Thinking of jumping into Valorant but worried it’ll cost you a pretty penny? You’re not alone! Many players coming from CS: GO or Apex Legends assume Valorant comes with a price tag. But here’s the kicker: the reality is quite different.
Curious about how this Valorant gaming model works and what you can expect to do to your budget? Let’s dive in and clear the air about Valorant’s costs, those tempting cosmetics, and some sneaky ways to get free stuff.
Valorant is Free to Play
Valorant is free to play and costs no money to download or access its core gameplay. Riot Games has adopted a “freemium” model, allowing players to enjoy competitive matches without spending a dime.
This approach addresses a common misconception among new players, especially those from paid games, who might assume Valorant has an upfront cost. In reality, anyone can jump into the action-packed world of Valorant without opening their wallet.
Optional Purchases
While Valorant’s core gameplay is free, the game offers a variety of optional purchases to enhance the player experience. These additional purchases include weapon skins, sprays, gun buddies, player cards, battle passes, and weapon variants. None of these items provide any competitive advantage, ensuring a level playing field for all players regardless of their spending habits.
Weapon Skins
Weapon skins are cosmetic upgrades that change the appearance of guns in Valorant. Skins can be purchased using Valorant Points (VP) from the Valorant store, Battlepass, Night Market, completing agent contracts, or through drops. Here are five popular skin bundles that seem to be the favorites of many esports players like Tenz, and ScreaM:
- Prime Collection: 7,100 VP ($71.99 USD, €71.99 EUR)
- Reaver Collection: 7,100 VP ($71.99 USD, €71.99 EUR)
- Glitchpop Collection: 8,700 VP ($87.99 USD, €87.99 EUR)
- Elderflame Collection: 9,900 VP ($99.99 USD, €99.99 EUR)
- Oni Collection: 7,100 VP ($71.99 USD, €71.99 EUR)
Individual weapon skins typically range from 875 VP ($8.99 USD, €8.99 EUR) for lower-tier skins to 2,475 VP ($24.99 USD, €24.99 EUR) for ultra-tier skins.
Sprays
Sprays are decorative images that players can apply to surfaces in-game. Most sprays are obtained through battle passes or agent contracts, but some are available for purchase, such as premium sprays that come with skin bundles. Individual sprays cost around 375 VP ($3.99 USD, €3.99 EUR).
Gun Buddies
Gun buddies are small charms that dangle from weapons. Like sprays, many are earned through the battle pass or agent contracts. Purchasable gun buddies typically cost 475 VP ($4.99 USD, €4.99 EUR).
Player Cards
Player cards are displayed on loading screens and can be viewed by other players. While many are earned through gameplay, premium player cards can be purchased for around 375 VP ($3.99 USD, €3.99 EUR).
Battlepass
The Valorant Battle Pass is a seasonal offering that provides rewards as players complete challenges and gain experience. Each Battle Pass costs 1,000 VP ($9.99 USD, €9.99 EUR) and typically lasts for about two months, offering a variety of cosmetic items, including weapon skins, gun buddies, sprays, and player cards.
Weapon Variants
Some weapon skins have additional variants that can be unlocked using Radianite Points. These variants often change the colour scheme or add special effects to the skin. Unlocking a variant typically costs between 10 to 15 Radianite Points.
Valorant In-Game Currencies
Valorant uses two primary in-game currencies: Valorant Points (VP) and Radiance Points (RP), which can be purchased in the game. Valorant points are used to buy cosmetics and unlock agents, while Radianite points are used to unlock skin levels and variants.
Valorant Points
Valorant Points are the main premium currency for purchasing skins, agents, and battle passes. VP can only be obtained by purchasing them with real money. Here’s a breakdown of VP costs in various regions, from the NA to the APAC regions.
- 475 VP: $4.99 USD, €4.99 EUR, £4.29 GBP, $6.99 SGD
- 1000 VP: $9.99 USD, €9.99 EUR, £8.59 GBP, $13.99 SGD
- 2050 VP: $19.99 USD, €19.99 EUR, £17.19 GBP, $27.98 SGD
- 3650 VP: $34.99 USD, €34.99 EUR, £29.99 GBP, $48.98 SGD
- 5350 VP: $49.99 USD, €49.99 EUR, £42.99 GBP, $69.98 SGD
- 11000 VP: $99.99 USD, €99.99 EUR, £85.99 GBP, $139.98 SGD
Radianite Points
Radianite Points are used to upgrade certain weapon skins and unlock variants. RP can be earned through the battle pass or purchased directly by using VP.
- 20 RP: 1600 VP ($15.99 USD, €15.99 EUR, £13.79 GBP, $22.39 SGD)
- 40 RP: 2800 VP ($27.99 USD, €27.99 EUR, £24.09 GBP, $39.19 SGD)
- 80 RP: 4800 VP ($47.99 USD, €47.99 EUR, £41.29 GBP, $67.19 SGD)
How to Play Valorant for Free
Playing Valorant for free is straightforward. Download the game from the official Valorant website, create a Riot Games account, and start playing. All game modes, maps, and a rotating selection of agents are available to free players. Additional agents can be unlocked through gameplay progression.
How to Get Free Skins and Cosmetics
While most premium skins require purchase, there are ways to obtain free cosmetics:
- Battle Pass Free Track: Offers limited free rewards each season
- Agent Contracts: Unlock free skins by completing agent-specific challenges
- Special Events: Participate in limited-time events for exclusive rewards
- Twitch Drops: Watch official Valorant streams for a chance to earn free items
- Prime Gaming: Amazon Prime subscribers occasionally receive free Valorant loot
By taking advantage of these methods, players can enhance their Valorant experience without spending money while still enjoying the full competitive gameplay that Valorant offers for free.
Conclusion
Valorant is 100% free to play, letting you dive into intense tactical shootouts without spending a cent. Downloading and installing the game costs nothing; you’ll have access to all the core gameplay features immediately.
While there are optional cosmetics you can purchase to jazz up your look, they’re purely for style and don’t affect gameplay. So whether you’re rocking default skins or flexing premium ones, your skills count when the bullets start flying.
Ready to jump in? Valorant’s waiting for you – no strings (or costs) attached!
Andrew "SuZki" Scola is a dedicated Valorant player who has been in the game since the Valorant beta release. He has a peak rank of Immortal 3 and is also a semi-pro esports player. He's also been associated with a few gaming clans and communities, including Highlander Gaming and SoCal Valorant Community. In his free time, he creates content for the Valorant community and writes guides about Valorant based on his experience.
