Here’s all you need to know about the Free Valorant Game on PC!
What is Valorant?
Valorant is a 5v5 Character-Based Tactical First-Person Shooter developed byRiot Games in which players between two teams compete for victory. It was officially released globally for PC on June 2, 2020, but it arrived late in China on July 12, 2023, due to regional restrictions. The game is also officially announced to release for Android and iOS as Valorant Mobile in 2024, but there’s no news yet about a release on other platforms (Mac, Linux) or consoles (Xbox, PS5, Switch).
A standard Valorant match involves each player picking an Agent of their choice before they spawn on a randomly assigned Map to duel it out. Next, both teams will take turns to play as Attackers or Defenders while using their in-game weapons and agent abilities to win game rounds.
“In Competitive, Unrated, and Spike Rush game modes, players will need to buy weapons and certain abilities manually during the buy time before each round begins.”
While 25 rounds will be played at standard, with each lasting 100 seconds, the first team to win 13 rounds in total will win the match. The asymmetric criteria for winning game rounds between teams is to either successfully detonate/defuse the spike or eliminate all the opponents.
For communications, players will get voice chat and a chat box, with the latter supporting specific command-based actions. In terms of customizations, players can tweak a variety of game settings like crosshairs, HRTF audio, etc., and equip any desired cosmetic collectibles.
Any new map, agents, or collectibles will usually arrive in the game with a new season, i.e., Acts. Multiple Acts (three) will combine into an Episode following the primary Valorant Lore Progression.
Valorant Game Modes
Valorant has two standard game modes, i.e., Unrated and Competitive, where both teams can enjoy the core FPS gameplay experience of Plant/Defuse.
Competitive (Ranked)
Playing as Attackers or Defenders, both teams of five players in a Competitive match will try to be the first to win 13 rounds.
In the Competitive Game Mode, players will match against other players with the same skills using the MMR system. By winning Competitive games, players will earn RR to get promoted to higher Valorant Ranks like Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc.
In a tie scenario, both teams will enter OVERTIME rounds, where they must win 2 rounds more than their opponents. If another tie happens in the OVERTIME, players on both teams will vote to Draw (F5) or Continue (F6) the match during the start of each next round.
How to Unlock Competitive Game Mode in Valorant?
Beginners in the Riot’s free Valorant game will need to achieve 20 AP (account progression level) before they can unlock the Competitive Game mode. Raising the AP to level 20 is possible by playing Unrated or other game modes and earning XP from matches. Such a requirement came to the game to combat the smurf(ing) issues.
Unrated
The non-competitive game mode is known as Unrated in Valorant, which delivers the complete core FPS gameplay experience of Spike Plant/Defuse minus the RR gains. In an Unrated match in Valorant, players will still queue against other players with similar MMR.
Even if the match outcome is a victory or loss for either team, none of the players will earn or lose their rank.
In a tie scenario, the game will initiate a SUDDEN DEATH round, whose outcome will decide the match result.
Deathmatch
The duration of a Deathmatch is 9 minutes or until one player scores 40 kills.
It is a 12-player game mode whose gameplay by design is free-for-all, where players can only purchase guns and can kill anyone they see. Yes, in Deathmatch in Valorant, players cannot purchase or use abilities, making it the best game mode to learn the gun mechanics of the game. Also, players will no longer get a penalty for leaving an ongoing Deathmatch.
Spike Rush
In the Spike Rush game mode, players will compete 5v5 in two teams in a Best of 7 bracket. Each player will spawn with the same random weapon during each round, besides collecting randomly spawning orbs on the map.
Collecting the orbs in Spike Rush can grant buffs, inflict debuffs, equip Golden Gun, and recharge the Ultimate Ability.
The entire Spike Rush game can last between 8 – 12 minutes, and it’s usually the best pick when you want to complete pending daily or weekly missions.
Swiftplay
The Swiftplay game mode also offers players the core FPS gameplay experience of Plant/Defuse, like Unrated, but for an overall shorter match span. Lasting between 10 to 15 minutes, both teams will duel it out to be the first to win five rounds.
When a new map is added to the game, it will automatically become a game mode for a limited period and follow all the Swiftplay rules.
