unique animations and VFX. The next bundle is a little more modest, but still looks to be a great option for players. The new RGX Bundle includes an Outlaw, a Sheriff, and a brand-new Karambit, all decked out in dynamic RGB lighting that changes as you inspect, fire, reload, and more.

The VALORANT 9.01 patch update is now available, so you'll likely need to download the update before jumping into a new Ranked match. If you're curious about VALORANT on console, we have an in-depth VALORANT for Xbox FAQ that includes everything you need to know. I've been playing VALORANT on Xbox Series X, and I've been really impressed by how well this PC-centric competitive shooter has translated to the controller.

What you need to know

• Riot Games has released VALORANT 9.0 to players across all platforms, including Windows PC and the newly supported Xbox and PlayStation (beta) versions.
• The major update brings plenty of balance changes, new features and options, and introduces a brand-new Battle Pass and premium cosmetic bundle.
• The Evori Dreamwings cosmetic bundle is one of the most expensive we've ever seen in Valorant, but features five weapons with unique, animated familiars that react to your actions.
• The 9.0 update is available to download now, but the Episode 9 Act 1 Battle Pass kicks off on June 26 and the Evori Dreamwings bundle becomes available on June 27.

A brand-new chapter of VALORANT is starting with the release of the major 9.0 update, and there are some exciting updates and additions with this release. Sure, we're getting plenty of balance changes, a new Battle Pass, and a gorgeous (and expensive) new cosmetic weapon bundle, but perhaps the most exciting part of this release is that it's the first major update for the VALORANT Limited Beta on Xbox and PlayStation.

As promised, Riot Games is releasing the 9.0 update on all platforms simultaneously, and both Windows PC and console players will enjoy platform-specific updates, enhancements, and features. For one, competitive Ranked mode debuts on console with this update, so controller players can now battle their way up to Radiant (oh, and the new Abyss map is now a part of the Ranked map pool on both PC and console).

Console VALORANT players are also getting a bunch of new settings and optimizations, including ways to finetune the camera sensitivity along every plane, more default crosshair presets, and a much-needed Voice Chat section to customize your mic and voice settings. Iso is already getting a minor nerf to his Double Tap ability after his previous major buff, too, removing the ability refresh when acquiring two consecutive kills and shortening the duration from 20 seconds to 12 seconds.

• Check out our VALORANT for Xbox hands-on preview

As far as new content is concerned, there are no new Agents, maps, or weapons here, which isn't surprising given that Clove, Abyss, and the Outlaw are still relatively fresh. Instead, the Episode 9 Act 1 Battle Pass is starting on June 26, 2024 and will feature over 100 new rewards for the same 1,000 VALORANT Points, with "Bubble Pop" seemingly being the major theme of the season. Players will be able to obtain a new Phantom, Vandal, and Light Stick melee weapon alongside plenty of other new weapons, Sprays, Player Cards, and Buddies.

Even more exciting is the announcement of the Evori Dreamwings cosmetic weapon bundle. I thought Riot Games had achieved peak weapon design with its previous Mystbloom bundle, but Evori Dreamwings may be the most detailed, custom bundle the game has seen yet, and is inspired by anime magical girls. This five-weapon bundle even comes with its own lore — the Evori, a mystical butterfly, granted magical powers to four creatures that embodied leadership, kindness, strength, and boldness. Now, those creatures seek out Agents that also embody those same characteristics.

The result is each weapon in the bundle being accompanied by a unique familiar (a cat, bunny, bear, mouse, or the butterfly for the melee weapon). These familiars actually react to your actions and progress during a match, and each familiar has different personalities, animations, and tendencies. They even react when they're close to other players using Evori Dreamwings weapons, or when you stand still for too long. In addition to in-depth animations, all the Evori Dreamwings players enjoy unique sound effects and an epic finisher showcasing all four of the animal familiars.

The included melee weapon is also a brand-new archetype — a wand. That means entirely new melee animations, too, and the Evori butterfly will follow you around. The bundle honestly looks awesome, and players can customize each weapon with different color options, too. That being said, it's also incredibly expensive. The new VALORANT Evori Dreamwings cosmetic bundle goes on sale starting June 27, 2024, and will cost a staggering 9,900 VALORANT Points. Oof.

VALORANT 9.0 is now available on Windows PC and for the Limited Beta on Xbox and PlayStation, and with this update is very quickly shaping up to be one of the best Xbox games for competitive shooter fans.

VALORANT has been one of the most popular competitive online first-person shooters on Windows PC for years, but few expected the game to make the jump to console. Riot Games surprised VALORANT players everywhere by announcing that its 5v5 hero shooter would be coming to Xbox and PlayStation, though, with a Limited Beta giving some players the chance to check it out early.

I'm already a part of that Limited Beta, and in my VALORANT for Xbox hands-on preview I praised Riot Games for crafting a thorough, thoughtfully designed port that feels native on a controller. If you're a VALORANT fan interested in playing on console or you're simply interested in checking out the game for the first time, here's everything you need to know about VALORANT for Xbox, including how to play, how it's different on console, and more.

What is VALORANT for Xbox?

Best answer: VALORANT for Xbox and PlayStation is the console port of the popular 5v5 hero shooter on Windows PC. It boasts a different control scheme and an optimized interface to help it feel more at home on a controller.

VALORANT for Xbox and PlayStation is the console port of the popular competitive online first-person shooter. VALORANT for Xbox was first announced as part of Summer Game Fest 2024, and the initial trailer you can watch above showed Riot Games' commitment to actually making VALORANT work great on console. I wrote about how I never expected VALORANT to come to consoles, but that I was very excited to play it anyways.

VALORANT for Xbox and PlayStation is essentially the same game that millions of Windows PC players enjoy, but with several key differences to make it work better on a controller and while displayed on a TV. Riot has committed to supporting VALORANT for console the exact same as on PC, but is still separating the two player bases to ensure a fair and level playing field. If Riot Games continues to deliver on its promises for simultaneous updates, full cross-save, and limited cross-play, VALORANT has every chance of becoming one of the best Xbox games.

VALORANT for console doesn't have a full release date yet, but players can participate in the Limited Beta to help Riot develop the game ahead of its release. You can keep reading for more information on the game and answers to all the most frequently asked questions.

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How can I play the VALORANT for Xbox Limited Beta?

Best answer: You can sign up for the VALORANT for console Limited Beta at Beta.PlayValorant.com. Sign up is completely free (as is the game), and you'll need to sign-in with your Riot Account. If you're accepted, you'll need to choose if you want an Xbox or PlayStation code.

The VALORANT for console Limited Beta kicked off on June 14, 2024, and will continue indefinitely (basically, until Riot is satisfied that VALORANT is as good as possible on console and the beta is no longer needed). While this isn't an open beta that anyone can join whenever they want, Riot does need a lot of players to test the console port and submit feedback. As such, anyone can sign up to join the VALORANT Limited Beta, even if not everyone will be accepted.

If you want to try your luck, head to Beta.PlayValorant.com and sign-in with your Riot Account. Hit the "Register now" button and fill out the form, then sit tight and wait for an email. If you're accepted, you'll receive a unique link from Riot Games that brings you back to the website and lets you choose your preferred console platform (Xbox or PlayStation). Select, get your code, redeem it on your console, then download!

If you're accepted to the Limited Beta, all you have to do is play is redeem the code, launch the game, and sign in with the same Riot Account you used to register for the Limited Beta. If you use your Xbox Account to sign in to Riot Games on PC, anyways, this will happen automatically! Then you can play VALORANT for console with no playtime restrictions until the Limited Beta ends.

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How is VALORANT for Xbox different than PC?

Best answer: VALORANT is mostly identical across console and PC, but there are some key differences. For one, the menus and interfaces have been fully reworked for VALORANT on consoles. Secondly, the controls have been tweaked and optimized for the controller, including adding a new "Focus Mode" for precise, low-sensitivity hip fire.

VALORANT is a very PC-centric shooter, so much so that very few people likely thought it would ever come to console. Because of this, Riot Games had to make some changes to make this competitive 5v5 shooter work on a controller. Fortunately, though, all the studio's optimizations and changes don't fundamentally change VALORANT as a game.

