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Valorant is Riot’s tactical 5v5 first-person shooter, which features Agents with unique abilities and powers. The game has a plethora of modes you can dive into, each with its own win requirements and game times. However, people new to Valorant are always sceptical about how long a match lasts. You don’t want to be stuck in a game mode you don’t like for the next hour and a half.
How long does a Valorant game last in each mode
Although the Competitive format is the most popular in Valorant, casual formats like Unrated, Deathmatch, Spikerush, and Escalation are also enjoyable ways to pass your time in the game. What’s the game length in each of these formats? Let’s find out!
Game mode | Average game length | Maximum game length |
---|---|---|
Competitive | 30-40 minutes | 80 minutes |
Unrated | 30-40 minutes | 80 minutes |
Spike Rush | 8-15 minutes | 15 minutes |
Escalation | 5-7 minutes | 10 minutes |
Replication | 9-12 minutes | 20 minutes |
Deathmatch | 5-9 minutes | 9 minutes |
Competitive
Most Valorant players prefer grinding their ranks in the Competitive game mode. The maximum time for a Competitive match is 80 minutes. However, this will only occur if both teams draw, and agree on playing OverTime (OT). Generally, a Competitive match will last around 30 to 40 minutes on average, with the game ending when any team reaches 13 round wins. However, if the game is completely one-sided, i.e. like a 13-0 scoreline, the game will take about 15 to 20 minutes to end. You can also opt to end your game early by calling for a vote to Surrender. If the whole team agrees to surrender, your match will end instantly and you will lose your RR. The option to call for a surrender vote becomes available in Round 6.
Unrated
The win conditions for the Unrated mode are pretty similar to Competitive, with the exception being that if both the teams draw, they’ll need to fight it out in one last winner-takes-all round. Each game in Unrated lasts about 30-40 minutes on average, with each round length usually spanning about 2 minutes. To get a clearer idea about round times, here are some figures that’ll help you out:
- Round Total Time: 1 minute 40 seconds
- Spike Timer: 40 seconds
- Buy Phase: 30 seconds
So, the maximum time a round can last is around 170 seconds, and 130 seconds if the Spike isn’t planted.
Spike Rush
Spike Rush is a much more relaxed game mode, given it follows a best-of-seven rounds format rather than 13. You are able to gain Ultimate points much quicker and have access to a few extra upgrades, like health regeneration and tracker rounds in the game. As you don’t have tiebreakers in Spike Rush, the game lasts a maximum of 8 rounds. This means, on average, a match of Spike Rush will cost you around 8 to 15 minutes, depending on how tough the game is. This makes the game mode the go-to option if you are short on time and looking to get a quick game in to satisfy your Valorant cravings.
Escalation
Escalation is another fun mode to play with friends as it is a no-holds-bar 5v5 battle with changing weapons as you progress. There are 12 escalation levels and the first team to pass the 12 levels or reach furthest after 10 minutes wins. As such, the average game length of Escalation is around 7 minutes, with 10 being the longest possible time required to finish it. This game mode is disabled due to a bug in Patch 9.01 and will return in Patch 9.03.
Replication
Replication follows a “one-team, one-agent” motto where an Agent is chosen randomly from the ones picked by your teammates during selection. The game commences with 80-second rounds or until one team completely finishes off the other. It follows a best-of-nine format, and the first team to five rounds is declared victorious. On average, a game of replication lasts between 9 to 12 minutes.
Deathmatch
Deathmatch is considered one of the best ways to warm up before you go for a Competitive game. This game mode allows you to practice your aim alongside 11 other players, making for 12 total. The game mode concludes after a nine-minute timer, or if any player reaches 40 kills first. If the game ends due to the 9-minute timer, the person with the most kills is considered the winner. As Deathmatch is a pretty fast-paced format in the game, it generally takes between 5-9 minutes, depending on how quickly one of the players can rack up 40 frags.