In Valorant, according to the developers, a round is supposed to last an average of 30 to 40 minutes. However, players have calculated exactly how long it can actually take in the worst case until a match is decided. The answer: Almost twice as long!
What is a match in Valorant like? Valorant is not a game for a quick break in the regular game mode. To win, a team must win 13 individual rounds. Only then does the long-awaited screen with the final game statistics appear.
Since each round costs time and the opponent occasionally wins, the developers state that a match of Valorant lasts about 30 to 40 minutes.
How long does it take in the worst case? A player on reddit named quarkez wanted to know exactly and did the math. He wanted to find out how long the theoretically longest round in Valorant lasts. So, a round where the maximum number of rounds of 25 matches (13:12) is played, and every round is extremely close.
His result: The maximum longest round considering all factors in the game has a length of 4,683 seconds – which is 78 minutes and 3 seconds. Almost double the average 40 minutes estimated by Riot for a regular match.
But how does quarkez arrive at this absurd number?
What is the Longest Possible Game in Valorant? from r/VALORANT
That’s why it theoretically takes so long
These are the calculation bases: First, quarkez assumed that the match would last the maximum number of 25 matches – 13 for the winners, 12 for the losers. He then calculated the duration of the matches:
- One round lasts a maximum of 100 seconds
- When the Spike is planted, a timer of 45 seconds begins, even if the 100 seconds are almost over.
- This means that each round can be extended by another 45 seconds if the Spike is planted just before the end (it takes 4 seconds to set up) and remains active until the end.
- Before each round, there is a 30-second buy phase where you buy your gear in the shop
- This buy phase lasts 45 seconds in the first round, after halftime, and in the overtime round (round 25)
In addition to these time spans, the following factors also come into play:
- The time until agents are selected at the start of the game is 80 seconds
- There are 7 seconds between each round
- The time between the end of the last round and the victory screen is 10 seconds
When you add all this up, according to quarkez, you arrive at the aforementioned 4,683 seconds, which should be the longest possible round in Valorant.
How long should you plan for a round of Valorant? Such mammoth rounds should be quite rare in reality, but everyone who plays Valorant often knows that a match can indeed last longer than a tight half hour.
So, plan for a round of Valorant to take an average of 45 minutes and allow for some extension. Fortunately, there will soon be with Patch 1.02 the option to end a poorly running match early by surrendering.
How long should the shortest match last? At the end of his video, quarkez explains that the shortest round in Valorant may last 10 minutes and 51 seconds if a team takes out the opponent every time in record time.
Are there shorter alternatives? Fortunately, Riot has implemented a significantly shorter alternative to the regular rounds in Valorant for players in a hurry. In Spike Rush mode, there is no buy phase, and the match ends after 7 wins. Therefore, a match there lasts a maximum of 19 minutes, and for me, MeinMMO author Jürgen Horn, Spike Rush is also the preferred mode.