The content, game modes, and core gameplay loop are all identical across VALORANT on consoles and PC. Where the differences come in include the controls and the UI/UX. Riot Games tweaked the movement and gunplay mechanics of VALORANT to function on a controller, and added a new "Focus Mode" that acts like the aim-down-sights (ADS) of other popular console shooters but is actually imitating the precision of VALORANT's hip-firing on PC.

Activate Focus Mode, and the camera sensitivity is dialed down significantly without forcing you into the restrictive (slower firing) ADS mode. It lets you dial in your accuracy, and works well. Aside from that, all the menus and interfaces across the entire game have been redesigned to work entirely on a controller without relying on a frustrating cursor, with helpful and clearly legible control tags notating what you can do on any given screen.

In the latest 9.0 update, Riot Games made some improvements to the console version of VALORANT, including adding the ability to finetune the camera and aiming sensitivity across granular planes and perspectives. There are also more crosshair presets, and a new Voice Chat section to tailor your mic and voice options for console gaming.

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Does VALORANT for Xbox support online cross-play?

Best answer: VALORANT for consoles does support online cross-play between console platforms, but there is no cross-play between console and PC players. The fundamental differences between input types gives PC players an inherent and massive advantage, so Riot Games is separating the player bases.

One of the biggest draws for any online multiplayer game is whether you can play with friends, and that's still true with VALORANT. When you start the game, you'll realize that all your existing friends on your Riot Account still appear, and you can also add your Xbox friends to the bunch. However, there is very deliberately no cross-play between VALORANT for consoles and VALORANT for Windows PC.

That's because, while VALORANT is essentially identical across platforms, the differences in control input would give PC players using a mouse and keyboard an overwhelming advantage in terms of accuracy and reaction time. As such, Riot Games is completely separating console and PC players, restricting cross-play to platforms of the same input type. That means Xbox and PlayStation players will be able to play VALORANT together, but PC players will only be able to play with other PC players.

I don't foresee this changing anytime soon, and I wouldn't want it to, either. Riot Games put in a lot of work to make VALORANT look and feel the same across console and PC, but made an executive decision to separate the two versions at their core by optimizing the console version for controller input. Cross-play for console players and no cross-play for PC players is the way to go.

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Does VALORANT for Xbox support cross-save?

Best answer: Yes, even without console and PC cross-play, VALORANT for consoles fully supports cross-save and cross-progression through your Riot Account. VALORANT players won't lose any of their progress, cosmetics, or unlocks when making the jump between console and PC.

Riot Games could've chosen to make a totally different VALORANT for consoles, but instead chose to keep the game largely the same at its core and make the necessary changes for controller versus mouse and keyboard. The result doesn't change the fact that cross-play between console and PC players simply wouldn't work, but it does make it so that VALORANT players don't have to lose anything.

The moment you sign in to your Riot Account in VALORANT for consoles, you'll immediately have access to all of your account information, Battle Pass and challenges progression, cosmetic purchases, and unlocks. I didn't have to do anything to immediately have my entire VALORANT collection on Xbox, and it all functions exactly as I expected it to.

Unlock something or progress on console, and it'll also reflect on PC. It means no player will have to repurchase any skins or even the latest Battle Pass, as it all syncs across platforms with no issue. It's the best-case scenario for a console port, and it works seamlessly.

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Can I play Ranked in VALORANT for Xbox?

Best answer: You can play Ranked in VALORANT for Xbox starting June 25, 2024, with the release of the VALORANT 9.0 update. This is still part of the Limited Beta, but console players can rise up to the rank of Radiant now.

Ranked wasn't present in VALORANT for Xbox and PlayStation when the Limited Beta first began, and that made sense for two reasons — ranked game modes rarely appear in limited-time betas, and it wouldn't make sense to start console players off toward the end of the existing ranked season. However, the release of the VALORANT 9.0 update bucked the former trend and fixed the latter problem.

With Episode 9 Act 1, VALORANT console players can now play in the full-fledged Ranked mode, testing their skills against other console players across a limited map pool (that does include the new Abyss map). Just like PC players, Ranked in VALORANT for console goes all the way up to Radiant, where only the best on controllers will be able to ascend.

For obvious reasons, Ranked won't be shared across PC and console versions, as VALORANT players on PC will have a far higher skill ceiling purely because of the input type. Balance changes and map additions also seem to be a little offset across PC and console platforms at the moment, such as the Iso Agent getting a nerf on PC before console.

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Will VALORANT for Xbox get all the same updates?

Best answer: Yes, VALORANT on consoles will get all the same updates and content at the exact same time as the PC version, ensuring that cross-save and cross-progression always works — with minor exceptions.

Console ports of popular PC games often get updates less frequently or after a delay, but that won't be the case with VALORANT. Riot Games has committed to releasing every patch, content update, and season simultaneously across console and PC, ensuring that all VALORANT players are always getting the same experience. This protects cross-save and cross-progression, too, even if cross-play across console and PC still won't happen.

To recap: Riot Games made VALORANT the exact same on Windows PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, enabling full cross-platform syncing of all account progression, purchases, and unlocks. This will continue into the future thanks to all VALORANT updates coming to all platforms at the same time. However, necessary changes to interfaces and control input means that online cross-play is only active between VALORANT console players, and does not include PC players.

That being said, there will be instances where console and PC players are further separated. For example, the recent 9.0 update saw the Agent, Iso, get a nerf to his Double Tap ability on PC. However, console players will have to wait a little longer before this balance change comes to them. Hopefully, the end of the Limited Beta will remove any separation between platforms and ensure content and feature parity across Windows PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.

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When will VALORANT for Xbox fully release?

Best answer: There is no confirmed release date for VALORANT on consoles. It's still early days for the Limited Beta, and we expect that to end before Riot Games makes a definitive release date announcement. However, late 2024 or early 2025 seems very likely.

The VALORANT Limited Beta just started on June 14, 2024, and Riot Games has stated that the beta will include indefinitely until it's satisfied with the state of VALORANT on consoles. The flip side of that is we simply don't know when to expect the full public release of VALORANT for Xbox, and Riot isn't spilling the beans. It's safe to assume that the Limited Beta will be ended before an announcement happens.

We know that VALORANT for consoles will get the major 9.0.0 update at the same time as PC players with a new Battle Pass and lots of other changes and tweaks, but this is unlikely to be the full release of VALORANT for Xbox. If I had to speculate, I'd say a late 2024 or even early 2025 release feels likely, considering how polished VALORANT already feels on consoles. We'll update this section as soon as we learn more.

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I primarily game on my Xbox Series X, as I prefer the comfort of my couch and the familiarity of a controller. Earning achievements doesn't hurt, either! A few games do tear me away from my console and sit me down at my gaming PC, however, and one of those titles is Valorant. I rotate back and forth between Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant, but lately the latter has occupied my attention far more than the former.

So, imagine my surprise when Riot Games announced that Valorant is coming to consoles. I never believed the tactical, competitive PC shooter would ever make the jump, and I was unbelievably excited to try it. After hours with the Limited Beta of Valorant on Xbox, my shock has elevated to all-new heights — this is a phenomenal console port, and actually succeeds in making Valorant playable and fun on console. It seems that Riot Games thought of everything when considering this port, and it shows.

Here are my initial thoughts on Valorant for Xbox after several hours spent with the Limited Beta.

This preview was made possible with a Limited Beta code provided by Riot Games. The company did not see the contents of this article before publishing.

What is Valorant on Xbox?

Valorant is one of the most popular competitive online first-person shooters on PC, pitting two teams of five players against each other. One team seeks to plant and detonate a bomb, while the other team seeks to defend the sites or defuse said bomb. It's a unique hero-style shooter with a wide variety of abilities and weapons, and often draws comparisons to Counter-Strike 2 for its precise, tactical gameplay.

Now, it's coming to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 consoles. It's a surprise release for a game that was designed from the ground up for exclusive use with mouse and keyboard, but developer and publisher Riot Games has seemingly invested a lot of resources into refining, optimizing, and changing the game for the console platforms. This includes a fundamentally altered movement and control scheme, updated UI/UX elements, no cross-play between console and Windows PC, and more.

