On October 2, 2025, Riot Games unveiled ‘Skirmish’, an all-new game mode for Valorant that enables players to refine their gunplay and test how their marksmanship skills fare against their friends.
The new Skirmish game mode in Valorant can either be played in a 1v1 or team-based format, with the first team to win ten rounds being declared the winner. Similar to Deathmatch, players are unable to use abilities in this game mode and must rely on their mechanical aim to take down opponents. Unlike Deathmatch, however, there are no instant respawns. Once you’re taken out, you’ll have to wait until the round concludes before rejoining the fight.
How To Play Skirmish in Valorant
At the time of writing, the Valorant Skirmish mode can only be played in Custom games. It’s unclear if Skirmish will be added to matchmaking in the future.
To play this new Valorant game mode, simply create a custom game lobby and from the dropdown menu, select ‘Skirmish’. Now, all you need to do is invite your friends and start the game. You’ll be pitted in one of the three available maps that are roughly similar in terms of layout, but with subtle differences.
That’s everything you need to know about the newly added Skirmish game mode in Valorant.