Controversial Valorant Mobile Named ‘Project M’ Announced by NetEase

NetEase has recently unveiled their newest title ‘Project M’, and it looks quite concerningly similar to Riot Games’ tactical shooter Valorant. This alarming similarity has garnered the attention of the internet in moments of its initial announcement, and many fans have expressed their resentment towards NetEase by accusing them of “ripping off” Valorant. 

Valorant has undoubtedly been one of the biggest hits in the world of competitive shooters over the past year. Originally released in June 2020, the title managed to win the hearts of millions of fans worldwide due to its unique and interesting game mechanics. 

What separated Valorant from most other shooters is the fact that agents in Valorant could use various ‘abilities’ to give them an edge in combat. However, it seems like NetEase has adopted the same concept by introducing ‘Project M’ to mobile devices. 

NetEase is a Chinese internet and video game company that is also a rival of Riot Games’ parent company Tencent. From the initial looks at the trailer of ‘Project M’, it’s evident that it is heavily inspired by Valorant. Interestingly enough, Valorant was named ‘Project A’ at the time of its development. 

Not only are the weapons shown in the trailer extremely similar to those of Valorant, the abilities that were showcased also have many similarities with the agents’ kits in Valorant.

While Riot hasn’t specified any date of the release of the mobile version of Valorant as of yet, NetEase might be looking to seize this opportunity by releasing their title before the much-anticipated release of Valorant mobile. 

Recommended | Project M accused of copying Valorant