Surprise! VALORANT Console launches today on PS5 and Xbox

After a few weeks of strenuous beta testing, Riot Games is officially launching VALORANT Console, the Xbox and PlayStation versions of its tactical shooter.

The tactical shooter has translated well over to console, despite fears that history would repeat itself given Counter-Strike's downfalls way back in 2012, with a soft aim assist helping to have that head-click-ability while abilities can flourish.

Now, as of, August 2, VALORANT Console has launched in full throughout North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan.

VALORANT Console launches after successful Beta

Click to enlarge

Having been in Closed Beta since June 14, and Open Beta since July 26, the free-to-play tactical shooter has now arrived in full, being available to be downloaded in the four aforementioned regions.

"We’ve received so much valuable feedback from players during Limited Beta, and feel confident to deliver on our gameplay promise for console players," said Arnar Gylfason, Production Director of VALORANT at Riot Games.

"Whether it's hitting that perfect shot, executing a flawless team play, or wiping out the enemy team, we look forward to seeing console players experience the same gameplay thrill as VALORANT PC players."

Click to enlarge

For those who have already played the Beta, not much will differ, as VALORANT Console will continue to run parallel with its PC sister in terms of agent nerfs, patch balances, and bundle releases, although crossplay will remain offline and isn't currently planned. Cross-progression is activated though, so your skins will carry over.

In our Beta first impressions article, we said: "Initial matches with total newcomers have been a blast, and while it remains to be seen where the competitive ceiling is, it’s a great way to improve map knowledge and grind out some objectives while on the sofa."

I've been playing for the last few weeks, and it's clear that VALORANT Console is no gimmick.

It packs all of the fun that newcomers would expect, without being dwarfed by experts years in the making, but also shows a lot of promise in Ranked of replicating the tactical chess game that can be seen in high-Elo matches and Pro play.