5 Takeaways from the T1 x Nerd Street Gamers VALORANT Invitational

Each action awards Creds and winning or losing a round affects how much players must spend each round....

Each action awards Creds and winning or losing a round affects how much players must spend each round. Much like CS:GO , there is a strategy to buying that requires clear communication and observing how much the team has to spend. For example, it is possible and common for early rounds to feature one player with enough to buy something powerful, but for no one else. If that player does so and loses, then the following round flips the situation around so that they are the only ones broke and who cannot help the team in a meaningful

Each Agent excels in their own way can offer strength, support, or utility. A major problem that can arise is playing with teammates who refuse to use anyone but their main character. A team full of Phoenix mains who refuse to compromise will probably do poorly against a team with players who understand what a certain map and team composition needs. This does not mean that players need to become experts in every Agent, but understanding how Sage or Brimstone can help with their utility for something like a push will widen a player toolkit and make them more likely to succ

Riot Games has already explained that the ranking system in VALORANT features a total of eight different ranks with three tiers each, except for the highest rank, Valorant. What is not stated is how similar ranking feels compared to CS:GO , both in improving as a player and what to expect from teammates at each r

Two teams of five players face off on one of several maps, with the first team to win thirteen rounds taking the overall match victory. Similar to other FPS games, each team alternates between taking the role of Attacker or Defender. To win a round, all the Attackers need to do is plant the Spike (like a bomb in other titles) on one of several predetermined locations, or simply eliminate the opposing team. Likewise, the Defenders are only tasked with stopping the Spike plant by defusing it within the round time limit or by eliminating the opposit

Each Agent has a total of four abilities: one is a Signature Ability that is free each round, jump-Throw bind setup two others that must be purchased but can overlap rounds if not used, and one Ultimate ability that is progressively charged up through eliminations. Both the Signature and Ultimate abilities draw the comparison to Overwatch , since that is how all characters operate in that g

This is the full list of the weapons that have been released so far for VALORANT . They may undergo some changes before the game is released, but for now players are already beginning to master the 17-gun arse

It’s not an overstatement to say that T1 and Nerd Sreet Gamers’ tournament was incredibly fun to watch. From Hiko’s insane 1v4 clutch to EliGE popping off at every possible moment, VALORANT proved that it can live up to the hype as an esp

Playing Default refers to splitting up at the beginning of a round and not stacking as a group, which can be a common mistake early in ranks as players attempt to rush a point. In those low-level ranks, such tactics might yield an occasional win, but in higher ranks it is ineffective, leads to team wipes, and serves to give the opposing team information about where the other team is loca

At the start of each round, players will have a moment to spend their Creds (the in-game currency) to purchase weapons, armor, and abilities. This is called the Buy Phase, and the number of Creds available is directly related to securing certain actions in the previous round. Dying right away will award only a small number of Creds, whereas eliminating opponents, winning the round, and planting the Spike will award m

As for what to buy, that’s going to take some trial and error. Many weapons are strikingly similar to CS:GO , so it’s best to experiment to find the best weapons for your own skill set. Don’t skimp out on shields each round, but again, experiment to see if light or heavy are adequate for your playst

Here is where VALORANT deviates strongly in theme from CS:GO and ventures into Overwatch territory. Each character, known as an Agent, has their own backstory with abilities that border on the supernatural to match their personality. Phoenix, unsurprisingly, is all about fire and the potential ability to respawn when elimina

A classic double-barrel shotgun that can cause one-shot kills at close range, but is useless at distance. With only two shots before having to reload, you’d better hit your target. Interestingly, the Shorty is classified as a sidearm rather than a shotgun in VALORA

There are many games that offer microphone support that players simply turn off because they prefer a solo experience. World War Z for example offers the option to speak to a team in real time but has low stakes PvE content that can be done without needing to hear other players. VALORANT, on the other hand, requires communication to succ

The two heavy weapons in VALORANT are the Ares and the Odin. These machine guns have huge ammo capacity compared to the other guns in the game. They can be used for stopping aggressive teams with the sheer firepower they can unleash. The downside to these guns is that they require a brief spin-up time before they shoot at the maximum rate of f