VALORANT Mobile: Officially released in China with 18 agents, 7 maps, 8 game modes, and new exclusives skins

VALORANT Mobile officially launched this Tuesday, August 19, in China, while the rest of the world is still waiting for news of an international release. After several months of closed and open beta phases, and a record-breaking 70 million pre-registrations, Riot Games’ mobile adaptation of its flagship FPS arrives as a potential future giant in the mobile esports and shooter scene.

At launch, VALM already offers a solid foundation with seven playable maps: Bind, Fracture, Haven, Icebox, Ascent, Breeze, and Split. On top of these iconic locations already familiar to PC and console players, the mobile version introduces two additional maps that are exclusive to the Team Deathmatch mode, giving players a little extra variety right from the start.

According to official material, fifteen agents are available from day one, which is already more than what the PC version launched with back in 2020.

Riot Games showcased this pool of 18 agents during a recent conference and even hinted at the addition of Clove on its Weibo account, suggesting the imminent arrival of a fifth Controller. That being said, the number of Initiators available at launch is surprisingly low, with only three compared to the seven already present across PC and console. Chamber, like a few other agents, has also had his tattoos removed in this mobile version due to censorship regulations in China.

When it comes to game modes, there are few surprises based on the same official preview. VALORANT Mobile appears to feature eight different modes, ranging from the standard Unrated and Competitive matches to more specialized ones such as Escalation, as well as Team Deathmatch with its two exclusive maps.

As for the weapons, the arsenal remains identical to the existing PC and console versions, but Riot Games has planned a few small adjustments. The North American publisher has already revealed exclusive skin lines designed specifically for the mobile release, such as “Overdrive”, which was showcased during the beta, and “Awakening Lion,” spotted in the official announcement visuals.

Despite the excitement of this launch—which also coincides with the second anniversary of VALORANT’s release in China—there is still no official information about a worldwide rollout. However, since localized builds in several languages are already confirmed to exist, speculation remains high. With the Champions event set to take place in Paris this September, the biggest tournament of the competitive season, Riot Games could see this as the perfect timing to finally announce a global release. Though nothing official has been stated yet.