Riot Games’ new competitive shooter, Valorant, isn’t officially out (and probably won’t be for a while), but the closed beta is available right now. You’ll need a beta key to participate–and you’ll have to complete a few steps in order to receive one. Riot has already explained how Valorant beta keys work in a blog post, the details of which we’ll go over below, but the biggest takeaway is that you’ll need to log plenty of hours watching Valorant streams in order to get invited to the closed beta.
For more information on how to increase your chances of getting an invite, including which streams can drop invites, and for Riot’s overview of how closed beta entitlements work, read on below. To see if your PC can even run the game, check out the minimum and recommended Valorant system requirements.
How To Get Into The Valorant Beta
To access the Valorant beta, you will need a Riot account, but you also need to sign up for Twitch. You must also be located in one of the regions listed above. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to become eligible for a Valorant beta invite.
- Register for a Riot account
- Sign up for Twitch
- Link your Riot and Twitch accounts and make sure drops are enabled
- Watch Valorant closed beta streams on Twitch
During the second week of beta, Riot expanded which streams can actually drop beta invites. Originally, only Twitch streamers specially selected by Riot to drop invites could do so, meaning you could only watch specific streams to get access. But now all Twitch streamers with access to the closed beta are able to drop beta invites for their viewers, as long as they are streaming Valorant. This doesn’t increase the number of invites going out, but it does widen your options for getting into the beta.
This initial beta will be limited to players in the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia, Turkey, and CIS countries. More regions could be supported later, but Riot said this is “pending developments with the current COVID-19 pandemic.” You can find more information in the announcement post on Valorant’s official website.
How Long Do I Need To Watch Valorant Streams To Get A Beta Invite?
According to Riot, you need to watch roughly 2 hours of Valorant streams in order to be eligible for a closed beta invite. A higher “weight” is given to viewers with more hours of Valorant streams clocked, which means your chances of getting an invite should be increased, but–as Riot states–“it’s still not guaranteed.” Riot has also provided more details about how closed beta entitlements work on a technical level to address some fans’ concerns. It’s also begun the process of manually rewarding “the most engaged Valorant stream viewers” with beta invites, as a thank you to fans.
How Do Valorant Closed Beta Invite Drops Work?
Riot recently clarified how closed beta entitlements for Valorant work, as many people have been watching Twitch streams with no sign of an invite. You can read more about it in Riot’s blog post, but according to Riot, Valorant beta invites work differently than regular drops on Twitch. Among the points they’ve clarified, Riot states that a certain percentage of people who are eligible for an invite are given Valorant closed beta access “throughout the day and night,” except during server outages, when invites are paused. The selection is always random, and while watching more hours of Valorant streams will increase your chances of getting an invite, there is no guarantee you’ll get one.
According to Riot, you don’t need to have Twitch running to receive a drop. Once you’ve met the viewing requirement of 2 hours or more, you will be eligible for an invite during Riot’s next “wave of entitlements.”
Will Valorant Closed Beta Progress Carry Over To The Final Game?
According to Riot, progress you make in the closed beta for Valorant will not carry over to the final game, as its “current gameplay state may very well change come launch.” While gameplay progress won’t be saved, you will retain all Valorant Points you purchase during the closed beta, plus a 20% bonus as a thank you from Riot, when the game launches.
How Long Will The Valorant Closed Beta Last?
According to Riot, the Valorant closed beta will be “short,” but it’s willing to reconsider based on player feedback. On beta launch day, Valorant broke a Twitch record for single-day viewership numbers, so it is certainly popular.
When Does Valorant Launch?
Riot Games hopes to launch Valorant in “Summer 2020,” but has not given a more specific release date.
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