Valorant: Riot to introduce new casual game mode to counter stress of competitive matchmaking

We all know how stressful and frustrating competitive grinding can be in a tactical first-person shooter like Valorant.

And if you’re having an especially bad day with ranked matchmaking, then some of the existing casual modes like Death Match and Spike Rush might not be enough to release the accumulated stress.

In an interview with USGamer, Joe Ziegler (Valorant’s Game Director) has talked about how important it is to have a mode where people can have fun, and calls it the “social” game mode.

Valorant, like any other online competitive game, comes with its brand of toxicity. From hackers to trollers to teammate killers, the Valorant community is filled with individuals who just keep the fun to themselves, while ruining the gameplay experience for others.

Valorant’s ranked climb can be incredibly tough on the mental fortitude of the most experienced of players. And it’s precisely why Riot Games will be introducing a new casual game mode.

Riot to launch a new “social” game mode in Valorant

Image credits: Valorant

In the interview, Ziegler suggested that, when it comes to competitive games, “social downtime” is critical as it allows players to stay more engaged with the game they love.

Valorant has a very high chance of causing a mental burnout, especially when it comes to competitive games. As this shooter is first and foremost a tactical fps, communication and team synergy are essential, but in a solo queue, it is almost always ‘every man for himself’.

Hence, the competitive matches can be incredibly frustrating for those who play without a team.

According to Ziegler, social downtimes are:

“Spaces that I think we’re going to continue to see growing around Valorant. More tools to help you compete, but also more tools to actually help you just live a more full life inside of Valorant.”

Alleviating stress and reducing chances of a burnout is key when it comes to pushing through “very stressful competitive games back-to-back”.

However, we don’t feel that Riot will be introducing just one stress-busting game in Valorant. There can very well be more than one, and much like their other IP, League of Legends, there might be two to three new modes coming our way.