Mastering Overtime Tactics in Valorant: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you a Valorant player looking to understand overtime in the game?

This article explores what overtime is in Valorant, how it works, the conditions for triggering it, strategies for winning, and the rules and limitations.

Learning about overtime is crucial for enhancing your competitive experience, whether you’re a beginner or seasoned player.

Let’s dive in and uncover everything you need to know about overtime in Valorant!

What Is Overtime in Valorant?

Overtime in Valorant is when a match ends in a 12 -12 draw. It is a modified endgame format that aims to definitively close the game by providing a speedier conclusion. It has a format that allows the winning team to move beyond being stuck at a tie and if so, how soon the match will end.

How Does Overtime Work in Valorant?

Overtime in Valorant is a bold approach to still offer victory or loss to one team or player in a scenario when the teams are so closely matched that the designated number of rounds of the competitive or unrated game mode did not decide the victor.

Valorant is initially played until one side reaches a best of 12 rounds score and for a total match time of 73 minutes. If both teams reach 12 rounds when playing to win by 2 games, or if the match time expires before this decision is reached, then the game enters overtime.

In overtime, the teams are allowed to play up to 3 additional rounds following the general match rules but using the following bracketed changes:

• Match time is reduced to 80 seconds, and 40 seconds for spike defusal
• Everyone starts with a minimum of 5,000 credits and can purchase whatever weapons and armor they choose.
• Sniper rifles are banned during overtime.
• Wins are counted by one point.
• The additional rounds are repeated until one team leads with two wins.

What Are the Conditions for Overtime in Valorant?

The conditions for overtime in Valorant are that both teams have the same final round total in regulation play, which is 12 rounds. If one team happens to get a 13-12 win at round 25, most unplayed matches treat this as a tie no different than an 8-4 or 6-0 final score as both teams have reached the time limit. In this case, a single overtime period of the standard 6 rounds duplicated down both halves is played. If at the end neither team takes the lead outright, depending on the Valorant competition tournament rules either the game is decided as a draw or multiple overtime periods are played.

How to Trigger Overtime in Valorant?

Overtime is triggered in Valorant when the regular match ends in a 12-12 tie. As Valorant is played on Attack and Defend symmetrical maps, there is usually a clear advantage to either the side attacking or defending. When that happens, a very close match may like seem like it will result in a 13-11 scoreline (or even worse if the stakes were not nearly as high). Both sides then have somewhat of a gaming advantage to defend, and games just keep progressing along with very little to show.

Perhaps because of this, a 4th round/match point is played as until very recently that round can end in a draw with everyone killed. This adds an even longer delay to the game. To rectify this issue, Riot has announced an overtime feature; round 25 will have a short pause and then continue with an overtime format, with the first team to achieve 2 round wins within 3 total rounds being the match winner. It is unclear if this feature has been rolled out or when it will be introduced.

What Are the Different Ways to Trigger Overtime in Valorant?

There are three different ways to trigger overtime in Valorant.

1. Money System: All agents start an over time match with 5000 credits. The abilities and equipment are maintained throughout Overtime. The game is played with 3 rounds on each side, with a reset at the half if necessary. If needed, Overtime matches are played until the twentieth round.
2. WIN BY TWO ROUNDS: The team who wins the best of the 3 rounds on each half must win by two rounds.
   If the match is tied at the end of 6 (rounds 1-2-3, and then again for 4, 5, and 6) rounds, this is a draw and another 6 rounds are played.
   If the match is still tied after the second round of six, the team to reach four rounds in the third overtime (round 20) wins.
3. Are TIES in Valorant Common?: Not especially. Tied matches are rather uncommon in Valorant, with ties decided by the players in an overtime round, rather than happening automatically at the end of a game. The teams are too skilled for many ties to be scored, and there will always be differences in performances.

How to Win in Overtime in Valorant?

Winning in overtime in Valorant is similar in most ways to winning any match. Your team must successfully pursue its goal to defend or plant the spike four times.

However, because the rounds in overtime are more highly valued, it may be advantageous to change strategies from the main time. This can mean adopting a more aggressive or more conservative stance. Perhaps your team can bait aggression from their opponents by having one player stand in a common area early in the round.

What Are the Strategies for Winning Overtime in Valorant?

The following key strategies for winning overtime in Valorant include saving for full-buy rounds, getting initial picks, avoiding confrontation on Spike Rush rounds, faking sites, and using utility strategically.

