Riot Games to invest $200M in VALORANT mobile esports

$200M Esports investment

Riot Games and Tencent will invest 1.5 billion RMB (~$200M) over the next three years to build VALORANT Mobile’s esports ecosystem in China.

Tournaments across all levels

The roadmap includes national and collegiate tournaments open to all, alongside regular co-branded events to grow community participation.

Early esports push during Beta

Multiple esports events have already been organized during VALORANT Mobile's closed beta, signaling a strong early focus on competition.

Anti-Cheat & fair play systems

Riot and Tencent revealed systems such as replay review, real-time penalties, cheat detection, and hardware fingerprinting to uphold competitive integrity.

High-quality mobile experience

The game aims to deliver PC-level competitive gameplay on mobile, with a focus on player-centered, creative, and esports-powered experiences.

Release date in China confirmed

VALORANT Mobile officially launches in China on August 19, 2025, for both iOS and Android, with over 60 million pre-registrations.

Launch content details

The game will release with 18 agents, 7 core maps, 2 exclusive Deathmatch maps, and 10 game modes, promising a rich starting experience.

China first, global later

Despite high global interest, Riot is focusing on China first, citing the passion and scale of the Chinese player base as key reasons. Global release plans remain undisclosed.