Riot Games, after their gargantuan success with games like League of Legends, looked to enter the tactical FPS arena with Valorant.
Valorant has fairly quickly become the talk of the town and currently boasts of one of the most active player bases in all of gaming.
Valorant's approach to the FPS shooter arena is more methodical and tactical than other first-person shooter games like Call of Duty. It is a decidedly more methodical experience than the frantic match types of several other games.
Valorant adds more depth to its combat by giving players the option to pick from 5 different characters or "Agents". Each Agent comes with their own kit, essentially abilities and powers that are unique to each character.
The game excels at slowing down the pace, encouraging players to play more tactically and carefully work out their movement as a team. The emphasis on team play is what makes Valorant such an engaging game.
Here are 5 similar games that might help you out in case you're looking for games to give you a similar experience like Valorant.
5 best games like Valorant
5) Apex Legends
This is going out on a limb of the highest degree as Apex Legends is absolutely nothing like Valorant when it comes to the design. However, where the similarities lie is in the fact that both games are made all the better for its inclusion of unique characters.
Apex Legends thrives by giving the players 13 unique "Legends" that have unique Kits with special powers and abilities to give them the leg-up. Think of Apex Legends as Valorant's character-based combat taken to the battle royale genre.
Apex Legends does not have an arena shooter mode but if it did, it would look a lot like Valorant.
It is one of the most deeply engaging first-person arena shooters and one that has clearly made its mark on the industry.
4) Paladins
One of the most under-appreciated games of the last decade, Paladins surprisingly has a very strong player base. This hero-based shooter also allows players to pick from a range of unique characters and employ their special abilities in the heat of combat.
Once touted to be a competitor to Overwatch, Paladins manages to live up to those lofty expectations and then some. It is one of the best free-to-play games that offer Triple-A level content and polish.
While there are persistent issues with matchmaking and a few bugs here and there, Paladins remains a very strong experience. For fans looking to play hero-based shooters, Paladins will fill that gap in the free-to-play genre.
3) Overwatch
Overwatch is a decidedly faster experience than Valorant but if players are looking to play games where they can experiment with different characters, then this is the game for them.
Overwatch is one of the best games to have come out during its year of release and is still, to this day, one of the most played multiplayer games. There is a lot of depth to the game's combat and gunplay and much like Valorant, there is a certain learning curve with each character.
Each game in Overwatch is impacted heavily by the character selection before the match, and the correct combination can work wonders for a squad. The game encourages players to experiment and try out different characters to find one that truly suits their play-style.
2) CS: GO
There was a lot of hyperbole on the internet before the release of Valorant as the internet was rife with comments stating that Riot Games' shooter would be the "CS: GO- killer". However, that is very far from the case as both games co-exist in their own particular space.
CS: GO is the pioneer of the tactical FPS genre and has been a major influence on the industry. Its influence is clearly visible in the claustrophobic, methodical arena shooters such as Valorant.
The game franchise paved the way for many games, and CS: GO is, by far, the most polished and refined experience in the series. Players need little introduction to the game as it is one that has been popular for decades at this point.
1) Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbox Six Siege might just have been the biggest hit from Ubisoft in the past decade, which is saying a lot as the company has been very successful in the last decade.
Rainbow Six Siege shook things up in a big way with its tactical first-person shooter experience that encouraged methodical play. Running and gunning won't do you much good in Rainbow Six but playing to your Operative's strengths and working alongside your teammates will.
Each Operative comes with a kit that specialises in a certain field- this makes players pick a particular character that best suits their playstyle. The game forces players to make tactical decisions very quickly as each seemingly minor move will have big consequences in the match.