How To Get A Valorant Beta Key Before Beta Ends [Update]

Update: Its closed beta may be over, but that also means Valorant's official launch is on the way. If you weren't able to get into the beta during its pre-release stage, don't worry--Valorant's release date is right around the corner and, as it was during its early access period, Valorant will remain free to play. Find out if your PC can run Valorant in our minimum/recommended specs guide.

Original story follows...

The Valorant closed beta has been active for a while now, but there are still plenty of people who haven't gotten their beta key yet. Now with the Valorant beta ending soon and an official release date announced, you might not be in as much of a rush to get in--it will be free to play for everyone at launch. Of course, Valorant is still among the top-streamed games on Twitch and reached record-breaking viewership numbers post-launch as players scrambled to get into the exclusive testing period. Its ranked competitive mode finally went live in a recent patch too--with ranks resetting after the closed beta period ends, now is still a good time to get in early and test things out before launch. You can learn more about how Valorant's ranked system works in our guide or read the patch notes for one of Valorant's biggest updates to see what else is new before the game launches. Otherwise, keep reading for some tips on how to get your Valorant beta key before the game launches in a few weeks.

How To Get A Valorant Beta Key From Twitch Stream Drops

To get a Valorant beta key, you will need a Riot account, but you also need to sign up for Twitch. You must also be located in one of the regions listed later in this section. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to become eligible for a Valorant beta invite.

1. Register for a Riot account
2. Sign up for Twitch
3. Link your Riot and Twitch accounts and make sure drops are enabled
4. Watch Valorant streams on Twitch

During the second week of beta, Riot expanded which streams can actually drop beta invites. Originally, only Twitch streamers specially selected by Riot to drop invites could do so, meaning you could only watch specific streams to get access. But now all Twitch streamers with access to the closed beta are able to drop beta invites for their viewers, as long as they are streaming Valorant. This doesn't increase the number of invites going out, but it does widen your options for getting into the beta. It should be harder to game the system than it was initially, as, well, as Twitch updated its guidelines to prevent people from running VOD 24/7 sessions to farm the keys.

The initial beta was limited to players in the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia, Turkey, and CIS countries, but an update eventually added Korea, Latin America, and Brazil. More regions could be supported later, but Riot said this is "pending developments with the current COVID-19 pandemic." You can find more information in the announcement post on Valorant's official website or on their recent launch date Q&A post.

How Long Do I Need To Watch Valorant Streams To Get A Beta Key?

According to Riot, you need to watch roughly 2 hours of Valorant streams in order to be eligible for a closed beta invite. A higher "weight" is given to viewers with more hours of Valorant streams clocked, which means your chances of getting an invite should be increased, but--as Riot states--"it's still not guaranteed." Riot has also provided more details about how closed beta entitlements work on a technical level to address some fans' concerns. It's also begun the process of manually rewarding "the most engaged Valorant stream viewers" with beta invites, as a thank you to fans.

Will Watching More Valorant Streams Increase My Chances Of Getting A Drop?

Riot has clarified how closed beta entitlements for Valorant work, as many people have been watching Twitch streams with no sign of an invite. You can read more about it in Riot's blog post, but according to Riot, Valorant beta invites work differently than regular drops on Twitch. Among the points they've clarified, Riot states that a certain percentage of people who are eligible for an invite are given Valorant closed beta access "throughout the day and night," except during server outages, when invites are paused. The selection is always random, and while watching more hours of Valorant streams will increase your chances of getting an invite, there is no guarantee you'll get one.

According to Riot, you don't need to have Twitch running to receive a drop. Once you've met the viewing requirement of 2 hours or more, you will be eligible for an invite during Riot's next "wave of entitlements."

Valorant Beta Updates And Patch Notes

Valorant has received steady and consistent updates in its still relatively fresh beta stage. One of its earliest updates nerfed Raze and Sage and its latest patch, update 0.50, made some adjustments to rifle accuracy, among tons of other things.

Read full patch notes for several Valorant beta updates below.

• Valorant beta update 0.47+ full patch notes
• Valorant beta update 0.49 full patch notes
• Valorant beta update 0.50 full patch notes

Valorant Beta Minimum And Recommended System Specs

To see if your PC can even run Valorant, check out the minimum and recommended Valorant system requirements.

Will Valorant Closed Beta Progress Carry Over To The Final Game?

According to Riot, progress you make in the closed beta for Valorant will not carry over to the final game, as its "current gameplay state may very well change come launch." While gameplay progress won't be saved, you will retain all Valorant Points you purchase during the closed beta, plus a 20% bonus as a thank you from Riot, when the game launches.

When Does The Valorant Closed Beta End?

Riot always stated that the Valorant closed beta would be "short," and it was right--the Valorant closed beta ends on May 28. On beta launch day, Valorant broke a Twitch record for single-day viewership numbers, so it was certainly popular, with a large volume of players trying to access the beta even weeks later.

When Does Valorant Launch?

Riot Games originally set an ambitious "Summer 2020" as its launch date, and it might just reach that goal, as an official release date was just set for early June.