VALORANT helps Twitch reach 4 million concurrent viewers

VALORANT’s beta had a strong start on Twitch with the FPS game breaking records on Day 1. Riot Game’s new title surpassed Twitch’s 2018 concurrent viewership record in August 2018. VALORANT is Riot Games’ first intellectual property outside of the popular MOBA game, League of Legends. Thanks to gamers seeking VALORANT keys for closed beta access, Twitch records were broken.

Riot Games first announced VALORANT, then known as Project A, during their ten-year anniversary stream in 2019. Professional players from other games have since expressed their interest in switching to VALORANT. With VALORANT’s similarities with CS:GO and Overwatch, a transition to Valorant would be relatively easier for most professionals.

Esports organization T1 signed former IBP player Braxton “Brax” Pierce to their VALORANT team. Multiple former Overwatch players have announced their retirement from Blizzard’s game and many of them could transition to Riot’s VALORANT.

It’s a testament to how well Activision-Blizzard built such a healthy and stable esports scene that players are leaving in droves for a non-existent one. pic.twitter.com/nc07trjJJU

— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) April 7, 2020

VALORANT Reaches 1.6M Twitch Viewers

Big streamers are taking to VALORANT in a big way with the top Twitch streams all broadcasting VALORANT gameplay.

Twitch had over 4 million concurrent viewers on Day 1 of the Valorant beta launch. Image Credit: Twitchtrackers.com

On Day 1 of its beta launch, VALORANT propelled Twitch to reach a new record of 3.99 million concurrent viewers. Riot’s FPS game accounted for 1.6 million of these numbers.

Today’s surge in viewership was primarily driven by 1.6 million viewers for VALORANT, the upcoming first-person shooter from Riot Games.

The game is currently in a closed beta. pic.twitter.com/LmFzF5iTkh

— Roundhill Investments (@roundhill) April 7, 2020

VALORANT’S concurrent viewership record still falls behind Riot’s popular MOBA offering, League of Legends. Over 1.75 million fans watched FunPlus Phoenix defeat G2 Esports 3-0 in the Grand Finals of the 2019 League of Legends Worlds Championship. With this new record, Riot Games emerges as the game developer with the most popular PC gaming titles on Twitch.

Twitch had over 4 million concurrent viewers on April 7. Image Credit: Twitchtracker.com

Gaming has taken a front-seat with many of the big physical sports leagues taking a break due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. While the NBA suspended their current season, the MLB could postpone their games due to the virus outbreak. Meanwhile, the NFL hopes to experience no delay in their upcoming season starting September.

Several leagues are turning to esports to keep fans engaged during this period. Many racing drivers are now competing in online sim racing simulations, giving fans a similar experience.

How to get VALORANT Beta Keys

The only way for esports fans to get VALORANT beta keys is to watch Twitch streams tagged with Drops Enabled. As the most anticipated FPS game of 2020, the massive interest in the game could also be a reason for the new viewership records.

The upcoming months will be crucial for Riot Games as it aims to find the perfect balance between maintaining the competitive nature of VALORANT while also making it aesthetically pleasing to the casual gamer.

Check out the Esportz Network Podcast for the latest games news and interviews.

Written by Rohan Samal