China’s National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), on Wednesday, announced the approval of a mobile version of Valorant, among other games. A Chinese license of this kind is a big development for Riot Games and the expectant Valorant community worldwide.

Rumors circulated earlier this year about the release of the Valorant mobile port. The NNPA, China’s government body in charge of video game licensing, has now updated that Valorant mobile is set for a global release soon. However, they have not confirmed a specific date yet. 

On June 5, 2024, China announced the approval of the third batch of imported game licenses for the year. The batch included 11 mobile games, one PC game, and three console games. The 13th item on the list was titled “VALORANT: Operation Primal” in the document.

The core reason Riot began developing Valorant Mobile was to target the robust mobile game market. A beta release in China means that the developers may be looking to exploit their massive Chinese player base. 

For those unfamiliar with the situation, a regional launch like this is also necessary to collect feedback for market testing and content adjustment. This move will further solidify Valorant Mobile’s position as one of the most promising games of 2024.

As much as this is excellent news, there has been no direct confirmation from the FPS developers except for footage of closed beta testing, which began in China in August 2023, and some leaks.

Anna Donlon, Studio Head of VALORANT, also contributed to the speculations in a March 2024 Special Press Conference in Madrid, where she stated:

“There haven’t been any significant updates, except, um, I think some of them might have leaked from some closed game tests. So, I really hope we can provide some really serious updates on this matter this year.”

Fans hoping to see a mobile version of Valorant soon should check the official X (formerly Twitter) page of Valorant and Riot Games for further announcements.