A brand new VALORANT game mode has just been announced. It will be available from February 17 on the live servers.
Escalation Mode
Each player is equipped with a random weapon at the beginning of the game. Kills give points, and when you reach enough points, you'll get a new weapon. You typically start with a weapon that does a lot of damage and is fairly easy to handle, and end up with a weapon that does a lot less damage.
The main difference between Escalation and other Gun Game-style modes — such as the one in Counter-Strike — is that players will also be equipped with a random skill. In addition to changing weapons with each kill, you will also change skill.
The game is played 5v5. When a match starts, you are randomly equipped with one of the 12 weapons and skills. They are ranked from "most lethal" to "least lethal". To change weapons, each team must collectively obtain a specific number of kills.
The Rules
- 5v5 game mode
- 12 Escalation levels (each level has a specific weapon or ability)
- First team to 12, or furthest along in 10 minutes, wins
- Team together must earn 7 points on a level to advance to the next levelA kill on the current level earns 1 point
- A kill on a previous level earns .5 points
- Each player has an individual weapon level they’re working to completeYou’ll have to earn at least 1 kill on a weapon to unlock the next weapon level
- The team can still advance Escalation levels if you’re on an older weapon level. Example: Your team can be level 4 but you can still be “stuck” with the level 1 weapon (let’s say the Vandal), until you get 1 kill with that weapon. Then you’ll progress to the level 2 weapon, not directly to level 4.
- Games run for about 7–9 minutes
- No Agent-specific abilities based on your character select choice, only the standard abilities that all players will see throughout the match
- Fast respawns (invulnerable for first 5 seconds)
Loadout and XP Gains
- Level 1: Always either Raze’s Showstopper or Vandal/Phantom
- Level 2: Always Vandal or Phantom.
- Levels 3–11: Assorted weapons and abilities
- Level 12: Possible Shorty, Classic, Knife, Shock Dart...or even the Snowball Launcher
- Health: Every death drops a health pack that expires after 10 seconds
You’ll get 800 XP for each completed match, and an extra 200 XP when you pull off a win.
Note that the Escalation mode is time-limited for now, and that it'll be available February 17.
Original content by Célia "Lolisa".
VALORANT’s Patch 2.04 plans to bring new behavior detection, and severe penalties for AFK players and chat-based offenses.
