Riot Games and Tencent’s LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS have unveiled a significant investment plan to establish VALORANT Mobile as a major competitive title in China. Announced during the 2025 ChinaJoy Gaming Festival, the companies confirmed a joint commitment of 1.5 billion RMB (approximately $200 million) over three years to build a national esports ecosystem tailored to the mobile version of the tactical shooter.
A central element of this strategy is the VALORANT Mobile China National Circuit, which is set to begin in Q4 2025. Open to the general public, initially focused on university-level players. However, plans are already in place to expand this into a professional scene modelled on Riot’s existing VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) structure, which counts on franchised teams divided into regional leagues.
The competitive rollout will begin sooner, with a Show Cup taking place by the end of September, shortly after the official launch of VALORANT Mobile in China on 19 August. This inaugural event aims to generate excitement around the game and serve as a public introduction to its upcoming esports ecosystem.
In the event, Tencent outlined additional technical features to support competitive integrity, including a replay system, real-time penalty enforcement, and enhanced cheat detection, aiming to replicate PC-level competition while remaining accessible to all skill tiers.
China’s mobile gaming market is already one of the most developed and competitive globally. The scale of interest in VALORANT Mobile—evidenced by over 60 million pre-registrations ahead of launch—mirrors the region’s broader enthusiasm for mobile esports. The success of titles such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, particularly across China and Southeast Asia, has demonstrated the viability of building large-scale mobile esports ecosystems.
MOONTON Games‘ title has achieved global reach and helped elevate Southeast Asia as a global hub for mobile-first competition. Tencent also has a successful experience in a similar field with Honor of Kings, launched in 2015 and marketed as the most-played mobile multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) in the world.
Although Riot has yet to announce global expansion plans for VALORANT Mobile, its concentrated efforts in China suggest the region will serve as a strategic launchpad for broader mobile esports ambitions. Notably, China was the only region to retain an official league for League of Legends: Wild Rift—Riot’s first attempt to adapt a PC title for mobile—with the local Wild Rift League (WRL) continuing operations even as other regional circuits were discontinued.
