Free-to-play games are notorious for being pay to win, but is Valorant pay to win?
In this post, we will be answering that question in-depth as well as looking at how free-to-play friendly Valorant is.
Table of Contents
Is Valorant Pay To Win?
No, Valorant is not a pay to win game. There is no statistical advantage that can be purchased in Valorant to help you win games over other players. However, some players believe some weapon skins give the user an unfair advantage.
Riot Games the developer of Valorant has a pretty good track record of creating free-to-play games that are not pay to win. League Of Legends, their most popular title, has proven that no matter the popularity of their game they value competitive integrity.
So, Valorant as of right now is not pay to win and it is highly unlikely that the game ever becomes that way. Riot Games themselves have said that they never want optional extras to affect gameplay and if they ever find something that does they will make the necessary adjustments.
What Can You Pay For In Valorant?
The only things you can pay for in Valorant are cosmetic items and Agents. The game is truly free to play and you don’t have to spend a single cent on the game if you don’t want to. Here is a list of the items you can buy in Valorant:
- Weapon And Melee Skins
- Radianite Points To Evolve Your Skins
- Agent Contract Tiers
- Battle Pass
As you can see there is nothing you can buy in Valorant to help you win more games. They are purely cosmetic items or in the case of Agents unlockable through free-to-play methods.
Are Valorant Skins Really Pay To Win?
While there is some controversy around whether some Valorant skins are pay to win and provide an advantage, the truth is Valorant skins are not really pay to win. Skins in Valorant only affect audio and visual elements. This includes the shooting, reloading, and finisher animations as well as the sounds.
Valorant skins do not make the weapon better. As in they don’t make the weapon shoot faster or do more damage or have less recoil. Everything remains the same even if the gun looks completely different from the original. If there is any advantage to be gained from skins it’s a mental one.
What Skins Are Considered Pay To Win In Valorant?
Even though skins in Valorant are not pay to win that doesn’t stop the Valorant community from thinking otherwise. Here is a list of all the Valorant skins that are considered to be pay to win for every gun.
- Oni Phantom
- Prime Vandal
- Ion Operator
- Singularity Ares
- Prime Odin
- Elderflame Judge
- Forsaken Spectre
- Sovereign Ghost
- Ion Sherrif
- Magepunk Marshal
- Ion Bucky
- Infantry Guardian
- Infinity Bulldog
- Sovereign Stinger
- Prime Frenzy
- Gravitational Uranium Neuroblaster Classic
- Oni Shorty
The truth is the best skin for each gun is the one you like the most and you shouldn’t get too caught up in whether a skin is pay to win or not. It’s better to focus on actually improving at the game because the better player will always come out on top.
Is Valorant Free To Play Friendly?
Yes, Valorant is extremely free-to-play friendly and there is almost nothing in the game that can’t be unlocked as F2P player. If you are used to free to play games that are extremely grindy and almost force you to pay for things in order to progress, Valorant will be a pleasant surprise for you.
One of the great things about games created by Riot Games is that you can truly be the best player in the world without spending a dime on the game. They strive to create competitive games where the main determining factor of your success is your skill.
If you are looking for a free-to-play friendly game Valorant is a great choice.
Conclusion
So there you have it, as you can see Valorant is not a pay-to-win game despite what some people may say about the skins. The only things you can buy in the game are 100% cosmetic. Even though skins can completely change the look of a weapon to the point you don’t even recognize it, the actual stats of the weapon never change.
If you have any questions or want to let us know your favorite skin do so in the comments below.
