How to find out if the spike has been half defused in Valorant

Have you ever lost a winnable round because you were hoping the enemy is fake defusing? This mistake can be avoided by staying alert. 

Fake-defusing is one of the common win-tactics in first-person shooter games. This trick works wonders in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive but can be highly punishing in rival shooter Valorant. But this audio cue trick can help you identify a fake tap. 

Riot Games has introduced a unique Spike feature in Valorant that allows defenders to deactivate the bomb in two parts. This feature puts attackers at a massive disadvantage as it’s hard to tell whether the enemy is fake-tapping or defusing halfway. Mostly, defenders half-deactivate the bomb and then peek. This leaves attackers with no option but to rush in and stop full defuse. However, paying attention to sound cues can help you stay safe and win the round. 

It turns out, attackers aren’t at a complete disadvantage once defenders have regained site control. Players have discovered that the defusal sound is different for the first tap and the half defused Spike. The first deactivation sound is on a lower pitch as compared to the second one. 

Defuse sound is different depending whether the bomb is defused halfway or not.
by u/foxorek in VALORANT

If you’re stuck in the cubby of Haven’s point C and you hear a low pitch beep, it’s recommended to peek once to stop the enemy. Now you have intel that the Spike defusal has been halted. Don’t instantly peek again if you hear the low pitched beep, wait for at least five seconds. A higher sound cue would mean that the enemy has committed to defusing, and this is your cue to rush in and take them down. 

This trick will come in handy in both high and low-ranked games, especially in a one versus one situation, where peeking comes with increased risk. This little tip allows attackers some leverage in a highly defender-sided case when Spike is planted undercover. 

How long does it to take to plant the Spike in Valorant? 

The Spike takes approximately four seconds to be activated, which triggers an explosion countdown. After the four-second timer, it becomes impossible for the defenders to play around the Spike to win the round. One of the easiest ways to win a game as the attacker is to stall the plant and run down the timer.