Valorant Rules Explained: How a Pro Match Works
Quick facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Players | 5 per team |
| Win a map | first to 13 rounds |
| Halftime | after round 12, teams switch sides |
| Round time | 100 seconds to plant the Spike |
| Spike timer | 45 seconds after the plant |
| Defuse | 7 seconds, with a checkpoint at the halfway mark |
| Overtime | at 12-12, until one team leads by 2 rounds |
| Pro format | mostly BO3, grand finals BO5 |
Attackers and Defenders
Every round, one team plays Attackers and the other Defenders.
- Attackers win by planting the Spike on one of the bombsites and making sure it detonates, or by eliminating all five Defenders.
- Defenders win by defusing the Spike, eliminating all five Attackers before a plant, or running out the clock.
After 12 rounds, the teams switch sides. Most maps have two bombsites (A and B). Some, like Haven and Lotus, have three. See the Valorant map pool.
Agents and abilities
Each player picks an agent: a character with a unique set of abilities, such as smokes, flashes, walls or healing. Two players on the same team cannot pick the same agent. As of 2026 there are 29 agents.
Agents belong to four roles:
| Role | Job |
|---|---|
| Duelist | takes the first fights and makes space |
| Initiator | gathers information and sets up fights |
| Controller | blocks vision with smokes |
| Sentinel | locks down areas and watches the flank |
Every agent also has an ultimate, a powerful ability charged by kills, deaths, planting, defusing and collecting ult orbs on the map.
The economy
At the start of each round there is a short buy phase. Players spend credits on weapons, armor and abilities.
| Event | Credits |
|---|---|
| Start of each half (pistol round) | 800 |
| Round win | 3,000 |
| Round loss | 1,900, then 2,400, then 2,900 for further losses in a row |
| Each kill | 200 |
| Spike plant | 300 for each Attacker |
| Maximum | 9,000 |
Like in CS2, teams plan their spending over several rounds. A team that cannot afford rifles may play an eco and save, or a cheaper "thrifty" buy. Weapons you survive with carry over to the next round.
Overtime
If a map reaches 12-12, it goes to overtime. Teams play pairs of rounds, one on each side, until one team leads by two rounds. Every player gets the same credits each overtime round, so overtime is decided by skill, not money. In pro play there is no draw: overtime continues until someone wins.
Matches and series
Pro Valorant uses the same series formats as CS2:
- BO1: a single map, mostly in open qualifiers.
- BO3: the standard format. Teams pick and ban maps before the series.
- BO5: grand finals of big events, such as the Valorant Champions final.
The biggest events are part of the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT). See VCT 2027 Explained for how the season works and Valorant Tournament Tiers for how events are ranked.
Valorant vs CS2 in one minute
If you know CS2, most of Valorant will feel familiar: 5v5, a bomb, 13 rounds to win, an economy. The big differences are agent abilities, a 45-second Spike instead of a 40-second bomb, overtime until a two-round lead instead of blocks of six, and credits instead of dollars. Watch a few rounds of today's matches and the rest will click quickly.
FAQ
How many rounds are in a Valorant match?
A map is won by the first team to 13 rounds, so it lasts up to 24 rounds before overtime. Teams switch sides after round 12.
How does overtime work in pro Valorant?
At 12-12, teams play pairs of rounds, one on each side, until one team leads by two rounds. Every player gets the same credits in each overtime round.
How long is the Spike timer in Valorant?
The Spike detonates 45 seconds after it is planted. Defusing takes 7 seconds, with a checkpoint at the halfway mark.
How long is a round in Valorant?
The action phase lasts 100 seconds. If the Attackers have not planted the Spike when time runs out, the Defenders win the round.
How many players are on a Valorant team?
Five. Each player picks a different agent, and the two teams play as Attackers and Defenders, switching sides at halftime.
Related guides
VCT 2027 Explained: How the New Valorant Season WorksHow VCT 2027 works: Open Qualifiers, Kickoff, two Masters, two VCT Cups and Champions in Austin. Dates, partner and open teams, and how a team qualifies.
Valorant Map Pool: Current Competitive Maps and Recent ChangesThe current Valorant competitive map pool: Abyss, Bind, Corrode, Haven, Lotus, Summit and Sunset. What each map is like, what changed and how it rotates.
Valorant Tournament Tiers: What S, A, B, C and D MeanWhat S to D tiers mean for Valorant tournaments, how they map to VCT events like Masters, Champions, Kickoff and Cups, and which events are tier 1.
Related terms
SpikeThe Spike is Valorant's bomb.
OvertimeValorant overtime starts at 12-12: teams play pairs of rounds until one leads by two, with equal credits each round.
EcoAn eco round in Valorant is when a team spends little or nothing to save credits for a full buy next round.
DuelistDuelists in Valorant are agents built to take the first fights and make space for the team.
ControllerControllers in Valorant are agents who block vision with smokes and shape the map for their team.
Sources
Reviewed by the R1GG team