However, Valorant on Xbox will still receive all the same content and updates as the PC version, and it'll do so at the same time. Players can even sync their progression, cosmetics, and unlocks across platforms using their Riot Account. Valorant on console doesn't have a defined release date yet, but its Limited Beta kicked off on June 14, 2024.

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Valorant Xbox preview: Making it work on consoles

Valorant isn't like the first-person shooters that are popular on consoles or with a controller. There are no advanced movement mechanics that benefit from a joystick, and there's no aim assist to help gun control feel more fluid and predictable. Valorant's gameplay revolves around the precise control afforded by mouse input, and its movement feels right at home on a keyboard.

So, what did Riot do to make Valorant work on console? To begin, Valorant's UI and UX menus have been completely overhauled to be clearly labeled and easily navigated via a controller, with no frustrating cursor to worry about like with recent Assassin's Creed games. It also supports Xbox-specific features like Quick Resume, letting you get back into the action quicker without annoying audio bugs or connection issues.

Get a kill in a match, and you'll realize you can actually earn Xbox achievements, with a good healthy mix between basic objectives that you can quickly earn and challenges that'll require great skill or dozens of hours of play. Valorant on Xbox fully supports Xbox Parties and Party Chat, with your Xbox friends appearing in-game with no issues. Xbox game and party invites work flawlessly, and it's easy to stay in a lobby with your friends. If you have Valorant friends on PlayStation, you can find them through their Riot account, too.

Dive into settings, and you'll find plenty of easily understandable options to fine-tune your controls, crosshair, audio, and more. By all accounts, Valorant feels like a native Xbox game, with none of the holdovers I expected from the PC version. This is a thorough, thoughtfully designed port that takes advantage of the platform and controller input. When you play the game, you continue to see this.

Valorant looks and feels very similarly to how it does on PC, but with some fundamental tweaks to the controls. For one, the traditional aim-down-sights (ADS) you'd expect in other shooters like Call of Duty is now a Focus Mode, which behaves similarly to Valorant's standard hip fire (which is far more accurate at a standstill than other shooters). This drastically lowers your sensitivity to allow for precise aim, and you can quickly release Focus Mode at any time to regain your movement speed and spraying power.

You can still ADS when needed, but that's less common in Valorant than you'd think. This is the single biggest change, and it's the reason that there is no cross-play between Valorant on consoles and Valorant on PC... And there never will be. Riot clearly carefully considered how Valorant's gameplay would need to be adjusted for controllers, and the Focus Mode on top of other controller-specific refinements means Valorant on console is quite simply a different game than on PC — but it's still instantly familiar as Valorant.

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Valorant Xbox preview: A unique shooter experience

As I said before, Valorant is unlike any other first-person shooter on console, despite being another in a long line of 5v5 hero shooters. The need for keen game sense, solid team work, and smart use of abilities is all here, but Valorant stands out because of its movement and gunplay mechanics. Even translated to a controller, it retains its signature feel.

I played a lot of Swiftplay matches, which are shortened versions of Valorant's traditional game mode, and I made several observations. One, Riot was right to fully separate console and PC players, as the skill ceiling for console players is quite simply going to be a lot lower than on PC; in other words, if two players of comparable skill were to go up against each other on opposite platforms, the PC player would dominate 9 out of 10 encounters.

Since everyone is on the same playing field, however, this ultimately doesn't matter much. Valorant matches on console largely play out identically to PC, although it took me a while to become used to the controls. Hundreds of hours in Valorant on PC may make adjusting to the console version difficult, but once you get the hang of it, Valorant feels great.

The Focus Mode works wonders, letting you keep the freedom of Valorant's hip fire but lowering the camera sensitivity to fine-tune your aim. It's instantaneous and feels natural after only a few minutes; I could argue that the sensitivity may be lowered a little too much, though, so I hope that Riot gives us an option to tweak this with the full release.

A word of advice if you're new to Valorant — break your tendency to strafe while firing, like is common in other shooters. Accuracy deteriorates rapidly when you're moving in Valorant, which is another reason Focus Mode is so important. It forces you to slow down, giving you an edge in confrontations.

My only concern with the console version of Valorant is one that's difficult to control: communication. Text communication is obviously extremely hard to pull off on consoles, and voice communication basically being an open mic (unless you rebind one of your precious few controls) means a lot of players are liable to simply not use it at all. For most matches, it seems you'll be relying on the in-game ping and communication wheel, which can take some time to acclimate to.

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Valorant Xbox preview: This is an exciting start

When I wrote about Valorant on Xbox the first time, I immediately covered much of what made me excited about the console port. Riot Games promised it had put a lot of work into UI, UX, and control optimization for the controller; now that I've played the game, I know the studio was telling the truth. Riot also promised that there was no cross-play between console and PC, but full cross-play between Xbox and PlayStation; now that I've played, I know that everyone is on the same playing field.

Riot promised that players would be able to sync their accounts across platforms; when I first played Valorant on Xbox, I was immediately and automatically signed in to my Riot Account with no login screen, and I instantly had access to all my weapon skins, my Battle Pass progress, and everything else attached to my account. Riot promised that Valorant players across all platforms would get all patches, content updates, and seasonal updates simultaneously; that's a bold promise, but I've seen nothing to suggest this won't be the case.

Yes, even the Xbox Game Pass perks are here with absolutely no extra work. If you're a Game Pass subscriber, you'll immediately have access to all Agents and score a 20% XP boost for the Battle Pass.

The reveal of Valorant on Xbox and PlayStation was exciting because it seemed like Riot Games was genuinely committed to doing everything right for the console port. Even during the Limited Beta, I've already seen just how much work has gone into this. Valorant on my Xbox Series X runs at a rock solid 60 FPS, and I encountered fewer bugs and issues than I expected. This is already a polished port, and I'm sure Riot is actively taking in feedback to make it even better.

There's still more that can be done to refine the menus and controls, there are some bugs to be fixed, and I want a few more options to customize your gaming experience, but I'm already more than happy with how Valorant on Xbox is. Valorant is quickly shaping up to be one of the best Xbox games for competitive shooter fans. If you want to join the Limited Beta on Xbox Series X|S, you can still sign up on the Valorant website.

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Summer Game Fest 2024 was always going to be more significant to me than any other Summer Game Fest; after all, I was actually there at YouTube theater watching the show in person. Overall, I was also pleasantly surprised by the quality of the event, with host Geoff Keighley clearly taking in (some) feedback from previous shows. However, one announcement completely caught me off guard, and ended up being the highlight of the entire event.

Valorant, one of the most popular competitive first-person shooter games on Windows PC, is actually coming to consoles later this year. It's a huge shift in strategy for Riot Games, and marks the console debut for the studio's core titles. If you had asked me before SGF 2024, I would've told you I didn't foresee Riot making the jump to consoles — and that Valorant was the last game I'd expect to see land on Xbox or PlayStation. I'm very happy to be proven wrong in this case, though, as Riot Games may have just made it possible for me to do 100% of my gaming on Xbox.

That's because Valorant isn't just coming to console... It's doing so in the best possible way.

• Catch up on Summer Game Fest and the Xbox Games Showcase with our live blog

A big surprise from one of the most popular PC shooters

Valorant is a free-to-play, fast-paced, precise, and extremely competitive 5v5 player-versus-player first-person shooter centered around a roster of diverse agents (each with their own abilities and skills). It's the exact kind of first-person shooter that seemingly only thrives with a mouse and keyboard, and attracts that same kind of players as similar titles like Counter-Strike 2. Valorant is also one of the largest esports attractions in the world, a space typically dominated by Windows PC.

Even when Riot Games teased that Valorant was about to come to new players in a new way before rolling the trailer at Summer Game Fest, I still couldn't let myself hope that I'd see it on consoles. Valorant would by necessity require a huge amount of work to play well with a controller in hand, and I never expected Riot Games to actually put in the effort. By the end of the trailer (which you can watch above), I knew Valorant was about to take over my free time in an all-new way.

Later this year, Valorant is coming to Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, but it's not going to be the exact same game that it is on Windows PC. Riot Games has taken into consideration how console gaming differs from PC, and I'm incredibly excited to see for myself if the company was successful in translating Valorant's unique moment-to-moment gameplay to new platforms.

