Valorant Terms

Welcome to the comprehensive guide to Valorant terminology! Whether you’re a newcomer to Riot Games’ tactical shooter or a seasoned player looking to brush up on your vocabulary, this list has you covered. We’ve compiled 150+ essential terms used by the Valorant community, ranging from basic gameplay concepts to advanced strategies and everything in between. Each term is clearly defined to help you understand the nuances of in-game communication and improve your overall game sense. Dive in and elevate your Valorant knowledge!

A

Ace means a situation where a single player eliminates all five opponents in a round.
ACS in Valorant stands for “Average Combat Score,” which is a metric used to measure a player’s overall performance in a match.
ADR in Valorant means “Average Damage per Round,” a statistic measuring a player’s damage output.
ADS stands for “Aim Down Sights,” which in terms of Valorant means using the alternate fire mode of a weapon to zoom in and increase accuracy.
Agent is a term that means one of the playable characters in Valorant, each with unique abilities.
Ability trading in Valorant means the strategic exchange of agent abilities between teams to gain an advantage or control an area.
Aggro is a term that means aggressive play style or behavior, often involving pushing into enemy territory or engaging in frequent combat.
Anchor in terms of Valorant means a player who consistently holds and defends a specific site or position.
Angles refers to the positions and perspectives players can use to gain a tactical advantage in aiming and vision.
Angle advantage is a term that means having a superior position that allows a player to see an enemy before being seen themselves.
Anisotropic filtering in Valorant is a graphics setting that improves the quality of textures viewed at oblique angles, which can affect visual clarity at a distance.
Anti-aliasing in Valorant is a graphics setting that smooths jagged edges in the game’s visuals, potentially improving target identification at a distance.Anti-eco in Valorant means a round where a team expects the opponents to be on an eco round and adjusts their strategy accordingly.
Anti-flash is a technique that means positioning oneself to avoid being blinded by flash abilities or looking away when a flash is expected.
AP in Valorant likely stands for “Ability Points,” which some agents use to purchase or upgrade their abilities during a match.
Armory in terms of Valorant means the in-game store where players can purchase weapons and abilities at the beginning of each round.

B

Back/Back site in terms of Valorant means the area of a bomb site that is furthest from the main entry points, often used as a defensive position.
Baiting is a term that means intentionally drawing out enemy players, making them vulnerable to teammates.
Baiting Utility in Valorant means using abilities or equipment to trick enemies into thinking there’s a push or player presence in a certain area.
Bomb is another term for the Spike, which means the objective that attackers must plant and defenders must defuse.
Bonus in terms of Valorant means a round where a team who won the previous round keeps their cheaper weapons to build up their economy, despite being able to afford better gear.
Bottom frag is a term that means the player with the lowest number of kills on a team.
Bunnyhop or B-Hop stands for a movement technique where players jump repeatedly to maintain speed and make themselves harder to hit.
Buy in Valorant means the phase at the beginning of each round where players purchase weapons and abilities.

C

Callout in Valorant means a quick verbal communication to inform teammates about enemy positions, movements, or other important information.
Camp is a term that means staying in one position for an extended period, usually to ambush enemies or defend an area.
CD stands for “Cooldown,” which in terms of Valorant means the time period a player must wait before using an ability again.
Clear/clear site is a term that means to check and confirm that an area or bomb site is free of enemy players.
Clone in Valorant refers to certain agent abilities that create duplicates to confuse enemies, such as Yoru’s Fakeout.
Clutch means a situation where a player wins a round while being the last one alive on their team, often against multiple opponents.
Collateral in terms of Valorant means damaging or eliminating multiple enemies with a single shot or ability.
Controller is a term that means an agent class focused on manipulating the battlefield and controlling space using smokes and other area-denial abilities.
Counterstrafe in Valorant means the technique of pressing the opposite movement key to quickly stop and shoot accurately.
Crossfire refers to a situation where two or more players position themselves to attack an enemy from multiple angles simultaneously.
Crosshair placement is a term that means keeping your aiming reticle at head level where enemies are likely to appear for quicker, more accurate shots.
Crouch Spraying means a technique of crouching while firing continuously to help control recoil and potentially dodge headshots.
CT stands for “Counter-Terrorists,” which in Valorant is often used to refer to the defending team due to the game’s Counter-Strike heritage.
Cubby in terms of Valorant means a small, enclosed area on a map that provides cover and is often used for hiding or ambushing.

