Valorant terms and calls all players should know
Know your Valorant terms, get more wins.
Valorant is all about being tactical. Playing as a team will always improve your chances of winning, but to play as a functional team, you will need to understand all the Valorant terms players use today.
If you’re totally new to playing Valorant, here is a guide to some of the easiest yet most important Valorant terms, terminology, calls, and comms you need to know in order to communicate effectively with your teammates.
What are Valorant terms?
Valorant terms or terminology include different types of acronyms and slang players have grown accustomed to using.
These Valorant terms come with their own unique descriptions which speed up how players pass on information while they play the game.
This list of Valorant terms, terminology, calls, and comms will be updated over time. The game is constantly evolving as new Valorant terms are introduced by Riot Games and the community, alongside each new agent and map release.
Valorant terms: Common calls
What are calls or comms?
“Calls” or “comms” (communication) refer to the significant bits of information players use to gain a better perspective in-game. Players make use of Valorant terms in their calls to be able to coordinate and strategize throughout each round.
Giving your team proper calls before the start of the round and planning out your buys will increase your chances of winning. The same goes for in-game calls in which immediate commands are given to counteract the enemy team’s actions.
Guide on ‘economy calls’
Save or eco
When someone calls for a save or an eco, this means that players ensure they have enough money to buy everything they need in the next round.
A full save round means you’re not buying anything in order conserve your money. If you have below 2,000 credits, you will need to call a full save so that you can full buy the next round.
Half buy
Half buying is similar to calling a save round. You want to have enough credits to purchase everything you need for the next round, only this time you’re spending excess credits to improve your chances of winning.
If you have above 3,000 credits, you can afford to spend some of it and still have enough for a full buy next round.
Buying a Sheriff, Judge, or Specter, and half armor will give you a better chance of killing an enemy agent and taking their gun or give it to a teammate.
Full buy
This is when you spend most of your credits to make sure you have everything you need to win the current round. Your full buy purchases typically include a rifle (either a Vandal or a Phantom), the entire agent utility kit, and full shields.
Force buy
This call is made to verify the team spends whatever money they have left in an attempt to win the round and possibly turn the game around.
Force buying is risky, as the team will be inclined to save in the following round if they don’t win. This could also catch the enemy team off-guard since they won’t expect you to have that much firepower in the round.
Guide on ’round calls’
Bonus round
A bonus round is when players carry over the weapons they purchased after winning the pistol round. In Valorant, the team that wins a pistol round will have enough credits to purchase SMGs or even rifles in the following round.
If the enemy team decides to save after losing the pistol round, they will be able to full buy in the third round. The bonus round means players who still have SMGS or weaker rifles like the Bulldog or Guardian carries these weapons over to their opponents’ full buy round.
Guide on ‘in-game calls’
Rush
Valorant terms example: Gambit Esports goes for a rush against Envy
This is a strategy where all five players push the same spot or site in an attempt to overwhelm their opponents with numbers. When someone calls for a rush, both attackers and defenders need to be quick to react because the slightest pause could cost them the round.
Trade
Valorant terms example: Gambit Esports’ Ayaz “nAts” Akhmetshin gets a clutch trade against Envy
Trading, in Valorant terms and for other FPS titles, means killing the opponent that just killed your teammate. If a teammate is going in as an entry, always be prepared to aim at the opponents shooting at them to properly trade them out.
Rotate
Rotating is when players shift their attention from one location to another. For attackers, rotating means trying to take one spike-site, then going around and hitting the other. Defenders usually rotate one player at a time, unless the attackers are committing to a full rush.
Flank
Valorant terms example: Evil Geniuses’ Tarik “tarik” Celik flanks the enemy team
Flank plays require stealth and silence, or all-out speed. To execute a proper flank maneuver, players must commit to a push towards the enemy team. This will result in a pincer maneuver, with the enemy team defending their front and back points.
Sentinel agents likeKilljoyandCypherare the perfect anti-flank agents, because their stationary utility provide information on the enemy team’s whereabouts without putting yourself at risk.
Check out ourFracture map guidefor a better understanding of the newest map to avoid flank plays, and how to determine your own rotation plays. All this information will help you make better calls.
Lurk
Valorant terms example: Gambit Esports’ nAts executes the perfect lurk play
Lurking is when a single agent from the attacking team goes to the opposite side of the map, waiting for an opportune moment to sneak around and shoot opponents from behind.
Lurkers move based on the information they gain. They sometimes even bait their team to get a better position on the map.
Save
A save call means to save your weapon for the following round by avoiding the enemy team, letting the round timer expire, or letting the spike explode which ends the round.
This is a strategic choice, especially if you’re outnumbered 1v5 or 2v5. A save therefore gives you a better chance at winning the next round because you will have enough credits to buy full shields and utility as you won’t need to spend on your weapon.
Default
Valorant terms example: Gambit Esports playing default
Default is a round setup in which the attackers wait for the enemy team to make the first move, whether it’s by pushing or using their utility, where all five players will gather information before they decide on their next course of action.
Playing default will help in figuring out the locations of enemy agents which give you a better idea of where to push.
Riot Games’ competitive tactical shooter is one of the most complex games in esports today. It will take some time to grow accustomed to all the different Valorant terms, calls, and comms players use in Valorant. Be sure to check out more of ourValorant guidesto improve your game.
READ MORE:Valorant Fracture map guide: Best strategies for attackers and defenders