All the right changes for the console platforms

In order to bring one of my favorite online multiplayer games to my gaming platform of choice, Riot Games had to evaluate what needed to change and what needed to remain the same. How do you retain Valorant's iconic core competitive gameplay while also making the game feel good on a controller? The result of this evaluation means Valorant on Xbox and PlayStation won't be the same as it is on Windows PC, but from what I can see Riot is making all the right changes.

For one, Riot Games has poured resources into tweaking Valorant's gameplay, such as movement, shooting, and agent abilities, to work well with the fundamentally different way you move and aim with a controller. On top of that, Riot is introducing a new "Focus Mode" to imitate the precision of hip firing in Valorant without losing the ability to move quickly or spray. It'll function similarly to "aim down sights" in other console shooters, but interpreted through Valorant's gameplay.

As you can see above, players will have multiple controller layouts from which to choose, with each having benefits for different kinds of players. I'll have to see for myself how these control schemes feel before passing judgement, but I'm optimistic at first glance that Riot got this right. I'm further reassured by the fact that Riot Games will not be implementing cross-play between console and Windows PC players, keeping the different input types entirely separate and preserving the unique feel of the shooter on each platform.

There may be cross-play between Xbox and PlayStation (that hasn't been confirmed yet), but no matter what there will ultimately be two versions of Valorant — each with the same core gameplay, but tweaked in the appropriate ways to take advantage of the unique advantages and weaknesses of mouse and keyboard or controller inputs.

However, Valorant won't be entirely separate on console and PC; Riot Games is ensuring no existing Valorant player loses their progress, and that console Valorant players aren't treated like second-class citizens. For one, all your profile history, Battle Pass progression, cosmetics, and store purchases will sync in their entirety across console and PC using your Riot Games account. You won't lose anything for making the jump to Valorant on Xbox or PlayStation, and that's because the platforms will have full content parity.

Riot Games has already confirmed that Valorant on consoles will receive the exact same update treatment as Windows PC — every patch, content update, and new season will arrive on all platforms simultaneously, so that all players are playing the latest and best version of Valorant. On top of that, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will still benefit from the PC Game Pass Valorant perks, so you'll have all agents unlocked immediately and enjoy a 20% experience boost when progressing through the latest Battle Pass.

It's the perfect blend between console-specific changes and multiplatform synergy, and it gives me faith that Riot Games is committed to making Valorant on Xbox and PlayStation as awesome as possible.

Unexpectedly one of the most exciting announcements

• Check out our Valorant for Xbox hands-on preview

There were a lot of interesting announcements for me at Summer Game Fest 2024. Alan Wake 2 got a surprise DLC expansion that's releasing almost immediately, Blumhouse is surprising me with an assortment of incredibly enticing horror titles, Palworld is getting a major content update with new Pals, and Capcom's Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess finally got a release date. That's only scratching the surface, but none of those announcements caught my attention in the same way Valorant on consoles did.

It's not just about one of the only competitive multiplayer games I actually enjoy coming to Xbox. It's also about Riot Games taking the right approach, ensuring that console players are treated right and that Valorant is just as good on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 as it is on Windows PC. It's a refreshing change of pace in an industry where companies regularly take shortcuts or make terrible player-frustrating decisions in the name of corporate greed.

Valorant could actually end up being one of the best Xbox games you can play. I never thought I'd be able to say that, and it feels good. However, we can't be too certain yet; Valorant has yet to prove itself on Xbox and PlayStation. Fortunately, Valorant's first test run on consoles comes in the form of a closed beta that players can sign up for now on the Valorant website using your Riot Account. Like Valorant itself, the beta will be totally free to play, although entry isn't guaranteed.

The Valorant beta on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 kicks off on June 14, 2024, and I'll be first in line to test the game on console and see if Riot really did pull it off. I hope the studio succeeded, as Valorant is the last PC-only game I still regularly play. It'd be very nice to play it from the comfort of my couch.

What you need to know

• Valorant is a free-to-play competitive shooter that has been PC-exclusive since its original launch.
• A limited beta will take place in certain regions on June 14, and it will not include support for cross-platform play.
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will gain access to all of Valorant's agents at no extra cost thanks to the Perks program.

Riot Games' free-to-play competitive hero shooter, Valorant, has a dedicated community of hardcore players on PC, but it has yet to make the jump to consoles. That changes next week, as console players in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, and Japan can sign up on the Valorant website for a limited closed beta on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. Those players outside the listed territories will need to wait for future expanded betas to gain console access to Valorant.

The limited beta for Valorant on consoles will begin June 14 at 1PM PT/4PM ET. 

The launch of Valorant on consoles is a significant expansion into the console market for Riot Games. Players will be able to link their Riot account to access their unlocked Agents, battle pass progression, and custom skins that have been earned or purchased.

Xbox and Riot Games have previously announced a partnership that included Game Pass Perks to unlock all agents both past and future, along with a 20% match XP booster for battle pass and event content.

Valorant executive producer Andy Ho and production director Arnar Gylfason announced the upcoming console beta on the Summer Game Fest 2024 stage. Valorant on consoles will only support cross-play between console (Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5) players. PC players will not be able to join console games, as there is no support for PC-to-console cross-play. 

“When exploring whether to bring Valorant to additional platforms, we knew we had to be able to offer the same uncompromising, competitive experience that we’ve provided to PC players for years: a precise, team-based, tactical shooter,” said Gylfason. “We were adamant that Valorant's core, competitive gameplay must feel natural on a controller; and — if we couldn’t deliver on that gameplay promise — we had to be prepared to walk away from it. We hope we nailed it, but ultimately, our players will have the final say.”

What you need to know

• During the June 2022 Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, Riot Games announced a partnership with Xbox Game Pass.
• The collaboration will see popular PC and mobile free-to-play games like Valorant and League of Legends come to all Game Pass subscribers.
• Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers will earn a ton of in-game rewards and add-ons, such as access to champions, XP boosts, and more.
• On Thursday, Xbox announced that the five Riot Games titles and their Game Pass perks are coming to subscribers on Dec. 12, 2022.

It has been months since Valorant and League of Legends developer Riot Games announced its partnership with Xbox to bring its titles to Xbox and PC Game Pass. On Thursday, a definitive date for the arrival of four hugely popular Riot Games titles was finally revealed: all Xbox Game Pass subscribers are gaining exclusive access to these titles starting Dec. 12, 2022.

Initially revealed during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, five free-to-play Riot Games titles across PC and mobile were announced as heading to all Xbox Game Pass subscribers with unique in-game benefits and perks. Last week, the four PC-bound games began appearing in the Microsoft Store, although they weren't quite available. Finally, as 2022 draws to a close, that's about to change for four of the games (with a new timeframe for the fifth).

From Dec. 12, all Xbox Game Pass subscribers (indicating that Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate memberships are all valid) will be able to connect a Riot Games account and secure the following perks in these Riot games:

• Valorant (PC). The free-to-play, PvP, competitive first-person shooter is heading to the Microsoft Store, and Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have access to:
  • All existing Valorant Agents
  • All future Valorant Agents as they release
  • A 20% XP boost across Battle Passes, Event Passes, and Agent Contracts
• League of Legends (PC). The legendary MOBA is also joining the Microsoft Store, and Xbox Game Pass subscribers get the complete package, including:
  • All existing League of Legends champions (over 160!)
  • All future League of Legends champions as they release
  • A 20% XP boost across the entire game
• Legends of Runeterra (PC & mobile). This unique PvP strategy card game can be played across mobile and PC platforms, and Xbox Game Pass subscribers will gain:
  • Access to the entire Foundations Set of cards
• Teamfight Tactics (PC & mobile). An auto-battler strategy game with a mobile focus, Teamfight Tactics is granting a rotating bonus to Xbox Game Pass subscribers, including:
  • 1-Star Rarity Little Legends Tacticians
  • 4 Arena Skins available until April 2023
  • 1 rotating Arena Skin available every month after April 2023
• League of Legends: Wild Rift (Mobile). The Wild Rift spin-off of League of Legends reimagines the epic game on mobile devices. While Xbox Game Pass subscribers will have to wait until January to claim extra perks in this game, they will obtain:
  • Access to all existing League of Legends: Wild Rift champions (over 80!)
  • Access to all future League of Legends: Wild Rift champions as they're added
  • 20% XP boost across the entire game

While all Xbox Game Pass subscribers across platforms should be able to redeem these perks, according to Xbox and Riot Games' announcement, that does not mean that any of these titles are heading to console... yet. Titles like Valorant and League of Legends immediately count among the best Xbox Game Pass games solely because of the included in-game benefits with the service on PC, but console players are still left without a way to enjoy Riot Games' catalog of titles.

