Valorant has maintained its standing as a well-liked playing esport as new numbers reveal its 2024 spike wasn’t non permanent.
A Sharpr report printed on July 24, 2025, has revealed that Valorant is continuous its climb as a well-liked betting topic effectively into 2025. This confirms expectations that the sport would turn into a betting mainstay, mirroring Counter-Strike’s large recognition. The continued development could possibly be pushed even additional in 2026 due to coverage modifications by developer Riot Video games. Whereas its explosive development final yr hasn’t subsided, Valorant’s betting volumes nonetheless sit beneath the large three of CS2, League of Legends, and Dota 2.
The brand new knowledge 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 beneath signifies betting deal with, which is the full amount of cash 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 development has continued previous its preliminary spike in 2024. It now represents 4.8% of all esports deal with, inserting it above a number of different widespread titles. Valorant’s development in 2024 could possibly be attributed to its growing aggressive circuit and rising recognition with informal avid gamers. Bettors could also be extra inclined to wager on a secure esports scene over one that’s nonetheless growing. Be aware that Counter-Strike is the oldest esport inside the prime three whereas Dota 2 is technically the youngest, excluding the unique Warcraft 3 mod.
Picture Credit score: Sharpr
In North America, the full share of cash wagered on Valorant is greater than double the remainder of the world at 11.5%. The sport seems to be extra widespread in North America than in Europe, although regional participant counts for Valorant aren’t publicly obtainable. Riot is finally a North American firm, which may affect regional participant counts. It’s additionally attainable that American League of Legends bettors usually tend to wager on Riot’s different aggressive titles.
Why is playing on Valorant turning into widespread?
Valorant’s continued recognition as a playing esport will 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 an extended aggressive historical past, and is the oldest aggressive title included in Kambi’s knowledge. It’s additionally internationally widespread, 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 lots 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. Nonetheless, 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 can also make it rather less casual-friendly than Counter-Strike, with agent talents generally making massive 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 prime Valorant and League of Legends groups will be capable of settle for betting sponsorships for the primary time. This might permit bookies to straight promote to Valorant followers utilizing their favourite gamers as a automobile for engagement.
Whereas it nonetheless lags behind extra established aggressive titles, Valorant’s maturing esports scene and Riot’s new gambling-friendly insurance policies may end in a fair larger increase in 2026.
