Valorant has maintained its standing as a well-liked playing esport as new numbers reveal its 2024 spike wasn’t short-term.
A Sharpr report printed on July 24, 2025, has revealed that Valorant is constant its climb as a well-liked betting topic effectively into 2025. This confirms expectations that the sport would change into a betting mainstay, mirroring Counter-Strike’s large recognition. The continued progress might be pushed even additional in 2026 because of coverage modifications by developer Riot Video games. Whereas its explosive progress final 12 months hasn’t subsided, Valorant’s betting volumes nonetheless sit under the large three of CS2, League of Legends, and Dota 2.
The brand new information comes from Kambi, a betting options supplier that’s partnered with greater than 50 international operators. The information reveals which video games are hottest with bettors and compares them with charges from earlier years. The graph under signifies betting deal with, which is the overall sum of money wager on a given esport.
Picture Credit score: Sharpr
Whereas Counter-Strike remains to be the clear chief in esports playing, Valorant’s year-over-year progress has continued previous its preliminary spike in 2024. It now represents 4.8% of all esports deal with, putting it above a number of different fashionable titles. Valorant’s progress in 2024 might be attributed to its growing aggressive circuit and rising recognition with informal avid gamers. Bettors could also be extra inclined to wager on a steady esports scene over one that’s nonetheless growing. Be aware that Counter-Strike is the oldest esport inside the high three whereas Dota 2 is technically the youngest, excluding the unique Warcraft 3 mod.
Picture Credit score: Sharpr
In North America, the overall proportion of cash wagered on Valorant is greater than double the remainder of the world at 11.5%. The sport seems to be extra fashionable in North America than in Europe, although regional participant counts for Valorant should not publicly out there. Riot is in the end a North American firm, which might affect regional participant counts. It’s additionally doable that American League of Legends bettors usually tend to wager on Riot’s different aggressive titles.
Why is playing on Valorant turning into fashionable?
Valorant’s continued recognition as a playing esport may be attributed to its similarity to Counter-Strike and up to date coverage shifts by Riot Video games.
Counter-Strike is the most well-liked betting esport on the earth for a lot of causes. It has a protracted aggressive historical past, and is the oldest aggressive title included in Kambi’s information. It’s additionally internationally fashionable, with the sport attaining success throughout Europe, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. Its stats-heavy gameplay is right for prop bets, and the sport’s pores and skin distribution system is arguably a type of playing in its personal proper.
Picture Credit score: Riot, Valve
Valorant shares a lot of these traits. As a tactical shooter, it’s simple to interrupt down gamers’ performances into uncooked numbers. As a Riot title, it shortly achieved recognition everywhere in the world. Nevertheless, it’s lacking the identical aggressive historical past as Counter-Strike. The title formally launched on June 2, 2020, giving it simply over 5 years of historical past. Its complicated gameplay may make it rather less casual-friendly than Counter-Strike, with agent talents typically making large performs tough to parse.
Current modifications by Valorant developer Riot Video games might additional increase its playing recognition. On June 26, 2025, Riot introduced that high Valorant and League of Legends groups will be capable of settle for betting sponsorships for the primary time. This is able to enable bookies to immediately promote to Valorant followers utilizing their favourite gamers as a car for engagement.
Whereas it nonetheless lags behind extra established aggressive titles, Valorant’s maturing esports scene and Riot’s new gambling-friendly insurance policies might lead to a fair greater increase in 2026.