If there are plans to bring games like Valorant to console, nothing has been confirmed. We'll have to keep waiting to (hopefully) hear more, possibly in 2023. In the meantime, players with a capable gaming PC or smartphone will be able to take advantage of their Xbox Game Pass subscription to squeeze unimaginable value out of the five games listed above.

What you need to know

• A selection of Riot Games' popular titles including League of Legends, Valorant, Legends of Runterra, and Teamfight Tactics has just appeared in the Microsoft Store.
• These titles were announced for Xbox PC Game Pass at E3 2022 as part of a new partnership between Microsoft and Riot Games.
• These free-to-play games will have gameplay features unlocked such as playable characters if downloaded as a member of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

A few months ago back in June, developer/publisher Riot Games made a shocking announcement during 2022's E3 event. They will be partnering with Microsoft to bring their massively popular free-to-play titles such as League of Legends, Valorant, Legends of Runterra, and Teamfight Tactics to Xbox PC Game Pass later in the year.

Fast forward to today and a Twitter user by the name of IdleSloth84_ has spotted that these games have just been added to the Microsoft Store via Windows. However, they're not available for purchase/download yet as of this writing.

These titles are normally free-to-play games where the game's features like playable characters, for instance, are locked behind paywalls or weekly rotations where players can play select characters for free for a limited time.

However, if you download these games as a subscriber of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, you will be able to unlock those features for free. The Xbox PC Game Pass benefits for these titles are as follows:

League of Legends

League of Legends is Riot Game's iconic, free-to-play MOBA, where you control mighty champions fighting for dominance over the battlefield. When purchased through Xbox PC Game Pass, you will be able to unlock and play as all 160+ playable champions and get day-one access to new champions when they get added to the game.

Legends of Runeterra:

Legends of Runeterra is a PVP-focused, strategy card game where players must devise strategies and collect powerful cards to overpower their opponents. When purchased through Xbox PC Game Pass, players will unlock the Foundation Set that will help newcomers learn the ropes and get an early advantage over their enemies.

Valorant

Valorant is a tactical, first-person hero shooter where two teams of five agents duke it out in thrilling shootouts in many PVP game modes such as Deathmatch or Spike Rush. As an Xbox Game Pass member, you will be able to unlock all playable agents and gain day-one access to newly added agents when they become available.

Teamfight Tactics

Teamfight Tactics is an auto-battler strategy game where you must use powerful items and the strength of League of Legends' champions to seven opponents in intense skirmishes. Xbox Game Pass members will gain access to a rotation of Tier One Little Legend avatars to use in battle.

Which Riot Games title will you play first through Xbox's PC Game Pass?

While these titles aren't available yet for purchase, they may very soon will be when Microsoft officially announces the next batch of upcoming Xbox Game Pass games in December. When these beloved Riot Games titles get added, they will no doubt become some of the best Xbox Game Pass games thanks to the free content unlocks enriching their critically-acclaimed gameplay experience for newcomers.

What you need to know

• Riot Games is a large developer and publisher responsible for games like Valorant, League of Legends and more.
• Riot Games traditionally used its own unique launchers instead of putting its games on a storefront.
• Riot Games are headed to the Epic Games Store, eschewing this long-held exclusivity.

Riot Games are headed to the Epic Games Store, as announced on Thursday. Riot Games, developer and publisher of many of the best PC games available, has long been exclusive to its own launchers, not using storefronts like Steam or the Epic Games Store.

"Riot Games is one of the world's best developers and creators of groundbreaking entertainment franchises," said Steve Allison, vice president and general manager of the Epic Games Store. "We're excited they've chosen to partner with us to bring their titles to millions of new players through the Epic Games Store."

Riot Games' titles that are now available on the Epic Games Store include League of Legends, Valorant, Legends of Runeterra and Teamfight Tactics. Future PC titles will also likely be available when launched.

If you download of Riot Games' free-to-play titles through the Epic Games Store, you'll be prompted to downlaod the new Riot Client. Additionally, League of Legends Champion Jinx is headed to Fortnite as the latest crossover character in the ongoing multiplayer extravaganza. Jinx is available as part of a bundle starting on Nov. 4, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

TPM 2.0 has been a touchy topic since Microsoft first made it mainstream with Windows 11's system requirements. Many, many months after TPM tech entered public discourse, many people still don't understand how it affects them, their ability to upgrade to Windows 11, or helps the security of their PC.

As such, it seemed like an out-of-left-field bit of news when Riot Games' Valorant started requiring TPM 2.0 and secure boot to run on Windows 11. Confusion ran rampant: Was this the beginning of a wave of games racing to catch up with Windows 11's requirements just for the sake of OS adherence, or was Riot spearheading a new breed of anti-cheat initiative?

Windows Central reached out to experts to learn a bit more about what TPM tech's role in Valorant and gaming as a whole may be going forward, as well as whether a new bar has just been set for Windows 11 gaming.

Useful measure or empty threat?

Hardware bans have existed in gaming for a long time and have often been circumvented. So Valorant's TPM 2.0 requirement seems to be, at least on the surface, a natural extension of what came before — in other words, one more piece of hardware hackers will have to spoof fresh instances of to circumvent when it comes time to get around Riot's new policy.

IDC analyst Lewis Ward weighed in on the subject, angling Riot's move as a positive for everyone but cheaters.

"I'm not a security expert, and perhaps in time hackers will find some workaround, but for now, it appears that TPM 2.0 and secure boot will be leveraged by Riot Games to permanently ban systems that have found to be using cheatware that violates the game's EULA," Ward said. "Obviously, they'll want to make sure they're getting the right systems (players) banned, but this tech is one way to raise the stakes on cheaters, and I have zero problem with that, and I don't think that most mainstream gamers do either."

However, there is a contingent of gamers, and general onlookers, who see issues with the TPM obstacle, labeling it as either ineffectual or invasive. Over on Twitter, many argued that Valorant's new TPM 2.0 and secure boot requirements will be toppled just like any other anti-cheat or hardware ID measure, making the new requirement an empty threat.

Furthermore, many people stated they weren't fans of kernel-level anti-cheat measures. This brings us back to the "invasive" aspect of the new tool utilized by Riot Vanguard, the software security guard for Valorant.

Security: An unending arms race

Forrester analyst William McKeon-White shared his thoughts on the matter. He stated that Vanguard is an invasive piece of tech that's effective at what it's designed to do.

"So Valorant has been very anti-cheat oriented since its launch with Vanguard, and from my own experiences as well as those I've seen online, the move to create a comprehensive (albeit invasive) anti-cheat engine has worked well — of the things I see people complaining about in Valorant, cheaters aren't one of them," McKeon-White said. "The move to ensure TPM 2.0 adherence or safe-boot is another good pre-emptive step for ensuring cheats are nigh-on-impossible to use in Valorant."

McKeon-White acknowledged the realities voiced on Twitter, stating that cheaters will sooner or later figure out how to crack open the anti-cheat nut that is Windows 11's TPM 2.0 and secure boot combo. However, he pointed out that it's not about inventing a permanent solution; Riot's goal with Vanguard is to simply stay ahead of cheaters so by the time they crack one security measure, a new one is already in place. And to that end, McKeon-White deemed Valorant's TPM 2.0 strat as a smart move in the "cheating arms race," as he called it.

What will the competition do?

When asked whether it seems likely that other publishers and developers will take a similar approach to the one Riot has with regards to TPM requirements and security in general, McKeon-White wasn't sold on the idea that such copy-catting is a guarantee.

"With all of that said, and with all of Vanguard's success, I'm actually unsure if other developers/publishers will take a similar approach — what Vanguard ultimately does, having access to the core system, may be seen as too invasive or too risky by other devs/publishers," he said.