1. Save for full-buy rounds in Valorant Overtime: With the match open for anyone to take in such high-pressure situations like overtime rounds in Valorant, it is crucial to ensure that you have a full arsenal of weapons, shields, and other backups. Always save and don’t spend any unnecessary money buying weapons or shields unless you know that the next round is crucial and can turn the game in your team’s advantage.
2. Get initial picks in Valorant Overtime: Due to the importance of numbers, it is necessary that you make the first kill in overtime round whether on offense or defense.
3. Avoid confrontations in Spike Rush mode during Valorant Overtime: This was mentioned in the section above, but it has to be restated that this mode has no utility and as such, it is better to avoid confrontations and try planting the spike.
4. Fake site tactics in Valorant Overtime rounds: You have to keep the opposition guessing in Valorant Overtime. To throw off the opposition team in production mode, you have to fake them with site-take.
5. Use utility properly in Valorant Overtime: Players emulate professional teams and utilize Valorant’s various utilities effectively. When using Post-plant strategies, Smoking off lanes when planting the Spikes, always opt for operators or riflers to earn the advantage, etc.

What Happens After Overtime in Valorant?

The team that wins after overtime in Valorant wins the match, and the losing team has lost. If the match was a part of a tournament series, the team that wins after overtime is considered to have won that series match. All residual points gathered by each player during the normal game, across multiple rounds, and on each side, will still count towards their final performance stats even in the most limited of cases such as complete shutout overtime victories on a single round.

The looser side is partly disadvantaged in the first immediate overtime round after reset. So, in the case of basic scheduling based around map wins or leftover series matches, if overtime is followed by a victory on the immediately following round, the tournament is considered over. If a match is not part of a scheduled number of games based on the maps or leftover series games, an overtime victory is considered to have won the match entirely.

Until the match is over, the game must continue with further overtime rounds until one team wins after the tiebreaker. Once the match is officially over, players will be allowed to pause, communicate with their teams, and so on as normal. A match-winning play after overtime still requires a minimum of 13 wins. Points in any overtime round other than the first after restart are not restricted to the 5 points total as happened in the Regulation Overtime scenario. Each team starts the game with 5000 credits after the regulation match ends.

What Are the Possible Outcomes of Overtime in Valorant?

The possible outcomes of overtime in Valorant are a win for either team, or a draw, which is a potential fourth outcome similar to a tie in American football. In a game with up to three overtimes, the final overtime may result in a tie, with no continuation as the match is decided without further overtime rounds once the match is tied after the last potential overtime. In such a circumstance, how the game determines a winner, such as by number of automatic wins, is not specified within the VALORANT Global Competition Policy.

According to the VALORANT Ruleset from April 2, 2021, after the decision to play an overtime period, one team is randomly selected to be the attacking team. From that point, the attacking team and the defending team will alternate between attacking and defending at the end of every additional overtime period. Each team will initiate an additional overtime period by purchasing starting equipment with a value of 5000 credits.

What Are the Rules for Overtime in Valorant?

The rules for overtime in Valorant are that when both teams win 12 points (12-12 score), six more rounds are played. Each of these six rounds gives teams 5 points (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20) to take the victory. During these six rounds, each team alternates between the attacking side and the defensive side, with the team that scored fewer rounds choosing which side to start on. The use of overtime (OT) is there to prevent a match from ending in a draw.

What Are the Limitations and Restrictions During Overtime in Valorant?

The limitations and restrictions during overtime in Valorant are:

1. Unlike the primary rounds, overtime rounds begin with full equipment. Beyond that, any restrictions are decided in the game rules for the particular valorant map.

Two points of interest for this are the popular professional map Haven which restricts the abilities available to the team and the B site can only be selected in a unique way, but it otherwise plays as a normal round. Conversely, the VALORANT system map Breeze restricts the amount of equipment that can be purchased for the intendation of balance throughout the game.

How to Prepare for Overtime in Valorant?

You prepare for overtime in Valorant by playing and understanding your team’s attack and defensive gameplans. Memorize and be aware of when they are limited or obsolete. Communicate and remind your team what works based on the opposing team’s behavior, and when certain strategies are close to breaking down. Players should practice stress control and listening and communicating with teammates under pressure. A way to prepare for overtime when practicing is to simulate tournament conditions in scrims. Use the /ff command to force overtime in custom games. The developer recently added this as an option for experimenters to trigger overtime manually.

