After crushing Twitch records, 'Valorant' could be the biggest gaming sensation since 'Fortnite' — and it's launching for free on June 2

Ben GilbertMay 21, 2020, 21:21 IST

Riot Games

A huge new game called "Valorant" is rapidly becoming the next big thing in gaming.
"Valorant" broke Twitch records when its closed beta went live in April, with nearly 2 million concurrent viewers watching streams of the game.
It's the first major new game from the studio behind "League of Legends," and it's a departure into a new genre: online, competitive, team-based multiplayer shooters. The gameplay is best-described as a mix of "Counter-Strike" and "Overwatch."
Best of all: "Valorant" is entirely free to play. The game is coming out of closed beta and available for everyone as of June 2, Riot announced on May 21.

You may not have heard of "Valorant" just yet, but you will soon enough.

The free-to-play first-person shooter is almost certainly the "next big thing" in gaming — look no further than its record-breaking debut on Twitch in April, where nearly 2 million people were watching streamers play the closed beta at the same time.

So, what's the deal? Why is "Valorant" blowing up? Here's what's going on:

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"Valorant" is a free-to-play first-person shooter that's best described as a mix of "Counter-Strike" and "Overwatch."

Riot Games

Like "Overwatch," each character in "Valorant" has unique abilities — like suddenly conjuring solid walls from nothing.

Phoenix is one of the game's "agents," as the playable characters are known. Riot Games

At its core, "Valorant" is a competitive, team-based shooter.

Riot Games

So, what's the deal? Why is this game suddenly so popular?

How lots of people are getting into the "Valorant" closed beta: Access code drops that you get by watching streamers play the game live. Twitch

When can you play "Valorant?" As of June 2, the game is available for everyone.

Riot Games

To get a look at the game in action, check out this video from Riot — or just head to Twitch, where it's dominating the front page:

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After crushing Twitch records, 'Valorant' could be the biggest gaming sensation since 'Fortnite' — and it's launching for free on June 2

"Valorant" is a free-to-play first-person shooter that's best described as a mix of "Counter-Strike" and "Overwatch."

Like "Overwatch," each character in "Valorant" has unique abilities — like suddenly conjuring solid walls from nothing.

At its core, "Valorant" is a competitive, team-based shooter.

So, what's the deal? Why is this game suddenly so popular?

When can you play "Valorant?" As of June 2, the game is available for everyone.

To get a look at the game in action, check out this video from Riot — or just head to Twitch, where it's dominating the front page: