Valorant Icon by Aireen Ch on Iconscout
If you’re into gaming, you’ll know that a lot of popular gamers have recently started playing a game called Valorant. And although Valorant is not a new game (it came out in June of 2020), it has surged in popularity during the last month. So I figured I would give you guys a basic beginner’s guide on how to play, and what abilities each character has.
First things first, how to play Valorant. Two teams face off, and each team has five players. Every player on the team is a different character, and different characters have different abilities and “powers.” There are five maps that you can play on: Haven, Bind, Split, Ascent, and Icebox. Each map has a different layout and different perks. These maps are randomly assigned, and you are matched with a random team as well. The first team to win thirteen rounds wins.
At the beginning of each round, there is a buy phase. The buy phase is a time for you to buy weapons and shields. In every round, you earn money for good plays or getting kills. You can use this money however you want: you can even buy weapons for your teammates. Each round
is 100 seconds long. You start on one side of the map. This is your spawn area. After twelve rounds, teams swap sides.
Teams alternate between attacking and defending. The attackers have a thing called a “spike.” Every map has different sites, and spikes can only be planted within the boundaries of whichever site the attacking team chooses. The job of the attacking team is to plant their spike
before time is up. Attackers can win if they kill all members of the other team or if the spike explodes before the other team can diffuse it. The job of the defenders is make sure the spike doesn’t get planted. Defenders can win if the opposing team is killed, the spike never gets
planted, or if they diffuse the spike before time is up.
As you play the game, you’ll find that dead players will have dropped their weapons. If you find a weapon better than your current one, you can pick it up and use it. Once you die, you lose your weapon and will have to repurchase a new one in the buy phase. If you survive a round, you can keep your weapons. As players move around the map, footsteps can be heard coming from the direction of your opponents.
Throughout the rounds, the abilities of each character can be used. Orbs placed around the map can be collected to enable the character’s ultimate ability, which is their best power. After a certain amount of orbs are collected, the ultimate ability will be unlocked. Abilities can be used to help players and deter the opposing team.
First off, each character is categorized into one of four categories: duelists, initiators, sentinels, and controllers. Duelists are the primary attackers, who have abilities suited to fighting. Initiators are the characters who can open up sites and push the attackers out of the site. Sentinels have abilities that are best for reinforcing the territory held by their team. And lastly, controllers have powers that allow them to shape the battlefield according to whatever tactics their team might
be using.
The characters you can choose from include Brimstone, Phoenix, Sage, Sova, Viper, Cypher, Reyna, Killjoy, Breach, Omen, Jett, Raze, Skye, Yoru, and a brand new character named Astra. Each of these characters has four abilities. Watch out for the next few blog posts to learn more about these characters and their abilities. Anyway, happy gaming!weapons
By ~ Alice
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