What Are the Key Factors to Consider Before and During Overtime in Valorant?

• Be careful of utility expenses. Smokes and molotovs can help reduce the number of spots you need to watch for flanks. However, you’ll have less to spare for the material of the bombsite in planting rounds.
• Try to predict the economic situation. Given that both teams start with the same economic resources in Valorant overtime, you can look at the average cost of rounds up to the end of regulation to predict the expenses your opposition in overtime may have and use this to your advantage by either being more or less frugal with your utility and weapons.
• Adjust positions in your favored lineup. Teams may start to lose aggressive confidence against you based on poor performance in regulation. For instance, if a player was not very successful in an AWP duel in regulation, teams may start flanking that position more against you. Try to counteract these tendencies by playing a 1-and-done position with AWPers.

What Are the Key Factors to Consider During Overtime in Valorant?

• Be More Aggressive for Information. Opposition teams, especially those with weaker economies, may be more willing to risk aggressive plays. Thus, seek out this information quickly and attack the side of the map with fewer defenders.
• Operate with Tighter Rotations. One kill early in a round of Valorant overtime can easily change the situation on B where you are defending on how many of your other defenders can safely evacuate position A. Thus, players covering secondary positions should be more prepared to move quickly.
• Play the Majority of Position Favorites with Slight Edits. If the A bombsite was favored by both teams in regulation, overtime may be the best option to make rapid changes that subvert the expectations of the opposition. However, be cautious with doing this. The best call may be to merely adjust your Valorant defense on the bombsite you prefer to be slightly less aggressive.
• Engage in Thorough Post-Round Analysis. Each round matters more in overtime, so you need to be more analytical about wins or losses. Rifler domasura of NUTURN Gaming states, In tight situations, you need better opponents to beat them and you need to prepare by noting where the adversary normally plays.

What Are the Benefits of Overtime in Valorant?

• The benefits of overtime in Valorant are that it provides extra chances for lower-tiered teams to beat higher-tiered competition (MKL), more chances to see top Valorant strategies beyond regular time only if at least one team scores their first round of offense (and defense) with a three-tie run
• More time to find DDoS and internet lag culprits with appropriate levels of analysis
• More time to play, which helps avoid ties in game records to better legitimize top team rankings
• Additional minutes to play allows teams and individual players more chances to set additional splat, kill, and assist metrics records

How Does Overtime Add to the Competitive Experience in Valorant?

Overtime in Valorant – optional but available if necessary – adds to the competitive experience by ensuring that every round that adds a new point is absolutely crucial. If every round after regulation does potentially result in a win after ten rounds, crucial mistakes can mean triumph or heartbreak.

One of the best examples of this was in the 2021 Stage 2 Masters Berlin where during the lower bracket final between Fnatic and Team Vikings, Brazilian Murillo Yoshida missed a critical kill on Slovenian Domit Baggio of Fnatic that left the door open for his team. Sadly, Dimitri Van Tooren tossed out a Paint Shell on the best target and couldn’t get out immediately, finding himself caught between two enemies. Even though he traded the damage, this four-second delay only allowed Fnatic and their stage-one-twice champion duo more time to bolt away. Fnatic won the set with a gap of points of 14-12.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to have an overtime in Valorant?

Overtime in Valorant occurs when the score of both teams is tied at the end of a match. This extends the match with additional rounds until one team wins.

How is the overtime winner determined in Valorant?

The overtime winner in Valorant is determined by whichever team wins the first round of overtime. If the score remains tied after the first round, additional rounds will continue until one team wins.

How do I enable overtime in my custom Valorant match?

In a custom match, the option for overtime can be found in the match settings. Simply toggle the option to “on” to enable overtime for your match.

Is there a limit to how many rounds can be played in overtime in Valorant?

Yes, the maximum number of rounds that can be played in overtime in Valorant is 6. After 6 rounds, if the score remains tied, the match will result in a draw.

Can overtime occur in all game modes in Valorant?

Overtime is only available in the standard competitive game mode in Valorant. It is not available in Spike Rush or Escalation.

What happens if a player disconnects during an overtime round in Valorant?

If a player disconnects during an overtime round in Valorant, their team will be left with one less player and at a disadvantage. The round will continue to be played unless the disconnected player is able to reconnect.