Valorant developer Riot Games confirms that console and mobile versions of the new multiplayer shooter could happen. Fans have been wondering if the PC-only title could come to other platforms after they found evidence of a Valorant mobile port within the game's files.
Speaking to The Express Online, Valorant game director Joe Ziegler confirmed that the game's development team is now "exploring other platforms like console and mobile." However, Ziegler also said that "right now the team is working hard to deliver a top notch experience on PC," suggesting that it could be a while until Valorant is available to those not playing on PC.
The news that Riot isn't throwing its full development team behind Valorant on consoles and mobile isn't surprising. The game is in closed beta and Riot has said that it wants to fix any major issues with the game before it launches Valorant on PC in full this summer. Beginning production on console and mobile versions of the game would only take away from that, potentially leading to delays of the full PC version.
Riot has also had some Valorant server issues as it tries to get a hold on the huge demand for its new game. The developer has been giving out codes to the Valorant closed beta on Twitch, something which has earned the game millions of viewers on the streaming site. The team has had to increase server capacity by 25% since launch and it's unclear how much it would need to increase that again if console and mobile players are also able to get into the beta.
However, choosing to release Valorant on consoles and mobile could make Riot an incredible amount of money. While Fortnite was a big success when it launched on PC and consoles, the game's daily revenue hit $1.8 million on mobile devices which is more than half a billion dollars in one year.
It would also help Riot to grow the Valorant esports scene. The developer has revealed some early plans for Valorant esports, saying that it will talk to streamers and esports organizations. By making Valorant available to more people it could potentially get many more esports viewers, which will also make the company much more money from sponsorships and exclusive streaming deals. This is all just a possibility though until Riot chooses to develop and not just think about console and mobile versions of the game.
Valorant releases this summer on PC.
Source: The Express Online