Hot on the heels of Valorant‘s launch earlier this week, developer Riot Games seemingly has an eye on bringing the action-packed 5v5 character-based tactical shooter to consoles, but there are conditions.
Riot will presumably want to mimic other multiplayer giants such as Overwatch, which successively launched on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. There’s certainly an appetite from players for console versions of top esports titles as we’ve seen with Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege.
Speaking in an interview with GameSpot, Valorant executive producer, Anna Donlon, offered hope for those hungry for a console version.
When asked about the likelihood of Valorant landing on consoles, Donlon explained, ‘We are definitely prototyping that right now. But there’s a way to play this game, and there’s a way to experience this game that we’re not entirely sure translates completely to console play.’
It’s a fair point and one that rings particularly true in Valorant’s case. Riot has made no qualms about its focus on quality, competitive gameplay over aesthetics. It’s a philosophy that is all too apparent when playing Valorant – responsive gunplay, strategy, and a cohesive, balanced experience are part and parcel of every bout of Valorant.
For Donlon, the focus appears to be on ensuring a consistent experience for all players, regardless of platform, but without sacrificing the core pillars that define Valorant. Compromise doesn’t seem to be on the cards; if Valorant doesn’t translate well to consoles, Riot won’t force it.
Donlon continues, ‘If we feel like we can deliver this experience on those platforms, we absolutely will. But we really want Valorant to stand for a certain type of gameplay and a certain type of experience. It’s not a no, for sure. But it definitely wasn’t the focus out of the gate. If we were to do it, it’ll definitely be delayed.’
While Donlon stopped short of outright confirming a console port of Valorant, early indications are clear – Riot wants to bring the game to consoles, but it won’t release a watered-down, under par version simply for the sake of it.