Is Valorant Ever Coming To Nintendo Switch?

When "Valorant" released in 2020, it took the FPS scene by storm. The Riot Games title drew droves of players, and it even changed the esports scene by making it more inclusive. The free-to-play hero shooter, which bears some similarity to "Overwatch," has received extensive support from Riot, including new characters, maps, and constant balance changes. "Valorant" has one major limitation, however — it's only available on PC. This locks out several prospective players.

Given its platform exclusivity, people have wondered if "Valorant" will ever come to PS5, Series X, or even the Nintendo Switch. While the Switch may seem like the least likely system to get the game, a compelling rumor has led some to think that the FPS will arrive on Switch first (besides the mobile "Valorant"). In fact, the developers haven't shied away from discussing what "Valorant" could look like on other devices, indicating the idea might be closer to happening than anyone thought.

In early February 2022, esports organization Sentinels tweeted what looked like a blurry promotion for "Valorant" on the Nintendo Switch. The image, complete with standard Nintendo formatting, said that the FPS would come to the portable on February 25.

At the time, plenty of people wondered if the "leak" was a hoax. One Twitter user pointed out that the supposed promo mentioned pre-orders for a free-to-play game. Another joked that some of their teammates must be playing it on Switch early, referencing the idea that those on controllers would be at a disadvantage compared to gamers using a keyboard and mouse on PC.

February 25 came and went without "Valorant" hitting the Nintendo Switch eshop. While people expressed a great deal of excitement in the initial Twitter thread, it looks like the promo image was either fake or Riot pushed back the release. Considering no other mentions of a "Valorant" Switch version have surfaced, it was like the former, though Riot hasn't spoken out against the handheld hybrid.

Anna Donlon, the executive producer of "Valorant," told GameSpot in a 2020 interview that there may be hope for "Valorant" console players. "We are definitely prototyping that right now," revealed Donlon. "But there's a way to play this game and there's a way to experience this game that we're not entirely sure translates completely to console play ... [We] really want 'Valorant' to stand for a certain type of gameplay and a certain experience."

Donlon further explained that the team wants to ensure players won't be at an advantage because of what system (and potentially controls) they choose to use. Though this doesn't eliminate the possibility of ports, it's clear Riot wants to focus on making sure that the "Valorant" experience feels the same across all platforms. For console players –- including Switch players -– this news is better than Riot just laughing the idea away.