Abstract is Justice: Valorant Mobile’s Lunar New Year Breakthrough and David Tao’s Marketing Masterstroke

Introduction: The Viral Code Behind a Secret Phrase

"In the Year of the Horse, Play Valorant, Not Horses~"

During the 2026 Lunar New Year, this quirky slogan rapidly spread like wildfire among youth. From gaming groups to friend circles and short video comments, this playful "greeting" was omnipresent. It functioned as a covert signal between players and stood out as one of the most identifiable online memes that holiday.

Behind this slogan stands "Valorant Mobile: Ignition" (hereafter "Valorant Mobile") — a hardcore competitive FPS mobile game. Traditionally, the Lunar New Year slot is fiercely contested by casual games and social apps. Intense combat, precise controls, tactical teamwork — these traits seem out of place amid the festive atmosphere of family visits and toasts.

Yet Valorant Mobile pulled off an impressive "counter-cycle" move this Lunar New Year. Without massive ad spending or formulaic celebrity endorsements, it relied on a carefully crafted "meme campaign" to become one of the most talked-about mobile games of the Year of the Horse.

Rather than a "rebound" or "explosion," it was more of a "natural outcome." Tencent’s Q3 2025 financial report had already labeled Valorant Mobile as the company’s most successful mobile game launch in 2024, now ranked among "evergreen games." For Valorant Mobile, strength was never lacking; what it needed was the right opportunity to fully unleash its potential. The 2026 Lunar New Year update was exactly that key.

David Tao: From R&B Godfather to "Abstract Icon" Breaking Boundaries

The most brilliant move in Valorant Mobile’s Lunar New Year marketing was betting on David Tao.

In a marketing battlefield crowded with trending celebrities and endorsement wars, this choice felt both "retro" and "avant-garde." Instead of hiring hot young stars or chasing top idols, they brought in the godfather of Chinese R&B — a name that for Gen Z and Gen Alpha has transcended music to become an internet subculture icon.

David Tao’s "second evolution" is one of the most fascinating cultural phenomena in recent Chinese internet history. For the 80s and 90s generations, he was the gentleman in "Regular Friends," the pioneer defining Chinese R&B aesthetics in "Love Is Simple." But younger netizens see him as having transformed from "musician" to "meme king."

His meticulously styled side-swept bangs, sudden quirky freestyles during livestreams, and countless iconic meme-worthy moments have made David Tao a perfect symbol of "talented yet unpretentious, self-deprecating but not cheesy." He’s both an authority in his craft and an active participant in meme culture — this "serious yet abstract" duality resonates deeply with Valorant Mobile’s player base who value individuality and playful creativity.

After the official collaboration announcement, players’ enthusiasm for digging into history was fully ignited. Some noticed David Tao’s early looks strikingly resembled the game character Shang Boler; the official custom game ID "Love Seems Like a Six-Kill" became a hot topic, with in-game searches surging.

Microscopic players even discovered that flipping the Valorant Mobile logo 180 degrees reveals a shape remarkably similar to David Tao’s signature side-swept hairstyle — this "official meme wink" maximized the crossover’s fun factor.

The collaboration’s anthem "In the Year of the Horse, Play Valorant, Not Horses" was the key step in popularizing the meme culture nationwide. Its catchy tune and memorable lyrics perfectly captured FPS players’ self-mocking "wild shooting" (poor aim) collective memory. The song quickly became the go-to anthem for Lunar New Year gaming sessions and sparked a wave of creative remixes on short video platforms.

Deep in-game integration made this crossover more than just a promotional video. Players could earn David Tao-themed "Year of the Horse Blessings" card skins, "Urgent Command" sprays, and sound-effect-laden "DUANG~" titles. Every design element tied closely to David Tao’s meme culture, with players spontaneously forming teams to collect all five "Blessing" cards, pushing the festive meme atmosphere to a climax.

Data shows that related topics on Douyin for "In the Year of the Horse, Play Valorant, Not Horses" exceeded 300 million views. More impressively, the core players praised the cultural fit of the collaboration, while casual entertainment users quickly grasped the game’s context through David Tao’s memes. Valorant Mobile achieved both breaking out of niche circles and retaining users through accessible, resonant content.

