Image credit: Riot
An open console beta is now available for Riot Games’ hero shooter, Valorant.
The free-to-play 5v5 shooter was initially released for PC in 2020, but support for current-gen console systems finally rolled out last month through closed playtests.
Right now the open beta is limited to Brazil, Canada, Europe, Japan, and the US, and whilst console players will be able to team up with pals on the other console, there’s currently no crossplay available with PC players. Sorry. Riot says it “believes strongly in competitive integrity, and this is the best way for us to keep the experience fair and consistent for players on both console and PC”.
Riot also confirmed on social media that PC players will have “access to [their] full collection [of skins and cosmetics] on PC and consoles”.
All progress will be saved, too, so any battlepass progression, unlocked agents and skins will remain on your account even after the beta finishes, and you apparently don’t require PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass to play.
Interestingly, Riot says there’s no formal end to the beta period. It will only be closed “once [Riot] feels confident in where the game is at”.
In a frank discussion about the “current state of player behaviour” in Valorant, Riot Games’ head Anna Donlon recently outlined upcoming changes designed “to make our community a better place”.
It’s the latest in Riot’s long-running effort to clamp down on toxicity and unacceptable behaviours in Valorant. In July 2022, Riot Games began collecting “in-game voice communications” in North America as part of its “larger effort to combat disruptive behaviour.”
