You can now get beta access from any Valorant stream

We're loving Valorant at PC Gamer so far, but it's not without its issues. In their 11 thoughts on Valorant, Evan and Tyler highlight how much they appreciate the tactical shooter's depth, despite a lack of identity in its guns and characters. That excitement is shared by many of you, too: players are scrabbling to get access to the closed Valorant beta by watching specific Twitch streams, and the luck isn't with everyone.

Now, following this post on the game's official site, you can pick up a key from watching any Valorant Twitch stream, as long as the streamer is actively playing the game. Drops will continue to arrive 24/7 to players in Europe, Canada, United States, Turkey, Russia and CIS countries, but it's worth noting that the number of beta keys available won't increase—you'll just be able to get one from a greater number of sources.

It's also no longer just a question of dumb luck. Riot claims it went "through a few thousand of the most engaged Valorant stream viewers and manually gave access as a thank you". Riot didn't get specific in terms of how much these players needed to have interacted with Valorant streams, but if you're persistent enough, it looks like you'll be able to try the game eventually. "We know there’s a lot of demand, and it can be frustrating not to get access after a few days of watching" Riot say.

Either way, it looks like Valorant is proving popular. To meet demand, Riot has increased server load by 25% with a view to adding even more on top. That comes as the company continues to work towards widening beta access to Brazil, Latin America, and Korea, but no dates have been revealed for those regions.

If you're one of the lucky sharpshooters with access to the game, here's Tyler's guide on the best Valorant guns based on damage values and recoil patterns, plus our introduction to the game's roster of Valorant characters.

Much obliged, PCGamesN.