Competitive FPS fans have likely already jumped into Valorant, the latest release from Riot Games. However, the game’s age requirement makes it unsuitable for players under a certain age. How old do you need to be to play Valorant? And what about the game makes it less suitable for younger players? Read on to find out.
How old do you need to be to play Valorant?
You need to be at least 16 years old to play Valorant. The game has been rated T for Teen by the ESRB and PEGI 16 by the PEGI age rating group. Riot Games accounts restrict the game to players 16 years of age or older.
It may seem odd to ask how old you need to be to play Valorant considering the game is available as a free download on PC. However, you’ll need to sign up for a Riot Games account in order to download the game. If you set your age to anything under 16, the Riot Games client will block the Valorant download.
The two biggest game content rating groups offer differing takes on the Valorant age requirement. The ESRB T rating implies the game is suitable for players 13 or older, while the PEGI 16 rating states it’s suitable for players 16 years of age or older. Age ratings aside, both groups provide the same sort of descriptions for in-game content. These notably include blood splatter effects, use of firearms to kill human opponents, and mild language. For concerned parents, Valorant includes options to disable both blood and corpses.
Both PEGI and the ESRB agree that Valorant is unsuitable for players under 13. However, Riot Games requires Valorant players to be at least 16 years of age. You won’t have to provide identification to download the game, but you won’t be able to play if you claim to be an age under 16 years old.
