Riot, Lightspeed Ally on Valorant Mobile for China

• Valorant is officially coming to mobile, with development now led by Lightspeed Studios.
• A China-first release strategy is planned, with further updates to follow.
• Riot Games has broken nearly four years of silence with this official announcement.

After nearly four years of minimal updates, Riot's acclaimed tactical hero shooter Valorant is finally heading to mobile through a partnership with Tencent-owned Lightspeed Studios. While an official launch date has yet to be confirmed, the initial release is expected to begin in China before expanding globally.

Blending elements of Counter-Strike and Overwatch, Valorant stands out for its precise tactical gunplay and unique hero abilities. The primary game mode is a 5v5 match played over 13 rounds, where each player has only one life per round. This is often combined with a bomb-defusal objective that will feel familiar to Counter-Strike fans.

The collaboration between Riot and Lightspeed comes as no surprise, given that both are under the Tencent umbrella. Still, the official confirmation is a welcome development after years of speculation about Valorant Mobile.

For players, the good news is that given Android's widespread popularity in China, a multi-platform release is all but guaranteed. Beyond that, official details remain limited to Riot's announcement: development is underway with Lightspeed Studios, and a China-first launch is planned.

Fortunately, this also implies a broader global release is expected down the line. However, amid ongoing trade complexities—including those affecting the smartphone market—it may be some time before Tencent, Lightspeed, and Riot are ready to share a precise worldwide launch timeline.

In the meantime, if you're eager for some action, skip the puzzles or cooking sims and explore our curated selection of the best shooters available on Android and iOS today.