Valorant is a free-to-play first-person tactical hero shooter developed and published by Riot Games.[3] The game's development started in 2014 and was teased under the codename Project A in October 2019. A closed beta period began with limited access on April 7, 2020, followed by a release on June 2, 2020. It was originally designed for Windows only, but support for the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 was added in June 2024, albeit without crossplay between PC and console clients. Valorant takes inspiration from the Counter-Strike series, borrowing several mechanics such as the buy menu, spray patterns, and inaccuracy while moving.