When will pausing be added to Valorant? Developers give answers

A new Ask Valorant has been released and it gave fans answers on some of the game’s lingering questions. 

The most significant topic addressed for most Valorant fans regarded in-game pauses. While pausing in games is something that fans often take for granted, no clear answers were given in terms of how Valorant will handle this seemingly basic function.

“You should allow an in-game pause per team, because sometimes we have to pee or poop.” one fan said. 

As in traditional sports, timeouts and pauses introduce a strategic element to the game that is not meant to be a gameplay tactic. Two options were compared by the Valorant team, being pausing during a round and pausing between rounds. 

Pausing between rounds allows teams to strategize and avoids creating game integrity issues. The developers admit they are experimenting with ways to introduce between-round pauses, but there are no details to discuss at the moment, which means that implementation of this mechanic is most likely not happening in the near future.

Pausing during action was taken off the table entirely, as it can introduce a number of problems with game integrity. It’s easy to imagine how pausing during a firefight could be used to disrupt opponents or troll teammates in a way that undermines the game’s legitimacy

Valorant players can’t pause, and it could stay that way

Valorant players know all too well that matches take anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes on average, with some games lasting an hour or more. Because of the slow-paced nature of the game, and the nature of the human body, sometimes pauses or periods in between games where players can take a break to take care of business are needed. 

Rival tactical shooter Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has had this issue dealt with for a long while. Teams can vote among themselves to pause the game at any point, with the pause going into effect at the next intermission between rounds. Teams have a certain number of pauses in each match, with each pause lasting one minute. 

Valorant’s developers also discussed plans for crosshair customization, and being able to play in a practice range while queueing. The developers have mentioned that this likely isn’t going to happen because of server capacity issues, but they are considering alternatives such as an aim trainer, or a FFA Deathmatch while players wait for matches similar to skirmishes in Overwatch.