Valorant
Released 2 June 2020 Developer Riot Games
- Tactical shooter
- First-person shooter
- Hero shooter
- PS5
- Xbox Series
- PC
Valorant is a free 5v5 tactical shooter in which each player chooses an 'Agent' with special abilities. Teams take turns attacking and defending a bomb site, with one life per round, so matches reward careful teamwork and aim. It is a competitive game with ranked play and a large esports scene, aimed at older teenagers and adults.
Money health
CautionBuilt to push spending
Addictive design
High4 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
Freefree to download
Spending ceiling
No ceilingRepeat purchases, no limit
Australian rating
Violence
How it makes money
Caution: built to push spending
Valorant is free to play. Riot sells VALORANT Points (VP), from 475 VP (A$7.45) to 11,000 VP (A$151.95), which buy weapon skins, gun buddies and player cards, the Premium Battle Pass (1,000 VP, about A$15) and early access to new Agents. Skins are sold directly, from 875 VP for a basic edition up to 1,775 VP or more for premium ones, with a store that changes every day. Skins are sold directly rather than in random boxes, and none of its age ratings flags random paid items. Most of the 29 Agents can also be unlocked by earning Kingdom Credits through play.
How you pay
- Battle pass
A Battle Pass with a free track and a Premium track that costs 1,000 VP (about A$15); extra levels are 300 VP each, and Premium purchases cannot be refunded. The Premium track also adds a 3% match XP boost.
- Free-to-play
Free to download and play on PC, and on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S (launched in Australia on 23 September 2026); revenue is from VP purchases.
- Cosmetics
Weapon skins, gun buddies, sprays and player cards are what the store sells; PEGI notes the game can be played fully without them. Skin editions cost from 875 VP (Select) to 1,775 VP (Premium), with higher tiers varying.
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- FOMO timers
The daily store offers individual skins that rotate every 24 hours and may not return; featured bundles and tournament bundles are limited, and a Night.Market runs at intervals.
- Never-ending
A live game with no end: competitive Acts follow one another (Act 6 of 2026 began on 14 October 2026), each with updates, Agents, maps and store items.
- Game currency
VP are bought with real money (475 for A$7.45, 1,000 for A$14.95, up to 11,000 for A$151.95). Radianite Points upgrade skins and are bought with VP or earned; Kingdom Credits are earned in play (up to 600 a day, capped at 10,000).
- Held back
Only five Agents are unlocked on a new account. For the first 28 days after release a new Agent can only be unlocked with VP, a recruitment event or Xbox Game Pass; after that Kingdom Credits or tokens also work.
minor part of the game - Daily pressure
Four daily checkpoints each earn 150 Kingdom Credits (up to 600 a day), and daily and weekly missions give Battle Pass XP.
minor part of the game
Fairer alternatives
Similar games with a healthier money model
What it costs
Free to start, then A$7.45–A$151.95 a purchase
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 475 VALORANT Points (smallest pack) | Microsoft Store (AU) · Xbox Series | A$7.45 | Oct 2026 |
| 1,000 VALORANT Points (950 + 50 bonus) | Microsoft Store (AU) · Xbox Series | A$14.95 | Oct 2026 |
| 11,000 VALORANT Points (9,500 + 1,500 bonus; largest pack) Other packs: 1,900 VP A$29.95, 3,650 VP A$53.45, 5,350 VP A$75.95. |
Microsoft Store (AU) · Xbox Series | A$151.95 | Oct 2026 |
| Premium Battle Pass (1,000 VP) Priced in VP; A$14.95 is the price of a 1,000 VP pack. |
In game (VP) · Xbox Series | A$14.95 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
9/ 10
IGN
Described it as a clever and deep tactical hero shooter that is a lot of fun to master.
-
90/ 100
PC Gamer
Called it an exceptional shooter, with strong gunplay and Agent abilities that everyone should try.
-
Recommended
Eurogamer
Praised Riot's focus on fair competition and precision while noting how absorbing and demanding the game can be.
-
8.5/ 10
Game Informer
Saw a traditional tactical shooter template given extra flair through Agent abilities.
-
7/ 10
GameSpot
Found the tight tactical play compelling match after match, though the package was bare-bones.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
Content labels
- Violencemoderate
Fighting, weapons, injury and death, from cartoon bonks to realistic killing.
From ACB, ESRB and PEGI descriptors - Blood & goremoderate
Blood, injuries and body damage on screen.
From ESRB descriptors - Languagemoderate
Swearing and crude language, from the odd 'damn' to frequent strong profanity.
From ESRB descriptors
Classification
Age ratings judge content (violence, language, gambling themes), summed up in the content labels above. They say little about how hard a game pushes spending — that's what the money badges are for. About rating boards
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Text and voice chat
- Players can interact with strangers
- No user-made content
- Needs an online account
A Riot account is needed, and Riot's terms require minors to have a parent or guardian's consent. Players are matched with strangers who can talk by voice and text. Riot says its systems detect abusive language in both text and voice, and the penalties are comms restrictions, then teamplay restrictions and bans. Voice audio is always kept for at least 24 hours and for up to two years if a penalty is issued. On PC the game installs Riot's kernel-level Vanguard anti-cheat. Console players can only play with other console players. Console and PC platform settings are the place to limit spending, and console chat settings apply on those systems.
Who makes it
The company behind it, and its track record
- Workplace misconduct
Workplace misconduct findings
California Civil Rights Department, 2021-2023: $100 million settlement and consent decree over alleged sex discrimination and harassment, with three years of independent monitoring. - Labour dispute
Labour dispute
May 2019: more than 150 employees walked out over Riot's use of forced arbitration for harassment and discrimination claims. - Large layoffs
Large layoffs
January 2024: about 530 jobs (around 11% of staff) cut and Riot Forge closed. - Publishes odds
Publishes drop odds
February 2018: began publishing drop rates for League of Legends Hextech and Masterwork chests, when most countries did not require it.
Latest on the record
- Court case
Brazilian first-instance court ordered R$15 million in loot-box damages, under appeal
Court of Justice of the Federal District and Territories (TJDFT), Brazil - Other
Allowed betting companies to sponsor esports teams
Riot Games - Labour
Laid off about 530 employees and closed Riot Forge
TechCrunch
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 Launched in Australia and New Zealand on 23 September 2026 |
2 August 2024 | — |
| Xbox Series X|S Launched in Australia and New Zealand on 23 September 2026 |
2 August 2024 | Store page |
| Windows PC Windows; requires Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat |
2 June 2020 | Store page |
Further reading
- Official website
- VALORANT is live in Australia and New Zealand on console (Sept 2026)
- Riot Support: Battlepass FAQ
- Riot Support: price tiers for skins
- Riot Support: comms restrictions and audio retention
- Wikipedia: Valorant
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: playvalorant.com, playvalorant.com, www.xbox.com, support.riotgames.com, support.riotgames.com, support.riotgames.com, support.riotgames.com, support.riotgames.com, support.riotgames.com, www.riotgames.com, www.esrb.org, pegi.info, en.wikipedia.org, www.metacritic.com, opencritic.com. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.