We just know that chats on the PH VALORANT server are going to be wild.
Related: Neon Is The Latest Agent Coming To Valorant, And She’s Filipino
Filipinos love their video games, especially online video games that take over mobile phones and computer shops. One of the most popular multiplayer games among many Filipino gamers is VALORANT. The 5v5 hero shooter from Riot Games is big worldwide, but it’s found a strong and consistent audience in the Philippines. It’s a fact Riot Games is aware of, to the point where they even introduced a Filipino agent named Neon in 2022 and partnered with Ylona Garcia. And in the biggest sign yet of the game’s recognition and support of its Philippine market, the country is getting its own VALORANT gameserver.
READY FOR THE MNL LOBBIES
Serving as the sixth gameserver for VALORANT in the Asia Pacific region, the Philippine gameserver is set to go live with Patch 11.04 on August 20 at 5:00 AM Philippine time. Typically, Pinoy players connect to the Hong Kong server, which has served as the primary hub for the country since 2020. But with the launch of the Manila gameserver, it promises to bring better connectivity, deliver lower ping, reduce instability, and improve overall connectivity. It hopes to eliminate many of the infrastructure-related limitations Filipino players often face when connecting to overseas servers—most notably in Hong Kong.
All this to say, Filipino players can expect an overall better gaming experience when playing VALORANT moving forward. Its location will be labelled ‘MNL’ in the server options under the Southeast Asia region for eligible players.
Riot Games notes that VALORANT’s gameserver in Manila will not affect the performance of its Hong Kong server. So, even if some players choose to switch to the new server, game quality and matchmaking on the Hong Kong server will stay resilient. Moreover, the Manila server is an additional option, not a replacement. Filipino players have the choice of moving to the new server or staying on the Hong Kong server. It will also not affect players’ ability to join competitive tournaments like Premier, and top Filipino teams competing from the Manila server will still have the chance to qualify for the Challengers Southeast Asia league.
As you can imagine, and because the internet remains undefeated, news of a Manila gameserver has netizens both hyped and dropping their best memes, imagining what a VALORANT server mainly composed of Filipino players will look like. Let’s just say, the chat is going to be wild, without the toxicity, hopefully.
VALORANT ❤️ THE PHILIPPINES
The launch of the Manila server is the latest example of how the Philippines has become a significant market for VALORANT. When most of the gaming world’s attention in this part of the world usually goes to countries like South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, getting our own gameserver of a major multiplayer FPS is a big deal. It also shows how VALORANT has become a go-to game for many Filipinos.
During VALORANT’s 5th anniversary celebration last June, Riot Games Philippines paid tribute to Pinoy players and gaming communities that have been pivotal in shaping VALORANT in the local gaming scene through activities that showcased the game’s footprint in the local culture, including art, music, and creative expression. You may have seen the murals at one of the Tenement Basketball Courts in Taguig City, hand-painted by Jappy Agoncillo.
And let’s not forget the Filipino talent making waves globally in the competitive VALORANT scene, such as all-Filipino Team Secret competing internationally, NAOS securing second place in a recent Challengers split, and local players joining global teams like Global Esports. Most recently, former NAOS player Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza joined Southeast Asia organization Paper Rex, helping lead them to victory as they head to VALORANT Masters Toronto 2025.
Topping off the celebrations, Riot Games Philippines will be mounting a series of community tournaments for Filipino players across the nation. Stay tuned to VALORANT’s official PH social media channels for more updates.
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