VALORANT has taken the world by storm since its release. As the only viable contender to CS: GO’s Esports dominance, many players, pros included, have made the jump across to Riot’s tactical FPS title.
Not everybody, though. There are a lot of players new to the tactical FPS genre that have started with VALORANT. Maybe it was the unique and interesting characters that attracted them, or maybe they just saw a TikTok and thought it looked fun. Either way, they’re here, and they’re bored.
If you’re fed up and looking for a game like VALORANT, we’ve got you covered. We’ve compiled the five most similar games we could find, so if you’re looking for a new competitive game to sink your teeth into, try these.
Is There Any Game Like VALORANT?
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
The obvious answer to the question “Is there any game like VALORANT?” is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO). It’s the only other major Tactical-FPS game on the market, making the two games similar enough for some to call VALORANT a CS: GO clone.
While the foundational mechanics like movement and gunplay are more or less identical between the two, CS: GO doesn’t have agents. Rather than abilities, the game has grenades in the form of smokes, flashes, molotovs, and frag grenades. Each player can buy each grenade, so it’s a completely level playing field.
If you’re looking for a game as similar as possible to VALORANT, this is it. It’s a more grounded, military-based tactical-FPS, but some people prefer that to the more fantasy elements present in VALORANT.
Overwatch
VALORANT is often called a mix between CS and Overwatch, and for good reason. Overwatch was the first major competitive FPS title to really popularize the idea of having different characters with different abilities.
If you like playing VALORANT for the ability-based gameplay and don’t care for the gunplay, then you’ll probably like Overwatch.
It’s an action FPS rather than a tactical FPS, meaning matches are more fast-paced, and respawn is enabled. It’s not Search and Destroy, which some of you out there might not be too keen on.
If you do like respawn gameplay, and you like the agent aspect of VALORANT, then you should consider giving Overwatch a try.
Rainbow Six Siege
Rainbow Six Siege is what happens when you put a tactical FPS into an action FPS’ skin. It is Search and Destroy, so no respawn, but the gunplay is much more similar to that of a tactical FPS title despite R6S being a modern title. You can ADS, and your movement isn’t as restricted, but precision is still rewarded as it is in VAL and CS: GO.
Headshots are one-shot kills, but there is a revive function that allows you to res your downed teammates if you can secure them in time.
Beyond that, the gameplay is fun and unique in its own right. Attackers start outside of the map, usually a building, and have to breach it. They’re responsible for not only planting the bomb and killing the defenders but for finding the bomb sites in the first place.
There are different agents with different abilities to assist with that, giving it similar team composition-based gameplay to VALORANT.
If you feel like VALORANT and CS: GO are too old-fashioned for you, Rainbow will be right up your alley.
League of Legends
League of Legends (LoL) is the least VALORANT-like game on this list in terms of gameplay. It’s an RTS, or real-time strategy game. There are no guns – it’s an entirely different genre.
It is made by the same studio that developed VALORANT, that being Riot Games. There are different characters each with unique abilities, and it’s built for competitive 5v5 gameplay.
If you like the world and style of VALORANT, then you might just enjoy League. If you’ve never played an RTS before, it might be worth your while dipping your toes in the LoL waters. Just once.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is an action FPS, and a battle royale (BR) – two things that VALORANT is not. What they do have in common, though, is that both are competitive FPS titles with different agents with unique abilities.
Everyone loves a good BR game, and Apex is the only battle royale that has that individual, team composition style of gameplay. If you could never really get into Fortnite or Warzone, but you like VALORANT, you might enjoy Apex.
It has a competitively ranked 3v3 game mode as well as competitive battle royale, so the depth is there if you want to sink hours into the game. It’s a different style of game than VALORANT, but there are enough similarities between the two for us to recommend it.
What is the Closest Game to VALORANT?
The closest game to VALORANT is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was explicitly used as inspiration for the game and is close as you’re going to get.
While CS: GO doesn’t have the depth of VALORANT’s agent selection META, it does still have the same style of tactical gunplay.
Most top-level VALORANT players have come from CS. That includes a lot of pros including some of the best in the world like Yay.
If you’ve played VALORANT but you haven’t played Counter-Strike, do. It’s similar gameplay but a totally different atmosphere and culture.
What Do You Call Games Like VALORANT?
VALORANT, and games like VALORANT, are called tactical FPS games. There aren’t many modern tactical FPS games available – really only VALORANT and Counter-Strike, hence the popularity of both.
Action FPS games are more fast-paced and common than tactical FPS games. Overwatch and Call of Duty are both action FPS titles. Rainbow Six Siege blurs the line between the two genres, making it a good option for anyone tired of VALORANT’s slower gameplay.
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