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VALORANT Mobile has only just launched in China, but Riot is wasting no time getting its esports scene rolling. The publisher has revealed the game’s very first national competition, and it’s coming in big, with a massive ¥3 million (~$418,000) prize pool on the line.

The competition is being called Alpha Split, and it’s set to run across both PC and mobile. While the PC version already has a “Pro Teams” track, the mobile side is kicking off a little differently with four unique pathways into the finals:

  • National – an in-game qualifier that anyone can join.
  • College – aimed at university and school-level competition.
  • Streaming Platform – a fight to see which streaming giant reigns supreme, featuring Bilibili, TikTok, Huya Live, Douyu, and Kuaishou. There’s also $140,000 USD up for grabs here alone.
  • Cooperation (Co-op) – tied to the OnePlus VALORANT Mobile tournament announced earlier this year.

Riot is also making it easier for players to get involved with an in-game Esports Centre. This will let players jump into qualifiers with a simple “1-click” entry, which should make signing up for the National track straightforward.

Each pathway will run qualifiers between late August and November, with one champion from each moving on to the National Finals. Those finals are scheduled for December and will feature just four teams representing each path.

And here’s the wild part: the finals are taking place at the Aranya Grand Masters Skateboard Festival. Yes, you read that right, VALORANT Mobile esports is sharing the stage with a skateboarding competition. Both PC and Mobile finals will be hosted at the event, making it a cross-scene celebration of competitive play.

This national-level tournament comes only weeks after VALORANT Mobile officially dropped in China, signalling Riot’s serious commitment to the mobile esports space. In fact, the company has confirmed it will invest 1.5 billion RMB (~$200m) into VALORANT Mobile esports over the next three years to really build up the scene.

The launch numbers already point to strong momentum too. On its first day alone, VALORANT Mobile raked in more than $1m in iOS revenue from in-app purchases, showing that the appetite for the game is already huge in China.

With Riot pushing this kind of infrastructure, and a prize pool of this scale right out the gate, it looks like VALORANT Mobile is about to carve out its own big moment in esports, skateboard ramps and all.