SCREEN STUDIES

VALORANT

VALORANT is one of the most popular games out there on the PC and soon to be PS5 & XBOX. (And the esports title that Evil Geniuses won a World Championship in last year)

It is a 5v5 tactical combat sim with fantasy characters called agents. The agents’ abilities provide teams with a strategic advantage and each team gets a turn on each side: attacking (offense) and defending (defense).

The game is split into two halves of 12 rounds; after the first half teams swap sides. The first team to reach 13 rounds wins the game.

Attackers win rounds by planting and detonating a ‘spike’ or eliminating all defenders. Defenders win rounds by defusing the spike, defeating all attackers, or delaying the spike from being planted before time runs out.

The Basics:

Released: June 2nd, 2020

Platforms: PC (Xbox, Playstation, & mobile in 2025)

Pricing: Free

Whether you’re watching your favorite streamer or family member play, or you’ve been thinking about trying it out, here’s what you’ll be seeing on screen:

1. The Mini Map - It shows where you are on the map, your teammates in green, opponents in red, as well as the Spike sites (A, B, or C)

2. Each side’s (Attack or Defense) Agents. Your team is green. Health bars are under the Agent pictures. An agent with a Yellow box means they have their Ultimate Ability ready.

3. The round timer, it counts down from 100 seconds and is reset to 45 seconds if the Spike is planted. From there, the defenders have 45 seconds to try to defuse or they lose the round.

4. Damage indicator - showing the player has been hit and in which direction

5. Enemy Agent (with a red outline)

6. Teammates - Green silhouettes that can be seen through walls.

7. Health & Armor - The larger number is health (100 is base) and the number in the hexagon is armor. 0 health = 🪦 

8. Agent Abilities - Every agent has different abilities. They have one ability by default but must buy the others using credits earned during a match. A white with a green color underneath means it is usable. The grayed out one (rightmost) is the Ultimate Ability, a game-changing ability that is unlocked by filling up those small circles called orbs, which are earned in a variety of ways. A great ultimate ability can win a round for your team.

9. Ammo - The larger number is the amount left in your clip before you need to reload. The smaller one is the ammo you have left.

10. Credits - the amount of money that you have. Money is used to buy better guns, abilities, and armor at the start of each round.