VALORANT is a free-to-play 5v5 character-based tactical shooter developed and published by Riot Games. In VALORANT, players assume the roles of “agents” with unique abilities and engage in team-based gameplay, focusing on strategic shooting and tactical prowess. The game features various modes including:
- Unrated: The core game mode where teams compete in a best-of-25 format, with the first team to win 13 rounds claiming victory. Players take turns playing on attacking and defending teams, with the objective being to plant or defuse a bomb-like device called the Spike.
- Spike Rush: A faster variant played as best of 7 rounds, where every player on the attacking team carries a Spike, but only one can be activated per round. Weapons are randomized each round, and abilities are fully charged at the start, except the ultimate, which charges faster.
- Swiftplay: A shortened version of the Unrated mode, intended as a quick game option that lasts about 15 minutes with a best-of-9-rounds format.
- Competitive: Similar to Unrated but with a ranking system that assigns a rank to each player after 5 games. It features a “win by two” condition in overtime to decide the match.
- Premier: Aimed at players aspiring to go pro, requiring teams of five to compete in divisions with a season culminating in a Division Championship.
- Deathmatch: A 9-minute free-for-all where the first person to reach 40 kills or the one with the most kills at the end wins.
- Team Deathmatch: Teams of five compete to reach 100 kills first within a 9.5-minute match, featuring a mix of elements from standard and deathmatch modes.
- Escalation: A team-based mode similar to the “gungame” concept, where teams progress through 12 levels of weapons, needing to achieve a set number of kills to advance.
- Replication: Players vote on an agent to play, and the entire team plays as that agent throughout a best-of-nine match.
VALORANT emphasizes precise shooting, strategic use of agent abilities, and teamwork to secure victory. The game offers a rich competitive scene and a variety of play styles depending on the chosen agents and the strategy employed by the team.
