The popular online shooter Valorant, currently available as part of a closed beta, officially launches in June.
As part of a stream during the digital Summer Game Fest event, Riot Games executive producer Anna Donlon and game director Joe Ziegler met via video conference to remotely announce the public launch of Valorant, which will add new modes, fighters and maps “shortly after launch.”
This will be the first major launch from Riot Games since its 2009 release of the massively popular League of Legends, which continues to see a large playerbase and consistent updates over a decade after release. Its newest project, Valorant has risen to popularity on platforms such as Twitch, with players as part of its closed beta praising its variety and high tension.
During the streams the developers discussed Valorant’s controversial Vanguard Anti-Cheat software, which is meant to prevent cheating during online matches but that many players have complained is invasive to their privacy.
“We will continue the conversation, and we will continue to work hard to earn people’s trust,” Donlon said during the stream. “But we believe this is the solution that helps us keep cheaters out of the game, which is what I think ultimately we really want, to keep this game really competitive.”
Valorant launches on PC for free June 2. Those part of the closed beta will lose access May 28, with any progress made being reset after that point.