Warming up in VALORANT is about to get a whole lot better.
Riot Games is finally releasing a beta for a Free-for-All Deathmatch mode on Aug. 5, giving players a chance to test things out or warm up before hitting the ranked grind. The fan-requested mode will pit players against each other with infinite credits, so you can practice whatever weapon you want. And you won’t have to worry about planting bombs or getting wiped out by a rocket launcher since there will be no abilities or Spike in Deathmatch.
The objective is to be the first to 30 frags or snag the most kills within the six-minute match timer. The mode also offers a three-second respawn timer, putting your back against the wall at specific points in the map where there are no enemies close by. And respawning players are invulnerable for eight seconds or until they move or fire their weapon, allowing you to swap guns.
Every death drops a health pack that sticks around for 10 seconds, instantly restoring you to 150. Riot hopes this will encourage movement and aggression, rather than the tactical shooter’s usual patience and strategy. And just in case you planned on camping corners, a UAV radar sweep shows your location every five seconds.
Players done warming up early can drop out at any time, forfeiting any potential XP that would be awarded at the end of the match.
Deathmatch should be a breath of fresh air for players who want to warm up before jumping into Competitive matches. While Spike Rush is fun, it doesn’t let you practice whatever weapon you want. And the random orbs create spontaneity, but it often veers from VALORANT’s typical gunplay.
The new free-for-all mode will initially launch in a beta test window. If the Act II patch and VALORANT‘s servers prove stable, Riot will “eventually leave the game mode on.”
