Winning in Valorant isn’t just about sharp aim and good game sense—smart economy management is just as important. Every credit matters, and when you're up against evenly matched opponents, having the right weapons and utilities can give you a huge edge.
The game doesn’t force you to buy specific guns each round, so strategic players use this flexibility to catch enemies off guard with unexpected buys and take control of the match.
But to truly master Valorant’s economy system, you need to understand how it works. In this guide, we’ll break down the fundamentals of spending wisely, managing your credits—so your team stays strong every round.
Table of Contents
What Are Credits in Valorant?
Credits are the in-game currency in Valorant, used to buy weapons, shields, and abilities at the start of each round. Managing your credits wisely is crucial for maintaining a strong economy and ensuring you and your team have the right equipment to win rounds.
When you open the buy menu in-game, you can see your current round credits in the top left corner, as well as the minimum credits you will receive in the next round.
How credits are earned per round?
You can earn credits based on your performance in the previous round. And they all affect how much you receive. Understanding how credits work allows you to make smart buy decisions, maximize your economy, and avoid being stuck in a low-buy situation.
First Round: Both teams start with 800 credits.
Kills: Each enemy killed with a weapon or ability grants 200 credits.
Spike Plant: Successfully planting the Spike at an enemy Spike Site grants 300 credits.
Round Win: Winning a round rewards each player with 3,000 credits.
Round Loss: Losing a round grants each player 1,900 credits.
Loss Bonus: For consecutive losses, an additional 500 credits is added to the base Round Loss amount. The maximum Loss Bonus caps at 2,900 credits.
Saving Weapons: Regardless of team (attackers or defenders), players who survive the previous round keep their weapons for the next round and receive a minimum of 1,000 credits.
Buy Phases and Purchase Strategies
Knowing how to earn credits is crucial, as it affects your buying decisions each round. Your strategy depends on how much money you and your team have. You need to adjust your buys accordingly to make sure you have the right weapons, shields, and abilities to take on the enemy.
Pistol Round: The First Round of Each Half
In the Pistol Round, both teams start with only 800 credits, so they’re usually limited to buying pistols or light shields to fight.
The winning team gets 3,000 credits. It is enough to buy all abilities, light shields, and a non-primary rifle (like Bulldog or Guardian), or all abilities, heavy shields, and a shotgun (like Stinger or Judge). If the winning team has 1-2 members who get more kills, they may even have extra credits. Losing the pistol round means you’ll have to settle for cheaper weapons to save credits for future rounds.
When it comes to spending your credits, everyone starts on equal footing. Generally, you can spend as much as possible in the round to set yourself up for the next one.
However, different agents have different strategies. For example, agents like Sage and Brimstone tend to prioritize all the abilities first, often sticking to the default pistols. On the other hand, agents like Fade, Viper, or Sova, who get free access to their E abilities, might buy 0-2 abilities and go for a Frenzy or Ghost.
Focus on your strengths and prioritize buys that suit your playstyle. Just make sure to communicate with your teammates and spend most of your credits wisely.
Eco Round: A Low-Buy Round to Save Credits
An eco round is when your team spends little to no credits to save for a future full buy. This usually happens after losing a round when you don’t have enough for rifles and full shields.
During an Eco, players may buy nothing or go for cheap weapons like Sheriff or Frenzy, sometimes grabbing light shields or key abilities. While you’ll be at a firepower disadvantage, smart plays like stacking sites or playing aggressively can still turn the round in your favor.
Anti-Eco Round: Countering a Low-Buy Enemy
An anti-eco round happens when your team expects the enemy to be on an eco round (low-buy). Since they have weaker weapons and fewer resources, your goal is to minimize risks and maximize economy.
In an anti-eco, players often buy SMGs or cheap rifles to maintain a credit advantage while avoiding unnecessary deaths. Sticking together, checking corners, and keeping distance can help prevent surprise kills from enemies using pistols or shotguns. Winning an anti-eco Round cleanly ensures your team builds a stronger economy for later rounds.
Bonus Round: Maximizing Team Economy
A bonus round happens when your team wins a round but keeps their weaker weapons (like Spectres or Bulldogs) instead of upgrading to rifles. This is common after winning the pistol round and the following anti-eco round.
The goal of a bonus round is to save credits while still having a chance to win. Even if you lose, you’ll have enough money for a full buy in the next round. To maximize impact, teams may play aggressively, take surprise duels, or stack sites to make up for their weapon disadvantage.
Force Buy: Spending Everything for a Comeback
A force buy is when a team spends all their credits, even if they can’t afford a full buy. This usually means buying weaker rifles (like Guardian or Bulldog), SMGs, or even pistols, along with whatever shields and abilities they can afford.
Teams usually force buy when they can’t afford to save—for example, if losing the round would put them at a serious disadvantage. It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy that can turn the game around if executed well, but losing a force buy can leave your economy in an even worse state.
Full Buy: Maximizing Firepower and Defense
A full buy is when a player has enough credits to purchase a rifle (like Vandal or Phantom), full shields, and key abilities. This is the ideal loadout for most rounds, giving you the best chance to win fights.