Valorant Showcase Hall: When FPS Meets "Cyber Fair"

Marketing’s breakthrough was only the first half; product support was the real key to winning the Lunar New Year battle.

The core idea behind Valorant Mobile’s Lunar New Year update was clear: avoid forcefully pushing hardcore competition, and instead build a "pick-up-and-play, low barrier, high fun" competitive playground. After all, the holiday means players’ time is fragmented and surroundings noisy; a relaxed party-style experience fits better than intense, serious matches.

The launch of the "Valorant Showcase Hall" embodies this concept.

Traditional FPS lobbies are usually just functional waiting rooms — players match, wait, then enter matches mechanically and coldly. But the Showcase Hall was given the soul of a "cyber fair" — players can draw "cyber fortunes" for daily luck, customize skill combos, and test them in limited-time Lunar New Year modes. These designs fill the social void outside matches, turning wait time into entertainment.

Following the logic of "bringing everyone together to have fun," the update introduced the "Big Head Mode" — officially called "Grab the Head’s Glory."

This mode is a playful twist on traditional competitive rhythm: character heads grow larger with each opponent defeated, bigger heads mean stronger attacks, and only head attacks are allowed. It’s easy to pick up, visually amusing, and instant respawns reduce frustration. Both hardcore and casual players find joy in this mode.

At the Valorant Tour Guangzhou stop, popular artist Zhang Linghe previewed Big Head Mode, delivering a highly shareable highlight: after a four-kill streak crowned him "Big Head King," he was ganged up on, creating a viral moment that quickly trended across major platforms. Audience feedback online and offline confirmed the mode’s unique value in energizing the community.

This "entertainment-focused" experiment even sparked envy among PC game players. Many voiced on forums that they hope the PC version adopts similar casual modes, indirectly proving Valorant Mobile’s success in balancing hardcore and fun.

From immersive socializing in the Showcase Hall to the joy-boosting Big Head Mode, Valorant Mobile hasn’t abandoned core competitive depth but offers players freedom to choose "competition or entertainment" during this special holiday. Veteran players rediscover pure gaming joy, newcomers cross the threshold easily, making "Daily Valorant Moves" truly achievable.

Division and Symbiosis: Valorant Mobile’s "Evergreen" Dialectic

At last year’s offline Valorant event, one detail stood out: the crowd’s loudest cheers were not only for the main team’s skillful plays but also for the official Valorant Mobile exhibition matches. The atmosphere was always filled with laughter, contrasting the main event’s intensity in an intriguing way.

As operation time extends, the brand distinction between Valorant Mobile and PC Valorant has become clearer. The PC version remains the hardcore, elite competitive bastion, hosting top-tier esports and honoring core players; Valorant Mobile embraces a younger, more inclusive, and more mass-market direction.

This division reflects Valorant Mobile’s new understanding of "mobile esports." Early debates questioned whether "mobile could replicate PC’s hardcore competitive traits." Now, when newcomers ask "which platform to choose," the community’s answer has subtly shifted — no longer arguing superiority, but listing each platform’s features so players can find the best fit for their needs.

In less than half a year, Valorant Mobile has developed its own design philosophy beyond simply mirroring the PC experience. The addition of unique entertainment modes makes it a more social and accessible gateway into the Valorant IP. It’s not a "downgraded PC version," but an indispensable "amplifier" in the IP ecosystem.

Standing as a "rising evergreen product," Valorant Mobile still faces challenges: how to maintain a dynamic balance between hardcore and entertainment? How to continuously produce brand content loved by youth? How to find the optimal blend of market intuition and product discipline?

But at least this 2026 Lunar New Year, Valorant Mobile proved one thing: FPS mobile games don’t have to choose between hardcore and fun. Competitive depth and trendy socializing can coexist, creating vivid, lively joyful moments with players — the true operational logic behind "Daily Valorant Moves."

When millions share the same secret phrase, the same melody, and a space where they can freely have fun, Valorant Mobile has already carved out its own path to becoming "evergreen."