"Application-level security or behavioral-based enforcement may be more appealing, as it doesn't open up potential concerns around 'what if our system is compromised?' Additionally, surveillance via video games is a growing area of controversy, from all the data that games are collecting on players, and avoidance of system-level monitoring with high authorization may be seen as a way to ensure player privacy."

McKeon-White may very well be on the money with these theories. When reached for comment on the topic, Blizzard Entertainment did not clarify its stance in time for publication regarding whether similar security changes were headed Overwatch's way. Meanwhile, Ubisoft declined to comment on the TPM subject and its potential relation to Rainbow Six Siege security measures.

Riot Games itself did not respond to a request for comment.

Not over yet

As McKeon-White said, there's a chance these sorts of invasive security measures will ultimately cause more headaches for their creators than they're worth as controversies around such topics mount. However, there's also the reality that Riot Games continues with its hardcore approach to security on the simple basis that it works, for the most part.

Which of these opposing strains of anti-cheat ideology will become dominant going forward remains unclear; the only thing that's certain is that Valorant has brought attention to one of the newest safeguards cheaters will have to overcome. The key takeaway for security-minded gamers who don't want to fall into the swamp of invasive anti-cheat measures is this: If you don't want to risk getting banned due to TPM 2.0 and secure boot, stick with the Windows 10 version of Valorant for now. And if you don't want to deal with Vanguard's prying as a whole, stay away from competitive titles put out by Riot Games and opt for one of the many other best multiplayer PC games.

What you need to know

• Valorant is a competitive first-person shooter on PC that's infamous for its thorough anti-cheat software.
• It seems Riot Games may be about to take their anti-cheat efforts to the next level with the onset of Windows 11.
• Valorant has begun enforcing the TPM 2.0 requirement on Windows 11, making hacking significantly more difficult.
• It's not clear if these requirements will eventually extend to Windows 10, but Valorant is committed to being mostly cheat-free.

The competitive gaming scene is particularly fierce on PC, but many of the most popular options regularly suffer under the onslaught of hackers and cheaters. Valorant, from Riot Games, is a first-person team-based shooter that has mostly escaped the scourge of hacking in competitive gaming with incredibly aggressive and thorough anti-cheat software known as Vanguard. Now, according to PCGamer, it seems Valorant may become even more effective at combating potential cheaters.

Riot Games plans to do this by embracing the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) requirement on Windows 11. TPM is an effective security measure in the majority of modern PCs that effectively verifies the legitimacy of your computer, and makes hacking in most competitive games nearly impossible. With Windows 11, Microsoft now requires that all computers feature TPM version 2.0 and have it enabled, a requirement that Riot Games is now imitating with Valorant.

This move will make cheating even more uncommon in Valorant, and highlights both the good and bad of Riot Games' method for rooting out bad actors. On the one hand, it does work, and Valorant is mostly a clean and fair experience free of rampant cheats and hacks, but on the other hand, Valorant's Vanguard anti-cheat software requires extensive access to your PC and can carry out effective, permanent, hardware-level bans to offenders with TPM 2.0 access.

For now, it seems like Windows 10 is not affected by this change. TPM chips are still common in most Windows 10 PCs, but the vast majority of people are likely not aware if it's enabled, or even if it exists. It remains to be seen if Riot Games intends to extend this TPM 2.0 requirement to Windows 10 PCs as well.

If you're curious, you can check if your PC supports TPM 2.0, and even learn how to enable TPM on your PC. If you want to continue playing Valorant, one of the best PC games for fans of competitive shooters, you may want to ensure TPM is enabled on your PC (this comes with the added benefit of massively increased security and Windows 11 support).

What you need to know

• Riot Games and Bungie are two developers known for online multiplayer games like Valorant, League of Legends, and Destiny.
• The two companies are teaming up to sue GatorCheats, a cheating-software creator that specializes in cheats to take advantage of online games.
• Cheats are a consistent and constant problem with online multiplayer games, especially competitive titles like Valorant and Destiny 2.
• This isn't the first time companies have gone after cheating-software creators, but it is notable that Riot Games and Bungie are teaming up on this one.

Online multiplayer games represent the largest and most popular section in modern video games, and competitive video games like Valorant and Destiny 2 are especially popular. However, a constant problem with online multiplayer games like the aforementioned titles are cheats, which are pieces of software designed to circumvent the game's systems. This allows players to break the game a little by assisting their aim, viewing enemy stats or equipment, seeing enemies through walls, and more.

Game companies are constantly designing defenses against cheats, but cheating-software companies are always finding ways around them.

According to a new report from Polygon, Riot Games and Bungie (the creators behind Valorant and Destiny 2, respectively) are teaming up to sue a cheating-software creator, GatorCheats. The complaint has been filed in California, and allege that GatorCheats is selling cheats targeting Valorant, Destiny 2, and other games via their website, Discord, email, and Telegram, for prices that range from $90 a month to a one-time $500 payment for lifetime access.

GatorCheats may have made tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to the complaint, and may have caused much more in damages to Riot's and Bungie's games. While GatorCheats has claimed they'll stop selling the software to players, the complaint alleges the company is still selling cheats in private.

A spokesperson for Riot told Polygon the following:

This isn't the first time a company has gone after someone for creating cheats, and it certainly won't be the last. Cheating undermines the value of gaming, and ruins the fun for everyone involved.

If you're looking for ways to stay competitive without resorting to cheats, check out our list for the Best Gaming Mice for PCs and the Best Gaming Keyboards for PC.

What you need to know

• Valorant is the new arena shooter from Riot Games.
• Riot has detailed a roadmap for when to expect new heroes.
• There's also other post-launch support on the way.

Riot Games' arena shooter Valorant is out in the wild and now that players have had some time with it, Riot is turning its eyes to the future. In a new dev diary, a basic roadmap for the future of the game is laid out, with the obvious addendum that due to work from home and scheduling around the holidays, plans may change. You can take a look at the full dev diary below.

One of the biggest takeaways from this dev diary is just how often new Agents will be released. Riot is aiming to have each Episode last six months, with three Acts per Episode, each Act being two months long. Each Act will also bring a new Agent, so players are potentially looking at six new Agents per year.

New skins will be added weekly or bi-weekly during Acts, while new game modes are going to be added when they make sense, which is likely to be at the very beginning of Acts but this could change. As an aside, there are also new reporting tools being developed to help curb toxic player behavior.

We'll continue to provide updates as Riot shares more information on how Valorant will change and improve over the next few months.

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What you need to know

• Riot Games announced today that Valorant is set to release on June 2, 2020.
• Valorant previously had a vague Summer 2020 release window.
• A new agent, map and game mode will also be available at launch.

During today's Summer Game Fest stream, Riot Games joined Geoff Keighley to announce that Valorant is set to release on June 2, 2020. As if this release date wasn't enough, Riot also confirmed that a new agent, map and game mode will be available at launch.

Developing...

List of all Valorant agents and their abilities (so far)

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Riot Games continues trials for Valorant, its upcoming tactical first-person shooter, targeting summer availability on PC. The creator of League of Legends has opened tests for its project, likened to CounterStrike and Overwatch, featuring tight gunplay backed by ability-based heroes, dubbed Agents.

Agents assemble the foundations of Valorant's team play, each featuring a new variety of abilities, bringing unique traits to augment core combat. Each features four skills, divided into one signature ability available at the start of the round, two purchasable at the beginning of rounds, and one charged ultimate ability.

We've wrapped up a list of every Valorant agent so far, and their respective abilities.

Breach

Breach brings powerful disruption to any team's arsenal, with a variety of charges geared toward stirring confusion and dealing damage to foes. His abilities help negate awareness, while also disrupting battle with devastating earth-bending effects.

• Aftershock: EQUIP a fusion charge. FIRE the charge to set a slow-acting burst through the wall. The burst does heavy damage to anyone caught in its area.
• Flashpoint: EQUIP a blinding charge. FIRE the charge to set a fast-acting burst through the wall. The charge detonates to blind all players looking at it.
• Fault Line (Signature): EQUIP a seismic blast. HOLD FIRE to increase the distance. RELEASE to set off the quake, dazing all players in its zone and in a line up to the zone.
• Rolling Thunder (Ultimate): EQUIP a seismic charge. FIRE to send a cascading quake through all terrain in a large cone. The quake dazes and knocks up anyone caught in it.

