There are a lot of factors that will affect your chances of winning in a Valorant match. There’s team composition, player skill, and even map choice. A commonly overlooked factor of winning is the in-game economy. In Valorant, how much you earn and how much you spend, can make a whole world of difference in securing a victory.
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Valorant Creds: The Soul Of The In-Game Economy
In each match of Valorant, you’re able to get Credits, or Creds for short. This is an in-match currency that will allow you to buy weapons, shields, and abilities in the game. As with any game, the more expensive the purchase, the better it will be for your team. A team without any economic management can end up losing because they’ll be severely under equipped most of the time.
Let’s talk about how the economy works first.
Economy System Explained
At the start of each match, every player in the game will get 800 Creds. From there, you’ll get a set amount of Creds per round depending on a few important factors and actions that you do. The maximum Creds you can hold is 9,000. Any Creds earned after that will be wasted.
In overtime, each player is given 5,000 Creds each round.
The most important part about the in-game economy is knowing how Creds are rewarded. Here’s what you can earn.
- 200 Creds – For each enemy you kill.
- 300 Creds – Given to everyone on the attacking team if the Spike is planted.
- 300 Creds – Given to everyone on the defending team if the Spike is defused.
- 3,000 Creds – Given to everyone for a won round.
- 1,900 Creds – GIven to everyone on the losing team.
- 2,400 Creds – Given to everyone on the losing team if they’re on a 2-round loss streak.
- 2,900 Creds – Given to everyone on the losing team if they’re on a 3-round loss streak or more.
- 1,000 Creds – If you survive a losing round, you get this only but that’s okay since you carry over your weapon and armor from the previous round.
Types of Buys In Valorant Economy
Knowing the in-game economy isn’t just about understanding how you’re rewarded for each of your actions. The most important part of the aspect is understanding the types of buys you and your team can do each round. Here’s what they are.
- Full Buy – This refers to buying the best gear and abilities you can with your money. Ideally, it’s good to jump into each round with a Full Buy as it helps you secure the victory more.
- Half/Light Buy – This is when you buy average to mediocre equipment for the round. It’s enough to secure you a win but you’ll need to work extra hard for it. The purpose of Half/Light Buys is to save enough so that you can get a Full Buy next round.
- Save/Eco Buy – This is when you try to save up your Creds as much as possible so that you have more to spend in the following rounds. In most cases, people just buy enough to survive and maintain their gear for the next round.
- Force Buy – A Force Buy happens when you and your team are forced to spend all of your Creds to get the best loot in preparation for a crucial round. An example of this is a match point where you can’t afford to lose.
What Is Econ Rating?
Valorant also features a special rating mechanic called Econ Rating. To put it simply, this is a measurement of your performance depending on how much you’re spending versus how much damage you’re doing. For example, if you bought 3,000 worth of equipment and you dealt 300 damage, your Econ Rating will be 100.
Econ Rating doesn’t affect the game in any way. However, it can be an indicator of overspending if your Econ Rating is way too low.
Economy Management Tips.
Coordinate With Your Team
As with other aspects of the game, it’s important that you coordinate with your team when it comes to spending. If you do a Full Buy for the round but the rest of the team did an Eco Buy, then your chances of winning are still low because the majority of the team is underequipped.
What do you think would happen if your opponent all did Half Buys?
It’s better to have your team in synergy when it comes to spending habits.
Monitor The Leaderboard
The leaderboard is a great way to plan ahead when it comes to the in-game economy. Specifically, you should look at your opponent’s current Creds and Ultimate status. If you see them have a decent amount of Creds with their Ultimates ready, it’s best to do an Eco Buy and have them go all-out for that round. That of course depends on whether you need the next point directly.
Sometimes, Less Is More
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make in Valorant is always going all out in the buying phase. This might work in casual games but in ranked games, it’s not a good idea. Learn how to save and keep your Creds prepared for crucial rounds.
May this Valorant economy guide push you towards more wins in the game. If you’re ready to get started, you might want to check out this cheap Valorant account shop first. It’s good for buying smurf accounts that will get you warmed up. Or, if you want to test your skills against a higher rank, the shop features such accounts too.