With Riot Games constantly updating the map pool of Valorant, there are certain times when you’ll find yourself absolutely not wanting to play a map (looking at you, Breeze and Pearl). At times like these, the dodge feature can come into clutch.
Whether you feel like you have a bad team comp or you simply dislike the map, dodging in Valorant gives players a way to skip a match before it begins, but it comes at a small cost.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to dodge in Valorant.
What is Dodging in Valorant?
Dodging in Valorant is the act of leaving the pre-game lobby before Agent Select ends. By doing so, players can prevent the match from starting and avoid committing to play a full game on a map or with a team composition that they’re unhappy with.
While dodging is generally discouraged if overused, it’s still a legitimate tool in the game for players who want to avoid wasting time in a match where the odds seem to be stacked against them.
How To Dodge in Valorant?
Dodging in Valorant is extremely easy and can be triggered as soon as you see the ‘Match Found’ notification on your screen.
The first and perhaps the simplest method to dodge is simply by not picking an Agent. Once the Agent Select phase starts and you feel like you don’t want to commit to the game, just wait out the timer without picking an Agent. When the timer expires, your game will automatically be cancelled and you’ll be returned to the main menu.
The second and fastest method to dodge is to close the game by pressing ‘Alt+F4’ at any point during the Agent select phase. This saves everyone from waiting out the full minute for the lobby to time out. Keep in mind, however, that you’ll need to relaunch the game afterward, which can take a bit of time depending on your system.
What Are the Penalties for Dodging in Valorant?
Valorant players experience escalating penalties upon dodging a ranked game in Valorant. For the first dodge, you should see a small reduction in your rank rating (RR) and nothing else.
Subsequent dodges, however, will result in a progressively larger loss of RR points along with increasing queue timeouts that prevent you from joining a new match for a set period.
You can also dodge Unrated and Swiftplay games in Valorant, and while you won’t lose any RR on dodging those game modes, you should still see escalating timeouts for doing so.