League of Legends is Riot Games’ flagship title and the most popular multiplayer online battle arena in the world. The company hopes to replicate its success with Valorant, a first-person shooter with tactical elements and an original gameplay. Teased as “Project A” back in October 2019, it was officially announced on YouTube with a gameplay video on March 1, 2020. The close beta started on April 7 and since then, the potential of Valorant esports became self evident.
Players had the chance to claim a beta access key by signing up for an account with both Twitch and Riot Games. Closed beta ended on May 28 and the game was released on June 2, with Valorant esports tournaments starting in July. The game has many similarities with Overwatch and Counter Strike Global Offensive, but also an original gameplay and unique challenges for Valorant esports teams. It is already one of the most popular games of Twitch, where millions of people watch streamers play it every day.
Valorant is Riot Games’ take on first-person shooters and its action takes place in the near future. The team-based tactical shooter has players split into two teams of five agents each and tasks them with the defending or attacking a position. The gameplay of the main game mode is a combination of Overwatch and Counter Strike Global Offensive. One team tries to place the bomb, while the other attempts to defuse it before it blows up, much like in CS:GO. The main difference consists in the fact that each player has unique abilities and an ultimate skill that can be used before going on cool down.
Because of the similarities with classic first-person shooters, Valorant betting is a straightforward affair. Its gameplay allows in-play wagering, as players are rewarded with in-game currency based on their previous round performance. They can use the money to acquire a broad spectrum of weapons, ranging from sidearms, shotguns and machine guns to assault and sniper rifles. Weapons have recoil patterns and unique traits that are easy to pick up but difficult to master, as showcased in Valorant esports tournaments.
When it comes to betting on Valorant, there are three distinct game modes, each played by slightly different rules. Most of the Valorant esports competitions played by professional use the Standard mode, while employing the win-based ranking system. The main difference consists in the fact that if teams are tied at 12-12, they need to secure a two-round lead to win the match. During overtime rounds, each team receives the same finances and after two rounds, they can vote to end the game in a draw.
The Standard mode is at the cornerstone of Valorant esports and it is the recommended one for beginners who want to learn and master its original gameplay. The attacking team tries to place the bomb which goes by the name of Spike at a specific location. Defenders win by either killing the attackers or by defusing the bomb before it blows up just like they do in a classic Counter Strike Global Offensive match. Both the winning and defeated teams receive points, but the victors get the lion’s share.
Standard mode is the preferred games for Valorant betting, but Riot Games’ first-person shooter has another exciting mode called Spike Rush. This is a sped-up version of the classic, with winners being decided after seven rounds and the players have their abilities fully charged right from the start. Valorant esports teams are given random weapons and each player starts with the same gun, to level the playing field. They don’t get the ultimate point orbs available in standard games but can collect power-up orbs.
Riot’s success with League of Legends has convinced prospective players that it was worth jumping on the bandwagon. That’s how it was possible for players and Valorant esports teams, to sign up as soon as the game was officially released. Highly successful Overwatch have expressed their interest in switching to the newly released game and play it at a competitive level. The first Valorant esports tournaments were hosted by ESPN and Twitch and there was no shortage of participants in spite of the game’s novelty.
The best opportunities for those who contemplate betting on Valorant are presented by Riot Games’ own Ignition Series events. These are Valorant esports tournaments promoted by the game developer who are expected to take the level of competition beyond the standard ranked system. The company has a lot of experience in promoting its games and has accomplished remarkable things with League of Legends. It hopes to achieve similar results with the new game and ensure the success of Valorant esports
In spite of being a brand-new game on the esports stage, Valorant is already a big thing and has tremendous potential for growth. This has led to a surge in the number of professional players and there are already dozens of Valorant esports teams playing the game competitively. Some of the best ones are located in North America and Europe, but people play the game all over the world. At the time of writing, the most successful teams are 100 Thieves, Cloud9, Gen.G, Immortals, Lazarus, Sentinels, Team SoloMid, T1 and Ninjas in Pyjamas. As the game consolidate its position on the esports stage, Valorant betting will pick up and more teams are expected to join the fray.
Valorant enjoyed tremendous success on Twitch as soon as it was officially released and the YouTube trailer created a lot of hype around it. Viewers spent hundreds of millions of hours watching streamers and their number increased steadily during the closed beta. The highest number of concurrent viewers was reached in early April, when streamers had the opportunity to offer beta key drops. Since the official release, the game has attracted even more fans on Twitch and the number of streamers also grew.
League of Legends is the most popular game among punters who can bet on regional and international matches on a daily basis. Riot Games hopes for similar success with Valorant esports, as the game was already embraced by most mainstream bookmakers. You can bet on matches and enjoy competitive odds at dedicated esportsbooks such as Buff.bet, Pinnacle, GG.bet and Betway. They provide ample betting opportunities pregame and in real-time, while also offering bonuses to new and existing punters.
Since the game is still in its infant stages as an esport, the number of markets is limited when betting on Valorant. You can bet on the outright winners of series and tournaments or place live wagers on special markets such as the first kill. The best bookmakers have live streams Incorporated on their website, but when these are missing punters can still watch them on Twitch. As the popularity of the game increases and Valorant esports becomes a big thing, the number of special betting markets is also expected to grow.
Mainstream bookmakers and esports specialists have added Valorant to their online betting offer. You can bet real money on upcoming tournaments, as well as live matches and watch them through live streams.
Buff.bet, Pinnacle, Unikrn and GG.bet are some of the best bookmakers dedicated to esports. They were some of the first to have added Valorant to their offer with regular, pregame and live esports betting.
Your best chance of finding top Valorant betting odds is at bookmakers that dedicated ample coverage to esports. Buff.bet, Pinnacle, GG.bet and Betway are the obvious choices but you can also enjoy a decent selection of betting markets and competitive odds at mainstream bookies.
Valorant is still a new addition to the esports arena and it needs a lot of time to reach its full potential. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has been around for years and the franchise dominated the first-person shooters esports stage for decades. Riot Games’ latest release is a serious challenger but it doesn’t pose an immediate threat to Valve’s flagship FPS.
