Learning the economics of Valorant is one of the most important pieces of understanding the new Riot Games game. At the beginning of each round there is a purchase phase where you can purchase various items using game money, called credits, earned during previous rounds.
There are many factors to consider when deciding what to buy at any given time. To help you make sense of the economics of the game, we have put together the answers for some basic questions about how credits and purchases work in Valorant.
How to earn credits in Valorant?
Each share in Valorant gives you a certain amount of credits. If your team wins a round, each will receive 3.000 credits, while losing a round only earns 1.900. After two losses in a row, the team gets another 500 credits for that round, and if you take three losses in a row there is a 1000 credit bonus for that round. So, essentially, if you lose four rounds in a row, all team members will receive 2.900 credits for the final round (which is the maximum for a single round).
You can also earn credits with kills (200 credits each). If you plant the bomb, you will earn 300 credits. Credits are awarded at the start of each round, just before the purchase phase.
What can you buy during the purchase phase?
During the purchase phase, you can purchase weapons, armor and skills. Weaker weapons cost less than more powerful weapons, of course. Armor is available in two quantities: 25 armor (for 400 credits) and 50 armor (for 1000 credits). Skill costs vary by character.
If necessary, you can also buy items for teammates: during the purchase phase (by right-clicking on the item) press "Buy" on the left side of the screen next to the name of the teammate you want to equip with that element. If you want to request an item from a teammate, simply right-click.
Do you have to buy items every round?
No, you probably shouldn't be buying items during every purchase phase. The point of shopping is to help you win a round and you should think about how each purchase can bring you closer to that goal. While it may seem counterintuitive to enter rounds without a gun or some armor, Sometimes it is worth potentially sacrificing one round to have a better chance of winning the next.
The first thing to look at is your team's total credits: if you have a lot of them - enough to buy armor, skills and guns - then you and the team should buy. For example, it's the third round of a match and your team has won the first two, so you should buy guns and armor, because the other team probably doesn't have enough money for those items yet and you will have a huge advantage.
If only one person on the team has enough credits to buy, you probably shouldn't. It is possible that one player could lead your team to victory with just one shotgun, but that is unlikely, especially if the other team is full in rifles and armor.
Instead, it's best to wait until all team members have enough credits for a full purchase. This way you can face the round with the same weapons as your opponents and, by winning, you can restore their economy, so that they have to save the next round just like your team saved the previous round.
With these basic rules in mind, there are only a few moments when you can change things. For example, when things seem to be going wrong and your credits are low, your team may decide to make a "hard buy". This means purchasing items with the knowledge that your equipment will not be complete. Most players in a "Force Buy" will only have SMGs or 25 armor. And if a force-buy team loses, they will surely be poor in the next round, but it could help catch the other team off guard if they expected instead to face gun-only opponents.
You could also do a “partial purchase,” in which one or two people buy guns cheaply, knowing that even if they lose, they will have enough credits to buy again next round.
Whenever you stay alive in a round you will keep the weapons you finished it with, so if someone throws a better weapon, grab it before the round ends. If you die, you will have nothing but the basic pistol, regardless of whether your team wins or loses. Skills will carry over from round to round if you don't use them, and any Armor that isn't destroyed will go with you to the next round (again, if you survive).
How to know how many credits your team or the enemy team has?
The scoreboard will give you a live look at your team's credits. You can also see how many credits the enemy team starts a round with, but you won't get a live update as they spend it. This means that you will know what they may be buying, not what they have actually bought. All of this is information you could keep track of, but putting it on the board would remove an unnecessary complication.
How do I know how many credits I will have in the next round?
This number will be updated as you spend credits on Valorant, so you always know how the round's purchases will affect the next round's economy.
Can i sell items?
You can sell any item purchased during a particular purchase phase without any penalty in Valorant. This is useful if you buy an item by mistake or if your team changes strategy and you realize that you need one weapon or skill instead of another, thus gaining more credits.
► Valorant is a Shooter-Tactical type game developed and published by Riot Games for PC, the video game was released on 02/06/2020
Valorant is a beautiful game that cannot be missing from your collection: we have decided to evaluate it with a 89%, if you are interested in learning more you can read the Valorant Review
