Valorant Economy Guide: Key Takeaways
- The maximum number of credits allowed is 9000 per player.
- Each player starts with 800 credits.
- The Valorant economy rating tells you how much damage you deal per 1000 credits spent.
Knowing how to properly manage your Valorant economy is one of the best ways to secure rounds. It also makes sure that you have enough credits to buy everything you need and are well-equipped to win rounds.
Learn everything you need to know about the Valorant economy using our Valorant economy guide.
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Table of Contents
The Basics of the Valorant Economy
Everyone starts out with 800 credits. This is enough to buy some pistols and a small shield, a small shield and utility, or a pistol and some utility. Everyone also starts with 800 credits at the half when you change sides. These rounds are typically called “Pistol Rounds.” Different Valorant Agents will require different load outs during pistol rounds.
Anyone who kills an enemy will gain 200 credits at the start of the next round. If your team successfully plants the Spike, all your allies will gain 300 credits. This is why getting the Spike planted is so important.
Winning a round will net you 3000 credits. However, winning isn’t the only way to gain credits. Losing one round will give you 1900 credits, losing two in a row will give you 2400 credits, and losing three or more in a row will give you 2900 credits. These are called “loss bonuses” and get reset once the streak is broken.
Managing your Valorant economy revolves around these main principles, so make sure to remember all of them.
The Different Types of Buy Rounds in Valorant
Since everything in Valorant is bought, different types of buy rounds revolve around how many credits you and your team have.
Full-Buy Rounds
Full-buy rounds are what the name states. You buy a good weapon (usually Phantom, Vandal, or Operator), all of your abilities, and Full Shields. Full-buy rounds are also sometimes called “Gun Rounds” because everyone on your team should have the best weapons.
Sometimes full-buy rounds don’t include buying all of your abilities. Having a weapon is more important than having abilities. So if a player is a little short, players often go for a rifle + Full Shield combo on full-buy rounds. This requires you to have at least 3900 credits to buy a rifle (2900) and a Full Shield (1000).
Eco Rounds
Eco rounds occur when your team is low on economy and needs to save up money. These rounds will allow you to perform full-buys the following round. These rounds are also called “save rounds.”
You can buy anything as long as you’re able to full-buy the next round. Typically, you’d want to look at the value next to “Min Next Round” to help you decide what you can buy. Typically, eco rounds are mostly pistols or stingers at best.
Half-Buy Rounds
Half-buys occur when not everyone has enough money for at least a rifle and a Full shield, but way too much money to take an eco round. Half-buys gives you a decent chance at winning the round.
Usually, half-buys are composed of Spectres, Marshalls, or Judges with Light Shields. Sometimes you can also sneak in a Bulldog. Half-buy rounds are also one of the best rounds to burst out your Jett or Chamber ult to help your team steal the round.
Force-Buy Rounds
Force-buys occur when you absolutely need to win a round. You simply buy the best loadout that fits your credits. These usually occur during the rounds before the half, near match point, or when your team has a really weird economy in general.
Bonus Rounds
The final round you’ll encounter when managing your Valorant economy are called “bonus rounds.” They are called bonus rounds because they occur after winning your first two rounds. You can get to carry over any Spectres, Marshalls, or Bulldogs you may have bought during the second round.
The important thing to remember about bonus rounds is that you need to be able to full-buy the following round even if you lose the current one. This puts your team’s economy in a great state and ensures that you can buy rifles for the next couple of rounds.