Teams usually full buy when they have enough economy after an Eco or Bonus Round. If some players are short on credits, teammates might drop weapons to ensure everyone is properly equipped. A well-coordinated full buy round is crucial for maintaining momentum and securing round wins.
Half Buy: Saving While Staying Competitive
A half buy is when a team spends some credits but not all, usually buying cheaper weapons (like Spectre, Sheriff, or Stinger) and light shields while still saving for a full buy in the next round.
This strategy is common when a team doesn’t have enough for a full buy but doesn’t want to completely Eco. It allows players to have a fighting chance in the current round while ensuring they’ll have enough credits for rifles and full shields in the next.
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Key Economic Decisions In-Game
We'll now explain when to spend and when to save, following the natural round progression in the game. This will help every player make better decisions at key moments, increasing their chances of win.
When to Spend & When to Save
Winning the Pistol Round: Keep Up the Momentum
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Second Round (Spend) – Anti-Eco Strategy:
The team that won the Pistol Round should take advantage of their economic lead. Any players who survived the previous round can keep their pistols, while the rest should buy SMGs and Light Shields to secure the round against an ecoing enemy.
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Third Round (Save) – Bonus Round:
This round is a Bonus Round for the Pistol Round winners. They are at a weapon disadvantage, as the enemy team will likely Full Buy rifles. Even if they lose, they can Full Buy next round, so the loss isn't a big deal.
If they won the Anti-Eco Round, they’ll likely have a mix of SMGs and weaker rifles, making this round tough against a fully armed opponent.
If they lost the Anti-Eco Round, they should Half Buy here to ensure enough credits for a Full Buy next round with rifles and Heavy Shields.
Losing the Pistol Round: Play Smart and Prepare for Future Rounds
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Second Round (Save) – Eco Round:
The safest strategy is to Eco and save for a Full Buy in the next round. Even if you buy Sidearms or light weapons here, you're still at a firepower disadvantage, making it difficult to win. If you don’t fully save, you might not have enough for Heavy Shields + a rifle (Phantom/Vandal) in Third Round, putting you in an even worse spot.
Alternative Option: A Force Buy is possible to counter the enemy’s Anti-Eco, but it’s risky. If you lose, even with the Loss Bonus, you’ll only have 4300 credits next round. This means you might have to Eco again or even drop back to a Pistol Round buy, which can spiral into a losing streak.
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Third Round (Spend) – Full Buy:
Go all in for a Full Buy with rifles and Heavy Shields. This is your best chance to swing the momentum. If you lose this round, you’ll likely have to Eco again next round, leading to a four-round loss streak, which is tough to recover from.
The Importance of Team Buying
In Valorant, team coordination during buy rounds is key to success. Smart purchasing decisions and communication can significantly impact your chances of winning. Now, let's explore the importance of coordinating purchases and the effects of consecutive losses on your economy.
The Importance of Team Coordination in Buy Rounds
In Valorant, buying together as a team is critical to maximize your chances of winning. Individual decisions on what to purchase, such as whether to buy a rifle or save for the next round, can impact the entire team's performance. Team coordination during buy rounds ensures that everyone is equipped to take on the enemy team without leaving any player underpowered.
A Full Buy round, where everyone on the team buys rifles (like the Phantom or Vandal) and Heavy shields, is a great example of team coordination. When all players are equally equipped, it improves your chances of engaging in fair fights against the enemy. On the other hand, if even one player decides to Eco or Force Buy and doesn’t purchase a rifle or shields, it could weaken the team’s overall effectiveness.
In addition to purchasing the right weapons, coordinating abilities is equally crucial. Duelists like Phoenix or Reyna can push aggressively and take advantage of their self-sustain, while Sage provides valuable healing and resurrection to keep the team in the fight. When abilities align with weapon buys, it creates a more synchronized strategy, boosting your chances of winning the round.
The Impact of Consecutive Round Losses on the Economy
Losing consecutive rounds in Valorant has a significant impact on the economy, both for individual players and the team as a whole. After a loss, players receive a Loss Bonus, but it’s not enough to fully equip themselves for the next round.
If you experience several losses in a row, you may find yourself stuck in a cycle of Eco rounds, where your options for buying weapons and shields are limited.
Economy management during these times is key. The Loss Bonus increases after each consecutive round loss, but it still doesn’t compare to the full buying power of a Win Bonus. This means you may need to rely on Force Buys or Half Buys, trying to break the cycle of losses. However, if the team fails to win that round, it can lead to another eco round, and your ability to purchase strong weapons and abilities will be compromised again.
To avoid falling into an economic rut, team coordination is essential. Players should decide together whether to Force Buy (even after a loss) or to Save and let the Loss Bonus build up for a Full Buy in the following round. It’s a delicate balance—if your team wins an Anti-Eco round, it can help shift the momentum, but losing too many rounds in a row can put your team at a serious disadvantage, both economically and mentally.
Conclusion
Mastering the Valorant economy is all about understanding credits, buy phases, and making smart economic decisions.
Track how you earn credits each round and plan your buys carefully to stay competitive. Buying the right weapons and abilities at the right time can make or break a round. Team coordination during buy phases is essential for maximizing your chances of success.
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