Brimstone

This American commander serves his allies a tactical advantage, leveraging his military arsenal to deal damage and keep foes in their place. While primed to boost his team and keep the battle weighted in their favor, Brimstone's ultimate deals a chaotic strike to topple any round.

• Stim Beacon: EQUIP a Stim Beacon. FIRE to toss the stim beacon in front of Brimstone. Upon landing, the stim beacon will create a field that grants players RapidFire.
• Incendiary: EQUIP an Incendiary grenade launcher. FIRE to launch a grenade that detonates as it comes to a rest on the floor, creating a lingering fire zone that damages players within the zone.
• Sky Smoke (Signature): EQUIP a tactical map. FIRE to set locations where Brimstone's smoke clouds will land. ALTERNATE FIRE to confirm, launching long-lasting smoke clouds that block vision in the selected area.
• Orbital Strike (Ultimate): EQUIP a tactical map. FIRE to launch a lingering orbital strike laser at the selected location dealing high damage over-time to players caught in the selected area.

Cypher

Cypher serves unmatched surveillance over the battle, using trapwires and spycams designed to highlight enemy positions. His ultimate ability exploits the dead to reveal living locations, providing full oversight of the map.

• Trapwire: EQUIP a trapwire. FIRE to place a destructible and covert tripwire at the targeted location, creating a line that spans between the placed location and the wall opposite. Enemy players who cross a tripwire will be tethered, revealed, and dazed after a short period if they do not destroy the device in time. This ability can be picked up to be REDEPLOYED.
• Incendiary: EQUIP a cyber cage. FIRE to toss the cyber cage in front of Cypher. ACTIVATE to create a zone that blocks vision and slows enemies who pass through it.
• Spycam (Signature): EQUIP a spycam. Fire to place the spycam at the targeted location. RE-USE this ability to take control of the camera's view. While in control of the camera. FIRE to shoot a marking dart. This dart will reveal the location of any player struck by the dart.
• Neural Theft (Ultimate): INSTANTLY use on a dead enemy player in your crosshairs to reveal the location of all living enemy players.

Jett

With abilities centered around targeting foes and staying on the move, this Korean fighter remains fast and agile and all times. Her skills provide a fusion of fast horizontal and vertical movement, coupled with deadly attacks to confuse and pounce on enemies.

• Cloudburst: INSTANTLY throw a projectile that expands into a brief vision-blocking cloud on impact with a surface. HOLD the ability key to curve the smoke in the direction of your crosshair.
• Updraft: INSTANTLY propel Jett high into the air.
• Tailwind (Signature): INSTANTLY propel Jett in the direction she is moving. If Jett is standing still, she will propel forward.
• Blade Storm (Ultimate): EQUIP a set of highly accurate throwing knives that recharge on killing an opponent. Fire to throw a single knife at your target. ALTERNATE FIRE to throw all remaining daggers at your target.

Omen

From his ghostly appearance down to cryptic abilities, Omen keeps enemies in the dark, while teleporting around their location. He can easily obscure enemy vision, with the toolset to jump across the map in seconds.

• Shrouded Step: EQUIP a shadow walk ability and see its range indicator. Fire to begin a brief channel, then teleport to the marked location.
• Paranoia: INSTANTLY fire a shadow projectile forward, briefly reducing the vision range of all players it touches. This projectile can pass straight through walls.
• Dark Cover (Signature): EQUIP a shadow orb and see its range indicator. FIRE to throw the shadow orb to the marked location, creating a long-lasting shadow sphere that blocks vision. HOLD ALTERNATE FIRE while targeting to move the marker further away. HOLD the ability key with targeting to move the marker closer.
• From the Shadows (Ultimate): EQUIP a tactical map. FIRE to begin teleporting to the selected location. While teleporting, Omen will appear as a Shade that can be destroyed by an enemy to cancel his teleport.

Phoenix

Fire-bending abilities define Phoenix, morphing the blaze to cut off enemy sightlines and deal area damage. His ultimate provides an easy way to retreat, either via a countdown or death.

• Blaze: EQUIP a flame wall. FIRE to create a line of flames that moves forward, creating a wall that blocks vision and damages players passing through it. HOLD FIRE to bend the wall in the direction of your crosshair.
• Curveball: EQUIP a flare orb that takes a curving path and detonates shortly after throwing, impairing vision. FIRE to curve the flare orb to the left, detonating and blinding any player who sees the orb. ALTERNATE FIRE to curve the flare orb to the right.
• Hot Hands (Signature): EQUIP a fireball. FIRE to throw a fireball that explodes after a set amount of time or upon hitting the ground, creating a lingering fire zone that damages enemies.
• Run it Back (Ultimate): INSTANTLY place a marker at Phoenix's location. While this ability is active, dying or allowing the timer to expire will end this ability and bring Phoenix back to this location with full health.

Raze

Explosives run in this agent's DNA, packing a variety of volatile gadgets, each which different gameplay effects. She's dedicated to damage and nothing else, requiring a balance of aggression and tactics.

• Boom Bot: EQUIP a Boom Bot. FIRE will deploy the bot, causing it to travel in a straight line on the ground, bouncing off walls. The Boom Bot will lock on to any enemies in its frontal cone and chase them, exploding for heavy damage if it reaches them.
• Blast Pack: INSTANTLY throw a Blast Pack that will stick to surfaces. RE-USE the ability after deployment to detonate, damaging and moving anything hit.
• Paint Shells (Signature): EQUIP a cluster grenade. FIRE to throw the grenade, which does damage and creates sub-munitions, each doing damage to anyone in their range.
• Showstopper (Ultimate): EQUIP a rocket launcher. Fire shoots a rocket that does massive area damage on contact with anything.

Sage

Sage brings orb-wielding abilities to Valorant, capable of halting and slowing enemies, while also healing and resurrecting allies. She's the healer of the group while holding enemies in their place.

• Barrier Orb: EQUIP a barrier orb. FIRE places a solid wall. ALTERNATE FIRE rotates the targeter.
• Slow Orb: EQUIP a slowing orb. FIRE to throw a slowing orb forward that detonates upon landing, creating a lingering field that slows players caught inside of it.
• Healing Orb (Signature): FIRE a healing orb. FIRE with your crosshairs over a damaged ally to activate a heal-over-time on them. ALTERNATE FIRE while Sage is damaged to activate a self heal-over-time.
• Resurrection (Ultimate): EQUIP a resurrection ability. FIRE with your crosshairs placed over a dead ally to begin resurrecting them. After a brief channel, the ally will be brought back to life with full health.

Sova

As the scout of the roster, Sova features a high-precision loadout, coupled with a touch of intel. His drones and bolts help track enemies, while also delivering ranged damage.

• Owl Drone: EQUIP an owl drone. FIRE to deploy and take control of movement of the drone. While in control of the drone, FIRE to shoot a marking dart. This dart will reveal the location of any player struck by the dart.
• Shock Bolt: EQUIP a bow with shock bolt. FIRE to send the explosive bolt forward detonating upon collision and damaging players nearby. HOLD FIRE to extend the range of the projectile. ALTERNATE FIRE to add up to two bounces to this arrow.
• Recon Bolt (Signature): EQUIP a bow with recon bolt. FIRE to send the bolt forward activating upon collision and revealing the location of nearby enemies caught in the line of sight of the bolt. Enemies can destroy this bolt. HOLD FIRE to extend the range of the projectile. ALTERNATE FIRE to add up to two bounces to this arrow.
• Hunter's Fury (Ultimate): EQUIP a bow with three long-range, wall-piercing energy blasts. FIRE to release an blast in a line in front of Sova, dealing damage and revealing the location of enemies caught in the line. This ability can be RE-USED up to two more times while the ability timer is active.

Viper

The master of poison and chemicals, Viper, brings piercing, toxic tools to slow down enemy movement and deal damage across a broad area of effect.

