Paths
How VALORANT works
In one line: The rules of the game in eight chapters: the round, the match, agents and roles, maps, game modes, competitive, the key numbers and what wins rounds.
Who it is for
For anyone starting from zero or who has played a little and wants to understand the rules properly before thinking about tactics. It also suits players who have played for a while but never read how the economy, the spike and ranked really work.
What you will know at the end
You will know how a round and a match unfold, what the four roles do, how maps are built, how competitive works and which numbers really matter. Above all, you will know what wins rounds: not kills alone, but information, numbers and time.
9 steps
0 of 9 done
Step 1
The round: attack, defense, spike Free
- What to learn
- The phases of a round, the spike and the win conditions.
- What you can skip
- Nothing: everything else builds on it.
Step 2
A full match: 13 rounds, side swap, overtime Free
- What to learn
- How you get to thirteen, the side switch and overtime.
- What you can skip
- The overtime details, if you only play unranked.
Step 3
Agents and the four roles Free
- What to learn
- What each role does for the team.
- What you can skip
- The examples about agents you do not play.
Step 4
Maps: sites, mid, chokes Free
- What to learn
- Sites, mid, chokes and how to read a new map.
- What you can skip
- Nothing.
Step 5
Game modes Free
- What to learn
- Which mode to use to train what.
- What you can skip
- The modes you are not interested in.
Step 6
Competitive and ClutchLeague: ranks, placements, levels Free
- What to learn
- How rank works and what moves it.
- What you can skip
- You can read it last if you do not play ranked yet.
Step 7
The numbers you need to know Free
- What to learn
- The few numbers that really matter in a match.
- What you can skip
- Do not memorize it all: come back to it as a reference.
Step 8
What wins rounds Free
- What to learn
- Why information, numbers and time matter more than kills.
- What you can skip
- Nothing: it is the chapter that ties the others together.
Step 9
YouTube
To design a tactical shooter // Dev Diaries
by VALORANT (Riot Games)
- What to learn
- VALORANT's design idea, explained by its designers.
- What you can skip
- The details on agents and maps: the video is from 2020.