Part 1: How a 32-Year-Old Got Completely Hijacked by Valorant Mobile

I was 32 and had been playing PUBG Mobile for a while. It was fine. Decent time killer. But I wasn’t really into it anymore — just going through the motions.

Then Valorant Mobile launched on the CN server. Season 1, day one. I downloaded it mostly out of curiosity.

First game loaded and it hit me instantly — this is CS. The stop-and-shoot, the one-tap headshots, the way you hold angles. All of it felt familiar, like muscle memory from years ago kicking back in. Except now it’s on my phone and I can play it anywhere.

By the third game I uninstalled PUBG Mobile. Didn’t even think about it.

The first week

I played every free moment I had. Morning, lunch, evening, late night. I didn’t really understand the game yet — couldn’t tell you what half the agents did, bought guns at random times, and my crosshair was permanently aimed at the floor.

But it didn’t matter. The game loop had me. Win a round, feel smart. Lose a round, immediately queue again because this time I’ll play better. Classic dopamine trap, and I walked right into it with both eyes open.

Within that first week, I’d basically stopped doing everything else. No gym, no reading, no going outside unless absolutely necessary. Just Valorant Mobile from the moment I woke up to whenever my phone battery died.

I knew this wasn’t sustainable. I told myself I’d “balance it out next week.”

I did not balance it out next week.