How will the Valorant Battlepass work?

Ever since Fortnite showed game developers just what is possible when it comes to monetizing a free-to-play title, it seems that almost every new release includes some sort of Battlepass style system. However, many people forget that Riot Games implemented a very similar concept to League of Legends years before the popular Battle Royale was born.

Regardless of who got there first, the Battlepass structure often offers better value to players than simply buying individual items or loot crates. Valorant’s first pass is now live, and David “Milkcow” Cole, who works on some of the game’s progression systems, has explained just how it will work.

Riot have mapped out the future of Valorant content as though they are writing a story, beginning with Episode 1, Ignition. Each episode will be broken down into Acts, lasting roughly two months, with each Act bringing a new Battlepass.

This inaugural pass consists of 50 tiers, further split into 10 Chapters. Every Chapter features 5 Premium tiers, the completion of which will unlock a free reward.

Rewards are all purely cosmetic, and will not effect gameplay. You can expect Weapon Skins, Player Cards, Gun Buddies, Sprays and Titles, although if you stick to the free pass, the number of Weapon Skins is very limited.

The Premium Battlepass will cost you 1000 Valorant points, which is the equivalent of $10. As tiers are simply unlocked as you accumulate XP, you can still purchase the pass later on and retroactively unlock any Premium rewards you have earned.

Overall, Valorant fans seem satisfied with this first Battlepass and it will be interesting to see how Riot iterate on it in the future. Each Act will likely have its own unique theme, with skins and loot to match.