The official release of VALORANT is here and in full swing. Riot’s latest entry into the FPS genre has added a new character, new map and even a new game mode for players to experience. The new match-type, called “Spike Rush”, is the first attempt at a different-flavor it’s typical Attacker/Defender game mode.
Spike Rush is designed for ultra-fast games compared to the traditional version of VALORANT. There are still attacking and defending teams, and the objective is to plant or defuse the spike just like classic unrated matches. It is the many additions to Spike Rush that allow the games to feel much more Relaxed and much more casual.
The first change is potentially the biggest – everyone in the match starts the round with the same guns. Each round, both teams are given a random weapon load-out that both teams share. In fact, there is no need for worrying about credit economy at all, as all non-ultimate abilities are available each round as well.
Courtesy of Riot Games
To ensure the attackers don’t need to create a perfect plan, each attacker starts the round with a spike. While this may be tough for defenders to watch all three sites at the same time, it removes the need to always know where the bomb is located. The objective becomes more of a “death match” than a classic “search and destroy”.
Inside Spike Rush, there are typically two to three areas located on the map that highlight certain power-ups that players can grab. There are no longer any ultimate-orbs like in normal unrated matches, making power-ups valuable resources to battle over. There are five types of power-ups players need to fight over in Spike Rush
Courtesy of Riot Games
Courtesy of Riot Games
Crippling Decay activates after a short, 2.5-second channel time. Once the channel is over, the opposing team is afflicted with a debuff that reduces their health to 10. Similar to Viper’s poison clouds, once the duration is over, players will have their health restored to it’s amount before the power-up was activated.
While opponents are afflicted with Crippling Decay, they will have a green aura surrounding them, as though they were poisoned. During this time, enemies will be considerably weaker.
Courtesy of Riot Games
The red power-up increases the overall damage of a players weapon. The effect lasts indefinitely for the round until the player is killed.
Once a player secures the Weapon Power power-up, they display a red aura around the player. Be wary of opponents glowing red, their shots will hit twice as hard.
Courtesy of Riot Games
The Hyper Speed power-up creates a small circle that applies a movement speed buff to all players that run through it. The buff lasts for a 10-second duration, starting once a player leaves the Hyper Speed area.
Players affected by the Hyper Speed buff have a yellow aura around the character, and surely enough, move considerably quicker than everyone in the lobby without the buff.
Courtesy of Riot Games
To add a bit more chaos into Spike Rush, players can instantly charge their ultimate ability with the blue power-up. Picking up the Ultimate-Charge power-up can provide teams with an opportunity to win in the round, or save ultimate abilities for later fights.
Players do not have an aura around them after picking up the Ultimate-Charge power-up, as it is shown in the scoreboard. The player will have their portrait lit-up in yellow if their ultimate ability is available.
Courtesy of Riot Games
The last power-up is extremely powerful, as it allows for the player to have access to an upgraded gun. In pistol rounds, finding the Weapon Upgrade orb grants a massive advantage over their opponents.
Be careful though, better guns do not guarantee invicibility. Dying with an upgraded gun allows the opposition to pick it up, potentially turning the tide in favor of the enemy.
Spike Rush adds a perfect amount of casual play into a seemingly extremely intense game. Games are played to four wins rather than the normal thirteen, letting players hop into a quick match and be done in as quick as five minutes. Try out some Spike Rush if the stress and pressure of normal matches are getting your mentality down.
Featured image courtesy of Riot Games
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