Team Deathmatch
In a Team Deathmatch, players will get selective load-outs, which they can unlock based on their team performance. The abilities of the selected agent will also recharge over a period, or players can collect specific orbs to acquire weapons, heal themselves, or quickly recharge their ultimate ability.
Whichever team is the first to score 100 kills in total will win the Team Deathmatch, played out on game-mode exclusive maps. A Team Deathmatch game lasts between 8-10 minutes, with the max possible gameplay duration being 9 minutes and 30 seconds.
Escalation
It is a 5v5 game mode where players begin with the same weapons or abilities and then race to acquire other weapons by killing opponents. The first team to complete level 12 will win the match, and it lasts only about 7 to 9 minutes. Moreover, it’s one of the few game modes in Valorant that is accessible only in rotation around the year.
Replication
Players who wish for the entire team to play the same agent should queue for Replication game mode, also accessible only in rotation around the year. It features a Best of 9 bracket where the one agent pick by the team will be the choice at random among the other five agents. Next, both teams will compete against each other while having the same respective agents as allies.
Snowball Fight
In the Snowball Fight game mode, players will get only a Snowball Launcher, which they must use to score kills. Played out in a 5v5 Deathmatch style, the kills from the fights will drop gifts that contain special buffs. Much like other deathmatch-style game modes, it’s also accessible only in rotation around the year.
Other areas of the assigned map will also spawn gifts, but beware of getting baited.
Valorant Agents
The characters players can select in Valorant are known as Agents, and they belong to one of the four Agent Classes – Duelist, Initiator, Sentinel, Controller. All of the Twenty-Three released Valorant Agents individually possess two Basic abilities, one Signature ability, and one Ultimate ability. So, making the best use of their abilities (synonymous with their Agent Class) is vital to improve your chances of victory.
How to Unlock Agents in Valorant?
Players can unlock Valorant Agents from the game by using in-game currency – VP or KCcredits. It is possible to earn KC credits by unlocking reward checkpoints that refresh daily.
Valorant Maps
Valorant initially offered four maps at the launch, but today, it offers Ten maps – Ascend, Haven, Split, Bind, Icebox, Breeze, Fracture, Pearl, Lotus, and Sunset. While each map for sure has two designated spike sites, a few also have special interactive features and three spike sites!
Furthermore, it’s good to learn that Riot is commitedly adding new maps, reworking existing ones, and changing map rotation in gameplay modes per Episode.
Valorant Guns & Weapons
Players in Riot’s Valorant Game can combat opponents using a variety of weapons like Sidearms, Shotguns, SMGs, Rifles, Long-range Machine Guns, Snipers, and Melee weapons. While each weapon has a unique recoil pattern & other characteristics – you can only purchase them during the buy time across the standard game modes!
Valorant Player Collectibles & Premium Content
Players can buy or unlock Valorant collectible items at the Shop or the Accessories Store by exchanging their in-game currency. Navigate to the Collection section in the game to equip the Gun skins, Player Cards, Player Title, and Sprays you may own.
Any earned or redeemed Collectible items like Player Titles or Player Cards, including Premier mode collectible items, will also be found in the Collection section.
Valorant Game System Requirements
Valorant is available only on Windows PCs for free, with fantastic optimization to run with most CPU & GPU configurations.
Minimum Requirements
| OS: | Windows 11 (64-bit) |
| RAM: | 4 GB |
| Storage: | 60 GB |
| Video Memory: | 1 GB |
Recommended Requirements For 60+ FPS Gameplay:
| CPU: | Intel i3-4150 or newer |
| GPU: | GeForce GT 730 or newer |
What You Should Know Before Your First Game
Valorant seems like a fun game to play with friends, but it does have certain gameplay rules you must follow. Failure to adhere to Fairplay rules and guidelines, like going AFK and dodging maps, can result in severe penalties. Similarly, the Anti-Cheat Client (Vanguard) will ensure that the game file(s) integrity is kept intact.
Alternatively, if you want to start playing Valorant, do check out our PC & Mac game installation or gameplay tips & tricks guides! Happy Gaming!