When I woke up early in the morning and glanced out the window, my heart suddenly sank—oh no.
Although it was a weekend with no work, perfect for holding an offline trial event for VALORANT Mobile (hereinafter referred to as "VALORANT Mobile"), the weather gods were not on our side. Shanghai experienced bursts of plum rain, which is undoubtedly very unfavorable for an outdoor event.
So, on the way to West Bund Dream Center, I couldn't help but worry for VALORANT Mobile—would this long-prepared offline event end poorly due to "unfavorable weather"?
The bustling crowd of umbrellas in front of the main stage gave the answer to this question.
Although VALORANT Mobile's trial event didn't have favorable weather, it succeeded in human connection. This untimely, fluctuating rain clearly did not dampen players' enthusiasm. The number of attendees remained large, all eager to catch an early glimpse of the game. It's not surprising that VALORANT Mobile has so many fans before launch. After all, VALORANT is currently one of the hottest FPS games globally, with its bomb-defusal competitive gameplay, rich roster of agents, and unique ability designs having already accumulated a large base of loyal followers worldwide.
And the high quality of this VALORANT Mobile trial event truly made up for players braving the rain to attend—putting it mildly, it completely refreshed my previous impression of "trial events."
Especially when you see the colossal object on the main stage, you'll understand: this trial event is far more than just a simple "trial."
Let me ask, which trial event would go to great lengths to build a giant K/O model on the main stage? And even equip it with movable mechanisms? Just looking up at this massive structure from below induces a considerable sense of pressure.
Especially during the night session, the giant K/O activated its light show with lighting equipment, delivering a huge visual impact to the audience. When K/O, shrouded in mist, closed his fingers and bumped his fists together, performing the classic ultimate move as expected, I couldn't help but recall the fear of being dominated by K/O in-game, and the terrifying phrase "You have been deprived of power!" automatically echoed in my mind.
Besides the heavyweight "Activate K/O Light Show" at night, other segments of this event were equally impressive. The solo matches and battles between star players and streamers were brilliant, earning much applause and cheers from the audience below. The interspersed Cosplayer appearances were also highly popular, attracting many "VALORANT juniors" to take photos. Additionally, randomly appearing cosplayers and staff members distributed "Pidan" balloons and small gifts to players.
Rather than calling this event a trial session, it's more like a feast exclusively for VALORANT players, a "show" for them to watch and enjoy.
Even for trial projects focused primarily on gameplay experience, the organizers thoughtfully designed performance segments fitting the venue's style.
Before entering the black box for the 5v5 trial match, we first needed to follow K/O's voice instructions, step forward to sign, and undergo "identity verification." Only after our signatures were projected onto the curtain wall entering the trial area and laser scanning confirmed "identity verified" could we enter the inner venue.
Believe it or not, replicating this process, usually seen only in sci-fi works, into reality creates a strong sense of ritual, genuinely giving one the illusion of traveling into VALORANT Mobile and transforming into an elite agent.
The game trial event was certainly well-organized, but how is the quality of VALORANT Mobile itself?
Actually, four words suffice to summarize it—"authentic experience." Whatever VALORANT plays like, VALORANT Mobile plays exactly the same.
If you are already a veteran VALORANT player, you can fully apply your past gaming experience to VALORANT Mobile. For instance, commonly used one-way smokes, Jett's "Q+E combo," and even Raze's "Boom Bot jump" can all be easily applied in the mobile version.
But maintaining an "authentic experience" is no easy task. After all, there are significant differences between mobile and PC control methods; "touchscreen" and "keyboard & mouse" have entirely separate interaction logics. Advanced gaming techniques taken for granted by PC players obviously cannot be achieved in mobile games through simple "virtual button mapping."
But VALORANT Mobile did not simplify the system like other mobile games on the market, directly removing all advanced operations—it chose to retain gameplay depth, optimizing skill interaction logic conservatively based on mobile controls.
The difference here can be likened to "crutches" versus "wheelchairs."
VALORANT Mobile's approach is to hand beginners a "crutch," intending only to support the lower limit of players' operations and reduce the barrier to entry. When executing desired actions, players don't need to spend time struggling with the "touchscreen" interaction itself. However, to achieve true advanced operations, players still need to "walk on their own," practicing step by step. Thus, the advantage and sense of achievement from mastering advanced techniques through effort are preserved.
However, if we directly simplify the game rules and control system, turning all advanced techniques that require practice into "one-click"傻瓜 operations, depriving players of the right to "free movement," player-versus-player combat would turn into a patronizing "wheelchair battle."
To achieve this, VALORANT Mobile fully leverages the unique advantages of "virtual buttons" and "touchscreen controls," allowing players to easily execute tactical actions of varying difficulty through customizable key layouts and optimized control logic within the game.
For example, the action of "throwing utilities" in the PC version, which requires simultaneous control of keyboard and mouse for multi-step operations, can be easily achieved in the mobile version with just one finger—press the ability key to select the utility, hold and swipe the screen to control direction, then release to throw.
For advanced techniques requiring multiple coordinated actions that are difficult to execute on mobile, VALORANT Mobile provides more convenient solutions through integrated button functions or "smart casting." For example, after Jett long-presses to trigger her "Updraft" ability, it automatically chains into "Hover," easily completing this common combo. Meanwhile, Raze's "Boom Bot jump" leverages "smart casting" to achieve the second jump with one click without needing to rotate the view.
Touchscreen controls on mobile aren't without advantages either. For example, performing a "strafe peek" on a touchscreen allows using a one-finger virtual joystick instead of the "WASD" keys on a keyboard, making the "strafe peek" technique easier to execute on mobile. Aim assist is present too, but its values aren't set overly aggressively; it usually works subtly, helping players secure kills they should have gotten anyway.
Furthermore, the game includes a comprehensive tutorial ranging from beginner to advanced levels, covering basics like stop-and-shoot, extending to advanced techniques like strafe peeking and pre-aiming, as well as detailed explanations of each agent's abilities. The tutorials progress gradually, allowing even players new to this type of game to master high-end operations through the meticulous mobile tutorial.
Of course, besides control logic, while retaining the essence of the PC version, VALORANT Mobile has also reduced match duration based on mobile players' fragmented play habits, ensuring a tight and exciting game pace. These changes satisfy mobile players' demand for fast-paced games without sacrificing VALORANT's consistent competitive depth and tactical diversity.
These optimizations in VALORANT Mobile cater to the overall "casual" mobile gaming audience. While making it easy for all players to get started, it also takes into account the competitive experience of high-level players.
Thanks to these optimizations, I quickly adapted to the mobile control mode within the first few minutes of the trial session, seamlessly transferring my experience as a PC "launch veteran" to the mobile version. With such a "first-mover advantage," achieving a quad kill in the trial session felt natural and effortless.
But in the already saturated red ocean of FPS mobile games, can VALORANT Mobile, like me, quickly establish itself and stand out by leveraging the PC version's "first-mover advantage"?
At this moment, we may not yet be able to predict.
However, judging from the photo session, we can at least affirm that VALORANT Mobile delivered a quite satisfactory result to all attending players during this preliminary trial event.