• Snake Bite: EQUIP a chemical launcher. FIRE to launch a canister that shatters upon hitting the floor, creating a lingering chemical zone that damages and slows enemies.
• Poison Cloud: EQUIP a gas emitter. FIRE to throw the emitter that perpetually remains throughout the round. RE-USE the ability to create a toxic gas cloud at the cost of fuel. This ability can be RE-USED more than once and can be picked up to be REDEPLOYED.
• Toxic Screen (Signature): EQUIP a gas emitter launcher. FIRE to deploy a long line of gas emitters. RE-USE the ability to create a tall wall of toxic gas at the cost of fuel. This ability can be RE-USED more than once.
• Viper's Pit (Ultimate): EQUIP a chemical sprayer. FIRE to spray a chemical cloud in all directions around Viper, creating a large cloud that reduces the vision range and maximum health of players inside of it.

Riot Games has kicked off the Valorant closed beta, the first public hands-on opportunity for its upcoming tactical shooter for PC, on track for a summer 2020 general release. The game embraces the fundamentals of any competitive hit shooter, with robust core gunplay, hero-based abilities, and custom netcode to support its multiplayer vision. The proposed result is a fluid, tournament-ready arena, marking a new endeavor for the League of Legends creator.

Here's what you need to know about the beta and how to play today.

What is the Valorant closed beta?

The Valorant beta represents a snippet of Riot Games' upcoming project, serving as an opportunity for the studio to test its multiplayer gameplay and backend technologies across a broader group of players. It's available exclusively via an invitation-only closed beta program for budding players in the United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, and Turkey. While Riot Games has expressed interest in expanding to additional regions, current world events are a factor in that process.

The beta test features nine playable "agents" from the Valorant roster across two maps. Players will have an opportunity experiment with abilities and weaponry across the two locales, although with progress unable to translate to the final release. But if you're looking to play Valorant's ongoing beta, it's not easy to get started.

How to get a Valorant Beta code

Valorant takes an unusual approach to closed beta availability, forgoing the usual process of randomized sign-up forms, raffles, or preorder bonuses. Riot Games has instead entered a partnership with Twitch, aiming to boost viewership throughout the period.

The proposed system requires having a Riot Games and Twitch account linked, watching Valorant streams over the coming days. Loot-enabled streams will randomly award beta access to select viewers, requiring you to watch Twitch personalities throughout the day for a chance to receive your beta invite. It follows the first opportunity to secure codes via streams back on April 3.

After linking accounts, look out for the "Drops Enabled" identifier on Valorant Twitch streams.

1. Create a Riot Games account via the Riot Games website. If you already have a Riot Games account via League of Legends and related titles, this may also be used.
2. Create a Twitch account via the Twitch website. If you already have a Twitch account, this may also be used.
3. Visit your Settings page via Twitch.

4. Select the Connections tab. Locate the Riot Games tile.
5. Click Connect.
6. Sign-in with your Riot Games account credentials.
7. Click Authorize.

8. Navigate to the Valorant directory on Twitch.
9. Watch a Valorant Twitch stream for a chance to receive a code. The stream must offer Twitch drops, indicated by a "Drops Enabled" tag below the stream's title.

Valorant closed beta release date

The Valorant beta opened on April 7, 2020, available from 8 AM ET / 5 AM PT / 2 PM CEST across Europe and North America. The developer remains quiet on how long the test will last, stating it wants to "keep closed beta as short as we can while getting additional regions online." There's no set end date in sight, but expect additional updates as testing continues.

Valorant open beta

Valorant remains highly anticipated ahead of its summer launch, although Riot Games has yet to indicate plans for an open beta. The developer has stressed a desire to keep availability restricted for the closed beta, as demonstrated by sought-after invites. While a public test hasn't been ruled out, expect further details closer to release.

PC Gaming

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What you need to know

• Riot Games recently announced Valorant, a new arena shooter that's been in development for six years.
• Riot is holding a closed beta test for Valorant and sign-ups are now open.
• The closed beta is expected to begin on April 7.

Recently, Riot Games, developer and publisher of League of Legends, began announcing a wave of new games. One of these is the arena shooter Valorant, a first-person shooter where different agents have special abilities and the focus is on tight gunplay. Today, Riot announced a closed beta for Valorant, which is expected to begin on April 7 in Europe and North America.

To sign up for the closed beta, you'll need a Riot account. You'll then need to link your Riot account to a Twitch account. Finally, watch for Valorant streams on Twitch. Right now, the closed beta sign-ups are limited to people in Europe, Canada, United States, Turkey, Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States. More regions will become available as servers continue to be set up.

Valorant is planned as a free-to-play game with skins that can be purchased using Valorant Points, in a very similar vein as League of Legends. Any points players purchase in the closed beta will be refunded with an additional 20%. So if you purcahse 5000 points in the beta, you'll get 6000 points when the full game launches. Your progress will not carry over from the beta to launch and Riot notes that the amount of points needed for skins and the price of Valorant Points is not final.

For more information on Valorant, you can check out a recent Reddit AMA with one of the game designers here.

What you need to know

• Trevor "Classick" Romleski, lead game designer on Valorant, participated in an AMA on the game's subreddit.
• He revealed new details on how guns will work and why Agents all have the same health.
• "We've focused on tight, lethal tactical gameplay," he wrote.

Even though we just learned about Riot Games' new first-person shooter Valorant officially yesterday, we've gotten some new information on the game today courtesy of Reddit.

In an AMA on the r/VALORANT subreddit (transcribed by Reddit user thepixelbuster here), lead game designer Trevor "Classick" Romleski revealed that Valorant, previously known as Project A, has been in development for around six years total (three years R&D and three years of production).

As Ressick is a game designer, he also revealed a lot about how the game will work, including intricate details on recoil, weapon reload times, and even the name of the champions (they're called Agents). For example, all the weapons have recoil and certain abilities can be affected by recoil and running. Signature effects and abilities like healing depend on the character.

One of the more interesting tidbits is what Ressick says about why each Agent has the same hitbox and health. This is quite the change from other hero-based shooters, which use the differences in hitbox and health to create different classes and strategy.

"Simple answer is we've focused on tight, lethal tactical gameplay," he wrote. "Changing hp or hitbox has significant impact on gameplay and we want agents to be chosen for their toolkits, not passive stats like this."

Similar to Overwatch, Valorant is also hoping to expand on the characters and the universe not through a single-player campaign, but through other avenues.

"We're interested in further agent development through other methods over time," he wrote.

Overall this is looking quite different from League of Legends. Ressick revealed that it's not even linked to League (it's a "different IP," he wrote), so there's room for a lot of possibilities. It's interesting to also see how it's differing already from other hero-based five-vs-five first-person shooters like Overwatch. The focus on abilities and toolkits instead of health is already a huge change. The official website emphasizes that "creativity is your greatest weapon," and Ressick confirms this by noting how the abilities and the gunplay will work together.

You can check out the AMA for other information, such as other weapon and combat features and even refresh rate (it's not capped at 144hz).

Riot Games has unveiled its long-teased first-person shooter "Valorant," embracing the traditional five-versus-five arena setup, and on track for its free-to-play PC launch this summer. Formerly known under the "Project A" codename, the League of Legends studio aims to marry tactical combat with hero-based abilities, shaping up to rival Counter-Strike and Overwatch. The result is a multiplayer game demanding precision and deep strategy, with clear potential over months to come.

Valorant rides on its "agents," playable, distinct heroes, leveraging unique abilities to augment the fundamentals of combat. Its three-minute debut reel highlights clear Counter-Strike influences, from gameplay premise to momentary animations. It also translates a traditional formula of round-based matches, where offensive aims to arm a bomb, with weapons purchased at the start of each round. And while undoubtedly familiar, Riot hopes robust simplicity draws players in.

"Throughout VALORANT's development, we wanted to uphold the fundamental values of a competitive tactical shooter: precise shooting, lethal gunplay, and strategic execution," said Anna Donlon, executive producer on Valorant. "By adding unique character abilities that complement the game's gunplay we believe we're expanding upon the traditional tac shooter experience and bringing something new to the genre - and we hope the launch of VALORANT will be the start of a long-term relationship with tactical FPS fans from around the world."

While that snappy gunplay lies at the heart of its competitive edge, Riot also touts underlying foundations to support gameplay ambitions. That includes custom netcode to aid hit detection, anti-cheat, and 128 tick servers (how many times per second the server updates the game state) to avoid common missteps in the genre.

While details on Valorant remain limited ahead of its scheduled summer 2020 availability on PC, the studio appears to be investing League of Legends learnings for its first project beyond the hit MOBA.