All we know about the 1v1 arena game mode coming to Valorant

Valorant is about to get more competitive with official matchmaking for 1v1 “arena” duels. 

Competitive players love to challenge their opponents to a 1v1 battle during ranked games. It’s a common practice among dedicated Valorant players who are wanting to blame their teammates for a loss while ignoring their own toxicity. Unfortunately, custom modes have been the only way to compete in private matches. Riot Games may be engineering a cutthroat battleground to host all those 1v1 challenges. 

An in-game screenshot, likely from Valorant’s testing grounds, has slipped through the cracks. A new 1v1 arena deathmatch label grabbed players’ interest. 

Seems a 1v1 Arena Gamemode is currently in development. | #VALORANT pic.twitter.com/kBjjHDyQ5l

— Mike | Valorant Leaks & News (@ValorLeaks) May 31, 2022

But players may want to keep a lid on their excitement as the new feature is in the early stages of testing. Riot Games may dump the idea if it doesn’t align with Valorant’s playstyle, interferes with other modes, or just isn’t fun. Even if it does get greenlit, the new 1v1 Arena game mode may not arrive anytime soon. 

How will 1v1 Arena game mode work? 

A custom Valorant mode already allows players to engage in 1v1 duels, so the new feature will likely bring something new to the table. Like Spike Rush, Riot may introduce a unique twist that adds to the competitive value of this game mode. 

ValorLeaks has suggested that the 1v1 mode will be shorter than the other games. Instead of 13 rounds per half, the entire game may include just 10 or 13 rounds. A shorter version will speed up the game, allowing two players to determine who’s the best quickly. Apart from 1v1, players also spotted a quick play tab in the leaked image. No information is currently available on this, but it confirms more exciting features are being cooked up. 

Riot Games hasn’t yet acknowledged the leaks, so those in favor of the new mode should keep their fingers crossed. Until then, players can use the custom mode to host private games with their friends and newly discovered enemies. 

How many game modes are in Valorant?

Valorant currently has five game modes in Competitive, Unrated, Spike Rush, Replication, Deathmatch, and the Practice Range.

Overall, Valorant has nine modes if you include Snowball fight and Escalation since the two games will reappear after the rotation update. More modes will likely be added in the future, both in permanent and limited-edition capacities.