D

Default in terms of Valorant means a standard, pre-planned strategy that a team uses at the beginning of a round.
Dink is a term that means hitting an enemy in the head but not killing them, often due to armor or damage falloff.
Dog in Valorant refers to Skye’s Trailblazer ability, which sends out a controllable beast to gather information or concuss enemies.
Double set up or Double up means positioning two players together to hold an angle or area, providing more firepower and trading potential.
Double swing is a term that means two players peeking an angle simultaneously to overwhelm an opponent.
Drop in Valorant means to give a weapon or the spike to a teammate, often by purchasing it for them or dropping it on the ground.
Dry Peek means checking an angle or entering a site without using any utility (such as flashes or smokes) for support.
Duelist is a term that means an agent class designed for aggressive play and entry fragging, typically having abilities that allow them to create their own opportunities to take fights.

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E

Economy (Eco/Econ) in terms of Valorant means the management of a team’s in-game money, which affects their ability to purchase weapons and abilities each round.
Econ rating in Valorant is a metric that measures how efficiently a player is spending money on weapons and abilities relative to their combat performance.
eDPI in Valorant stands for “Effective Dots Per Inch,” which is calculated by multiplying a player’s mouse DPI by their in-game sensitivity. It’s used to compare sensitivities across different setups.
Elbow is a term that means a corner or bend in a corridor on a map, often used as a callout for specific locations.
Entry Fragger in Valorant means a player whose role is to be the first to enter a site or contested area, aiming to get the opening kill and create space for their team.
ESR in Valorant stands for “Effective Sensitivity Ratio.” This term is used when converting sensitivity settings between Valorant and other first-person shooter games.
Exit frags stands for kills obtained by the defending team on attackers who are leaving a site after planting the spike or abandoning a push.

F

Fake in Valorant means a deceptive play where a team pretends to execute a strategy or attack a site, but actually intends to do something else.
Fake Clone is a term that refers to abilities like Yoru’s Fakeout, which creates a duplicate of the agent to confuse enemies.
Fake defuse or Ninja defuse means attempting to defuse the spike without fully clearing the site, often relying on stealth or mind games to trick the attackers.
Feed(ing) in terms of Valorant means repeatedly dying to the enemy team, often due to reckless play, effectively “feeding” them ultimate points and economy.
Flank is a term that means approaching enemies from behind or the side, catching them off guard.
Flash in Valorant refers to abilities that temporarily blind or disorient enemies, such as Phoenix’s Curveball or Skye’s Guiding Light.
Flawless means winning a round without any team members dying.
Flick is a term that means a quick, sudden mouse movement to aim at a target, often used for hitting difficult shots.
Force buy in Valorant means purchasing the best possible equipment despite not having ideal funds, often done to avoid giving the enemy team a significant economic advantage.
Frag or Pick means getting a kill on an enemy player.
Full buy is a term that means purchasing a complete loadout including the best weapons, full armor, and all necessary abilities.

G

Game Changers is Valorant’s competitive circuit aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in esports.
Game sense in terms of Valorant means a player’s intuitive understanding of the game, including predicting enemy movements, understanding timings, and making strategic decisions based on limited information.
GH stands for “Good Half,” which is a term that means acknowledging a team’s strong performance in the first or second half of a match.
Gooshed is a slang term in Valorant that means being killed quickly or in a particularly impressive or embarrassing way.

