What is Valorant Replication? New game mode details & release date

Valorant is getting a new limited time game mode in the form of Replication, which involves every player playing the same Agent on each team. Sound like fun? Here’s everything you need to know. 

Valorant isn’t just getting new maps in Episode 2 Act 3 with Breeze, but new game modes with Replication.

Riot has been shaking up the battlefields with these innovative game modes ⁠— first with Snowball Fight, then Escalation. Replication is another string in that bow.

In the spirit of League of Legends popular “all-for-one” game mode (to quote Valorant Production Manager Lisa Ohanian), Replication has all of the players on your team playing the same Agent against a team of, well, duplicates. So, here’s everything you need to know.

What is Valorant Replication?

Valorant’s newest mode is literally what it says on the tin. One team will be playing a squad full of one Agent, while the other will be doing the same. So, for example, you could have a whole team of Sages versus a whole team of Omens.

Writing that “the goal of this game mode is to flesh out our offering of more casual feeling modes,” Riot “hope to offer novelty and unique-feeling gameplay.”

• Read More: Valorant Escalation guide: tips & tricks for new TDM game mode

Game Designer Kyle Powell stresses that this isn’t just for casual players, though. “With Replication, we are looking to create exciting and novel moments by widening the player theorycrafting space while highlighting Agent abilities. Quintupling down on Agents that were balanced around normal Agent restrictions, we’ve created lots of hilarious near game-breaking plays for players to discover.”

The possibilities are pretty plentiful, with some innovative strategies just waiting to be found (protecting the spike with a pentagonal Sage wall anyone?)

Valorant Replication: Rules

When it comes to Replication, the rules are pretty similar to your usual Unrated matches. Riot note that the difference is that “all players on the same team are the same Agent. Set credits per round, first to 5 rounds wins.”

Replication rules in Valorant

• BO9 Unrated Rules with time adjustments
  • 80 second round length
  • 45 second pistol round w/ 30 second subsequent rounds
• All players on the same team are the same Agent
  • Players vote on which agent to be during a modified version of the selection screen, and then everyone plays the winner.
• Abilities (except Ultimate) are refreshed every round
  • Players gain +1 Ult points per round at the start of the round (except Overtime)
• Players have a set amount of Creds each round regardless of win/loss
  • Round Cred Amounts:
    • 900
    • 2400
    • 3900
    • 6000
  • Gun/Shield are reset each round
• Being flashed twice within a 4 second window grants FLASHGUARD to the player
  • FLASHGUARD: Cannot be blinded
    • Duration: 5 seconds

Same XP as unrated.

When does it release?

Valorant’s Replication mode will release alongside the newest patch, 2.09. This drops on May 11.

Bear in mind that this is a limited-time game mode, and therefore you’ll only be able to cause some Replication chaos for two weeks. It will replace Escalation for that time period, after which Riot are hoping to add a “mode rotation strategy.” More info on that to come.