Riot Games has opened a new VALORANT data center in Bahrain to service players in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Players in the MENA region will be able to experience low ping and a smoother in-game experience come October 14, coinciding with the launch of the game's Act 3, which will include the new Icebox map. Riot will also open a local office in Dubai to establish a stronger community presence which will include esports participation.
Riot Games will produce content catered for the MENA region in the form of tutorials, a music video featuring Arabic artists, and an episodic mini-series detailing the experiences of regional VALORANT players. All players regardless of location will also receive a MENA-inspired cosmetic item.
The announcement of support for the MENA region comes in the aftermath of Riot Games ending its Australian operations and closing its Sydney office. It is expected that the MENA region will be more populated compared to the OCE region, considering the many countries the server will account for.
VALORANT could just be the beginning for Riot Games' entry into the MENA region. The opening of a local office in Dubai suggests that regional support for League of Legends will come soon, following an attempt earlier this year to connect with the Middle East that failed due to backlash surrounding Saudi Arabia's human rights record.
Besides the new server and map, Act 3 will also include a new Agent in the form of Skye. The Australian hunter, who has a nature-inspired kit, will become the third post-launch agent after Reyna and Killjoy.
VALORANT is available on PC.