H

Half-buy in Valorant means a round where players purchase some weapons and abilities, but don’t fully invest in the best equipment available, often to save money for future rounds.
Heaven is a term that refers to an elevated position on a site, typically offering a good vantage point for defenders.
Hell in terms of Valorant means a position directly below or near “Heaven,” often providing cover or a sneaky angle for players.
Hip Fire means shooting a weapon without using ADS (Aim Down Sights), typically less accurate but faster.
Holding angles is a term that means maintaining a defensive position with your crosshair placed where an enemy is likely to appear.
HRTF in Valorant stands for “Head-Related Transfer Function,” which is an audio setting that enhances directional sound cues.
Hookah in Valorant refers to a specific location on the map Bind, a room with an elevated position overlooking B site.

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I

IGL stands for “In-Game Leader,” which means the player responsible for making strategic decisions and calling plays for the team during a match.
Initiator is a term that means an agent class designed to set up engagements and gather information for the team.
Instalock in Valorant means to immediately select and lock in an agent at the start of agent selection, without considering team composition.

J

Jiggle peek is a term that means quickly strafing in and out of cover to bait out enemy shots or gather information.
Jump peek means jumping out from behind cover to quickly spot enemies or bait out shots, making yourself a harder target to hit.

K

KAST is a Valorant statistic that measures the percentage of rounds where a player got a kill, assist, survived, or was traded.

L

Line up (LOS – Line of Sight) in terms of Valorant means a specific position and aim point for using abilities effectively, often to hit distant or hidden targets.
Lit is a term that means an enemy has been significantly damaged but not killed.
Lobby in Valorant refers to the area where players spawn at the start of each round.
Long means a pathway or area of the map that is extended and typically offers long-range engagements.
Lurk is a term that means staying behind enemy lines to gather information, flank, or catch rotating players off guard.

M

Main in Valorant refers to the primary entrance to a bomb site.
MB stands for “My Bad,” which means acknowledging a mistake or apologizing for poor play.
Mid is a term that means the middle area of the map, often contested for control.
Molly in Valorant means a molotov-like ability that creates an area of damage over time, used for area denial or forcing enemies out of positions.
Money in the bank is a phrase that refers to having a substantial amount of in-game currency, allowing for full buys in future rounds.

N

Network buffering in terms of Valorant refers to a setting that can be adjusted to help with network stability, potentially reducing lag or stuttering during gameplay.
NT stands for “Nice Try,” which means acknowledging a teammate’s good effort, even if it didn’t result in success.

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O

Off-angle in terms of Valorant means an unexpected or uncommon position that can catch enemies by surprise.
One tap is a term that means killing an enemy with a single shot, typically a headshot.
One-way in Valorant means a smoke or vision-blocking ability set up in a way that allows one team to see through it while the other team cannot.
Op(erator) stands for the most powerful sniper rifle in the game, known for its one-shot kill potential.
Orb is a term that means the glowing spheres on the map that can be collected to gain ultimate charge.

P

Peek in Valorant means quickly looking around a corner or over cover to gather information or take a shot.
Peeker’s Advantage is a term that refers to the slight delay between when a peeking player sees an enemy and when the enemy sees them, due to network latency.
Pennable/Penned in terms of Valorant means being able to shoot through a surface or being shot through a surface, respectively.
Ping means either the in-game communication tool for marking locations, or a player’s network latency.
Pistol round is a term that refers to the first round of each half, where players can only afford pistols and light abilities.
Plant for “____” means planting the spike in a specific location that favors post-plant play or makes it harder for defenders to retake.
Play for picks in Valorant means focusing on getting individual kills rather than executing a full site take.
Playing off-angle is a term that means positioning yourself in an unexpected spot to catch enemies off guard.
Playing slow means taking a cautious approach, often waiting out enemy utility or trying to bait out mistakes.
Point (Long or Short, A, B, or C) in terms of Valorant refers to specific areas of a map, often used in callouts.
Pocket Guardian means buying a Guardian rifle (a cheaper, semi-automatic rifle) during an eco or force buy round.
Poppin’ Swing is a term that means aggressively peeking or pushing an angle, often catching the enemy by surprise.
Post plant in Valorant refers to the situation after the spike has been planted, focusing on defending it until it detonates.
Prefire means shooting at a location where you expect an enemy to be, before you actually see them.

