Valorant Mobile beta drops August 3 with esports features baked in

Thirty million pre-registered for Riot’s mobile shooter

Valorant Mobile is now in open beta in China starting August 3, 2025, which is the same day ChinaJoy 2025 starts in Shanghai. Tencent announced the release at its Spark 2025 event. The game is co-developed by Riot Games and Lightspeed Studios, and now that it’s in open beta, mobile players in China can try it out for themselves.

Before the open beta, there were a lot of interested users, with over thirty million pre-registered, so it’s clear people want the mobile version.

Official VALORANT Mobile Release Event 🇨🇳

▪️ 4-days Event Event presented by RIOT, LIGHT SPEEDS and Tencent China

▪️ VALORANT Mobile Open Beta date drops August 3 at ChinaJoy

▪️ Open Beta Test marks the Final step before full release#ValorantMobile pic.twitter.com/ojqK9M5znb

— VALORANT Mobile News (@ValorMINTEL) July 30, 2025

Valorant Mobile from closed beta to public release

Before the public beta release, Valorant Mobile had a closed beta in June 2025. The closed beta was for developers to test network stability and balance for gameplay and to hear from early access users. The kind of feedback the developers mostly got was from cheaters or hackers trying to ruin other players experiences. The open beta will allow the game to be opened to a wider audience but still keep the skeleton of the PC game.

It’s launching with seventeen agents and many maps that players will be familiar with. The match structure is still tactical, and it only takes eight rounds for a team to win and eight rounds for a team to draw. The shorter match structure is more suitable for mobile play, plus it keeps the tactical warfare of the original game.

Built for phones from the ground up

Valorant Mobile is built for phones. Touch controls are optimized with features like gyro aiming, auto-fire, and custom HUD layouts. These give you more control in the game. Support tools like match replays, aim training challenges, and live spectator mode are available at launch. High-end phones can run the game at 120 fps; midrange phones can adjust settings for better performance. We’ve balanced playability and visual quality across a wide range of devices.

Competitive play starts now

Competitive play is live now. The first tournament, the Valorant Mobile Show Cup, starts during the beta and runs through September 2025. This will lead into the China National Circuit at the end of the year.

Esports features in the beta:

• Tournament sign-ups in-game

• Real-time bracket tracking

• Observer mode for live viewing

• Custom lobbies for team scrims and practice

These are the same tools as the PC version, so we can have a structured and scalable mobile esports scene from day one.

How to play

Chinese players can register and download Valorant Mobile through:

• Huawei AppGallery

• QQ Game Center

• The official Valorant Mobile website using a QQ or WeChat login

The required specs are

• Android 10 or above with Snapdragon 720G or MediaTek G90T and 4GB RAM or above

• iPhone 8 or above with iOS 12 and 2GB RAM or above

• Download size around 2.5 GB, 5 GB after installation

• Performance: 60-120 frames per second depending on the device

This setup can cover most users in China’s diverse smartphone market.

For Gen Z gamers

Valorant Mobile is designed for how Gen Z players play games today. Most players under 25 prefer mobile devices, and tactical shooters are getting popular in this demographic. Tencent and Riot focused on short match formats, in-game social tools, and a balanced progression system.

Features:

• Social video sharing tools

• Built-in voice and text chat

• Squad formation and team coordination features

• Skin unlocks through missions instead of direct purchase

This structure reduces microtransactions and gives players more reasons to stay engaged without hitting paywalls.

Global release soon

Even though the open beta is only launching in China, Riot is preparing for a regional rollout. Regional betas will likely come in the second half of 2025, starting in Southeast Asia, India, and Latin America. Current app store metadata also lists a global release date of November 25, 2025, but that’s not officially confirmed.

They’ll probably use the China beta to test performance, fix bugs, and localize the game for the global audience before expanding that access. Riot’s rolloutwill likely be an extended rollout similar to previous mobile releases by Tencent and Riot.

What it means for mobile FPS games

Valorant Mobile is more than a mobile port. It’s high-stakes tactical gameplay, tournament play infrastructure, and design for mobile gameplay, all at a level that can rival or surpass what’s been built in their PC game. Tencent and Riot are setting up for so-called “casual” mobile game players but are definitely targeting mobile esports that can rival the structure and quality of the esports found in non-mobile games.

Valorant Mobile shows that the line between traditional gaming and mobile gaming is blurring. For play-goers looking to climb ranked ladders, team up with like-minded play-goers, and play in organized tournaments, this could be the start of a new smartphone-based competitive era.

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