What it is, who makes it, and how to install it step-by-step

What Is Valorant?

Valorant is a free-to-play online tactical shooter made by Riot Games, the same company behind League of Legends. Released in 2020, it quickly became one of the world’s most popular competitive games, especially among teenagers.

In Valorant, players join teams of five and compete to plant or defuse a “spike” (similar to a bomb in Counter-Strike). Each player picks a character called an Agent, each with unique abilities. Victory depends on teamwork, strategy, communication, and quick reflexes.

Who Develops Valorant?

• Developer / Publisher: Riot Games (headquartered in Los Angeles, owned by Tencent, a Chinese company).

• Other Riot Titles: League of Legends, Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra.

• Community & Esports: Valorant has a huge professional esports scene, with tournaments like the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) watched worldwide.

How Big Is Valorant in the Esports World?

Valorant has become one of the top contenders in international esports, resonating with millions of fans and players around the globe:

• It frequently ranks among the top 5 most-watched esports games worldwide by peak concurrent viewers. In fact, Valorant ranks 4th, trailing only behind giants like LoL and CS2.

• Recent live event records show a peak viewership of over 1.68 million during major tournaments in 2024.

• Riot’s official Valorant league, the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT), has consistently drawn over a million concurrent viewers for its championship events.

• On the player side, Valorant maintains a huge daily and monthly active base—with over 25 million monthly users globally and regularly 700,000+ players online each day.

Age Rating & Safety

• PEGI (Europe): 16+

• ESRB (North America): T (Teen, 13+)

• Reasons: Violence (gunplay), online interaction (chat/voice).

• No Gore: Valorant avoids blood and graphic violence — defeated players vanish rather than bleed.

Safety Considerations for Parents

• The game has voice and text chat, meaning kids can hear strangers.

• Parents can mute chat or restrict voice features.

• Game includes an anti-cheat system (Vanguard) that runs in the background to ensure fair play.

Can younger kids (under 13) play Valorant?

Riot requires players under 13 to have parental consent in order to create an account. With a parent or guardian’s approval, kids aged 11+ can play and even join supervised competitions, especially school or community esports programs. Parents should always stay involved by monitoring playtime and communication settings.

System Requirements

Valorant is designed to run on most modern PCs.

Minimum Specs (playable at low settings):

• Windows 7/8/10 (64-bit)

• Intel i3 processor

• 4 GB RAM

• Intel HD 3000 graphics

Recommended Specs (smooth gameplay):

• Windows 10/11 (64-bit)

• Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 3 processor

• 8 GB RAM

• NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti or better

Even budget laptops can usually run Valorant — it’s optimized for accessibility.

See Riots' official site for more.

Installing Valorant on Windows

This is the official and easiest way.

Step 1: Go to the Website

1. Open Chrome or Edge.

2. Type playvalorant.com in the address bar and press Enter.

3. Click the Play Free button.

Step 2: Create a Riot Games Account

• If your child doesn’t already have one, create a new account.

• You’ll need an email, birthday, username, and password or alternatively you can use a social login Facebook, Google, etc.

• Save the login details somewhere safe.

Step 3: Download the Installer

• The site will download Install VALORANT.exe (about 70 MB).

• Check your Downloads folder.

Step 4: Run the Installer

• Double-click the file.

• If asked “Allow this app to make changes?” → click Yes.

• Follow the prompts → Next → Install.

Step 5: Install Riot Vanguard

• Vanguard (anti-cheat) is required.

• Click Yes when prompted.

• Restart your computer if asked.

Step 6: Launch Valorant

• Double-click the Valorant icon on the desktop.

• Log in with your Riot account.

• Let the game download its full files (30–40 GB).

Once complete, click Play and you’re ready to go.

Step 7: Easy Login with the Riot Mobile App

Logging in to Valorant can be even easier with the Riot Mobile app (available on iOS and Android).

• When you open Valorant for the first time, you’ll see the option to log in by scanning a QR code.

• Open the Riot Mobile app on your phone.

• Tap the QR scanner in the app and point it at the code on your computer screen.

• That’s it! You’ll be logged in instantly, without typing your username and password.

This is especially helpful for younger kids who might forget long passwords. Parents can keep the Riot Mobile app on their phone for quick, safe logins.

Installing Valorant on a Mac

Valorant does not run natively on Mac. It only works if you install Windows using Boot Camp (Intel Macs only).

Supported Macs

• Intel-based Macs (2012 or newer)

• Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3) Macs — not supported

Steps for Intel Mac

1. Download the Windows 10 ISO from Microsoft.

2. Open Boot Camp Assistant on your Mac.

3. Partition your drive (at least 150 GB for Windows).

4. Install Windows.

5. Boot into Windows, then follow the Windows installation steps above.

Lowering graphics settings will help Valorant run smoothly on Macs.

Other Systems

• Linux: Not supported (Vanguard anti-cheat blocks it).

• Cloud gaming (GeForce Now, etc.): Not supported.

• Consoles: Available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

• Mobile: Available in China, global release expected soon.

Check out Riot’s official announcements hub for more info.

Quick Reference Table

Parent FAQ

Q. Is Valorant free? A. Yes. All gameplay is free. Purchases are cosmetic only.

Q. How long does installation take? A. Setup: 5–10 minutes. Full download: 20–60 minutes depending on internet.

Q. Can I limit playtime? A. Yes. Use Windows Family Settings or parental control apps like Qustodio.

Q. Is it violent? A. It’s a shooting game, but no gore — players disappear instead of bleeding.

Q. Is it safe online? A. There is voice and text chat. You can mute chat in settings. Riot also bans toxic players.

Q. Does Valorant need internet? A. Yes, it’s online-only.

Q. How much space does it need? A. 30–40 GB (plan for 50 GB with updates).

Q. Can my child play on console instead? A. Yes. Valorant is available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Final Tips for Parents

1. Valorant is a competitive team game, so kids will want to play with friends.

2. Updates are frequent — make sure you keep free space available.

3. Encourage healthy breaks: 1–2 games at a time (15–30 minutes per game).

4. Consider playing a match yourself — it can be a fun bonding activity!

With this guide, you not only know how to install Valorant, but also understand what the game is, who makes it, how safe it is, and what systems it works on.