R

Radiant is the highest rank in Valorant’s competitive mode.
Rat is a term that refers to a player who uses sneaky or unconventional tactics, often hiding in unexpected spots.
Raw input buffer in terms of Valorant is a setting that affects how the game processes mouse input. When enabled, it can help reduce input lag for some players.
Remake in Valorant means restarting a match due to a player disconnecting early in the game.
Res/Rez stands for “resurrect,” which refers to Sage’s ability to bring a dead teammate back to life.
Retake is a term that means attempting to regain control of a site after the spike has been planted.
Roomba in Valorant refers to Raze’s Boom Bot ability, which moves along the ground to seek out enemies.
Rotate means moving from one area of the map to another, typically in response to enemy movements or spike plants.
RR stands for “Ranked Rating,” which are the points you gain or lose after each competitive Valorant match.
Run & Gun is a term that refers to the tactic of shooting while moving, which is generally less accurate but can be effective in close quarters.
Rush in terms of Valorant means a fast, aggressive push towards a site or area, often with the whole team.

S

Save/Eco in terms of Valorant means a round where players minimize their spending to conserve money for future rounds.
Secure boot in the context of Valorant refers to a system setting that some players may need to adjust to run Vanguard, Valorant’s anti-cheat system.
Sentinel is a term that refers to a class of agents specialized in defending and holding sites, often with abilities that provide information or slow down enemy pushes.
Shift walk in Valorant means moving while holding the shift key to walk silently and avoid making footstep sounds.
Shields stands for the armor that players can purchase to increase their durability in combat.
Short is a term that refers to a pathway or area of the map that offers closer-range engagements, often contrasted with “long”.
Shoulder Peek means quickly showing a small part of your character model (the “shoulder”) to bait out enemy shots or gather information.
Smoke out in Valorant refers to using smoke abilities to block vision in certain areas.
Spawn is a term that means the area where players start each round.
Spending strategy refers to how a team manages their in-game economy, deciding when to save, force buy, or full buy.
Spike in terms of Valorant means the objective that attackers must plant and defenders must defuse.
Split is a term that means dividing the team to attack or defend multiple areas simultaneously.
Stack in Valorant means positioning multiple players in the same area, often to defend against a potential push.
Stick is a term that means to continue defusing the spike without stopping, even when under threat.
Swing means to quickly peek out wide from cover, often used to trade a teammate or catch an enemy off guard.

Gamer glossary

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T in terms of Valorant stands for “Terrorists,” which is often used to refer to the attacking team due to the game’s Counter-Strike heritage.
Tapping the Spike means to start the defuse process on the spike and then stop, often used to bait out enemy positions or buy time.
Team Ace in terms of Valorant means a situation where each player on a team gets at least one kill in a single round.
Tele (TP or Teleporter) in Valorant refers to the teleporters on certain maps (like Bind) that instantly transport players from one location to another.
Thrifty is a term that means winning a round with a significant economic disadvantage.
Top frag means the player with the highest number of kills on a team.
Trade in Valorant refers to the act of quickly killing an enemy who has just killed your teammate, “trading” one life for another.
Tracking is a term that means following an enemy’s movement with your crosshair, often used when spraying or holding an angle.

U

Ult/Ultimate in terms of Valorant means an agent’s most powerful ability that charges over time or by collecting orbs and getting kills. Each agent has a unique ultimate ability that can significantly impact the round.
Utility is a term that refers to an agent’s abilities or purchased items (like smokes or flashes) used to gain an advantage in combat or control areas of the map.

W

Wall in terms of Valorant often refers to abilities that create physical barriers on the map, such as Sage’s Barrier Orb or Phoenix’s Blaze.
Wallbang is a term that means shooting and damaging or killing an enemy through a wall or other obstacle.
Wall hack in Valorant refers to a type of cheating where a player can see enemies through walls, which is strictly prohibited and can result in a ban.
Wide peek means stepping out far from cover when peeking an angle, exposing more of your body but potentially catching opponents off guard.
Whiffing is a term that means missing shots that should have been easy to hit, often due to poor aim or nervousness.

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