Riot Games has announced the official launch date of Valorant in China, where players will have access to a highly demanded in-game feature.
Since its global release in 2020, Valorant has become one of the most popular first-person shooter games in the world and a tier-one esports title, with tournaments held across the globe and millions of dollars in prize money on the line.
However, it was only in December 2022 that Tencent, Riot Games’ parent company, secured a green light to launch the game in China. Days before the New Year, Valorant was among the 40-plus foreign titles approved for 2023 by the Chinese government’s National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA).
In February, Bloomberg reported that Valorant was set to be rolled out in China in the summer. Moreover, it was reported Tencent subsidiary TJ Sports had initiated talks with players and organizations in China with a view to setting up a Valorant league in the country.
After months of anticipation, Riot Games finally announced more details about Valorant’s launch in China at an event in Shanghai.
Valorant release date in China
Valorant will release in China on July 12, 2023. This was confirmed by Riot at the Shanghai event.
John Needham, Riot Games’ President of Esports, Whalen Rozelle, the COO of Esports, and Anna Donlon, the SVP and Executive Producer on Valorant, were among the company’s senior figures who attended the event.
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Needham stepped onto the stage only at the end, shortly before it was announced that the Chinese server will launch on July 12.
Initially, Valorant will be rolled out in China with only 16 Agents and four maps. It was also announced that Chinese server players will have access to an exclusive Tai Chi Fan melee weapon and a built-in recording tool – a feature that players all over the world have long been asking for.
OFFICIAL: The CN-only Recording Tool for @PlayVALORANT called "Fearless Moment"This seems to be a built-in feature on the Chinese Client of VALORANT that lets you record your game and able to rewind with deepened stats Let this video tells you what it looks. It's Beta btw pic.twitter.com/8qmMcamyWw
— hesketh2 (@subzidite2) June 28, 2023
The announcement of Valorant’s launch in China comes amid the excitement of the game’s first official offline event in the country. From July 3-16, the 12 best teams in China will lock horns in Shanghai in the Chinese qualifier for Valorant Champions 2023, the season-ending event that will take place in Los Angeles.
At the recent VCT Masters Tokyo event, EDward Gaming proved that Chinese teams already have what it takes to beat the best teams in the world.
EDG ended China’s winless streak at international events and placed 5th-6th at the event, beating NAVI, T1 and reigning Valorant world champions LOUD. Zheng ‘ZmjjKK’ Yongkang has established himself as one of the most exciting young talents in the game, racking up a tournament-high 103 Operator kills, more than triple the number of the next-closest player.
Rozelle announced that China will be integrated into the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). More details about how this will happen and China’s Valorant league should be revealed at the Tencent Global Esports Summit 2023 on July 14-15.