How do you appear offline in VALORANT?

Sometimes, you don't want to be spotted playing.

The VALORANT agent Neon posing in some character artwork.
Image via Riot Games

There’s nothing wrong with playing multiplayer games like VALORANT by yourself. Sometimes, players want to zone out and tap heads, and don’t want to queue with that friend who they can’t tell is really bad. Appearing offline is the perfect way to do that.

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Riot hasn’t implemented an official in-game feature that allows players to appear offline in-game, but it is possible to do it via a completely free third-party program. This piece of software will allow you to appear offline while you play.

How to appear offline in VALORANT using Deceive

VALORANT agent Sage healing Jett at the beach.
I just want VALORANT to be as relaxing as this. Image via Riot Games

To appear offline in VALORANT, you’ll need to download and install Deceive on your computer, then set it up. Don’t worry, though, I found the whole thing to be a very straightforward process, and so will you.

Tip: Take caution

It’s important to note Riot isn’t a fan of third-party applications. Deceive is a reliable application that has been around for years without issue. I know that from experience. There is always a risk that it could result in a VALORANT ban, though, so use it at your own discretion.

To make it even easier for you, I’ve broken it down into six simple steps:

  1. Download Deceive on Github.
  2. Once the program is downloaded, create a shortcut of Deceive.exe.
  3. Right click the shortcut of Deceive.exe with your mouse and click on “Properties.”
  4. As soon as you click Properties, a screen will pop and you’ll see there’s a field named “Target.”
  5. Add an extra space after “.exe” and type “valorant.”
  6. Press OK and run Deceive via the shortcut you added.

If you’ve followed all of these steps correctly, Deceive will run correctly. All you need to do after that is launch VALORANT. When the game is open, look over at your friends list and you should see an entry called “Deceive Active” on top of it. This is an indicator that the software is running and you’re finally offline in VALORANT.

You’re free to queue for competitive, unrated, deathmatch, or just chill out in the training range without getting pings from friends.

Author
Image of Leonardo Biazzi
Leonardo Biazzi
Staff writer and CS:GO lead. Leonardo has been passionate about games since he was a kid and graduated in Journalism in 2018. Before Leonardo joined Dot Esports in 2019, he worked for Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte. Leonardo also worked for HLTV.org between 2020 and 2021 as a senior writer, until he returned to Dot Esports and became part of the staff team.
Author
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Harrison Thomas
CS:GO, Overwatch, and Valorant Staff Writer - Played CS:GO since 2012 and keep a close eye on other titles. Give me a game and I'll write about it. Ranks are private information. Contact harry@dotesports.com
Author
Image of Alex Tsiaoussidis
Alex Tsiaoussidis
Staff Writer for Dot Esports. I am a passionate gamer with years of experience covering all things gaming, esports, and streaming. I have extra love for Dota 2, Pokémon, and Apex Legends.
Author
Image of Scott Robertson
Scott Robertson
VALORANT lead staff writer, also covering CS:GO, FPS games, other titles, and the wider esports industry. Watching and writing esports since 2014. Previously wrote for Dexerto, Upcomer, Splyce, and somehow MySpace. Jack of all games, master of none.