Mastering Valorant: How to Be Offline and Optimize Your Gameplay

Valorant is a popular tactical first-person shooter game that has captured the attention of gamers worldwide.

In this article, we will explore the concept of being offline in Valorant, why someone would choose to do so, and the risks and precautions associated with this decision.

From practicing without distractions to avoiding toxic players, we will discuss the benefits of being offline in the game.

We will provide tips on how to safely navigate the offline mode in Valorant. Let’s dive in and unravel the world of offline gaming in Valorant.

What is Valorant?

Valorant is a popular free-to-play multiplayer tactical shooter made by Riot Games that launched on June 2, 2020. Riot Games is most famous as the publisher of League of Legends and has its headquarters in Los Angeles with an additional office in Shanghai. Valorant was announced with the code name Project A in October of 2019. The Riot Games team developed Valorant in their LA office using a custom-built engine they made for the game.

Set in the near-future, Valorant offers 2 teams of 5 players the chance to play as agents battling over varied maps in a series of rounds with the goal of planting and preventing the planting of a spike. There are a number of game modes including Deathmatch, Spike Rush, and Unrated which is casual play without a ranking system. With Unrated mode, players who wish to play offline themselves can quite easily. Valorant’s tactical shooting style requires quick reaction times, coordination with your team, and strategic planning.

Why Would Someone Want to be Offline in Valorant?

In Valorant, being offline refers to the act of hiding one’s status from friends by turning off the online feature. There are numerous acceptable reasons to do this ranging from the desire to play and research the game without the interruption of friend requests to a desire to avoid appearing rude if one does not respond to messages right away.

The majority of references to turning off one’s online status come in the form of players lamenting that they can no longer in the backend of the game (API) confirm that selected players are on and in which mode they are playing. According to YouTuber Menid, this offline API feature is convenient for this purpose. The API can be used to check the status of pros or for lulzy purposes.

This feature is still available to some developers and they use it to track specific participants in professional Valorant tournaments, such as those organized by the VCT. It can also be helpful in operating fan websites, exploiting community sentiment to enhance Twitch viewership, finding the competitors of players who are queuing, or providing a good resource for recruiting participants for anyone interested in the professional Valorant scene. It is unclear if developers of the most popular fan site used by players, Blitz.gg, have access to these info. The site has a section that can be used to follow pro players, but this is manually set public and not always updated when a player does have the API on offline.

Practice Without Distractions

The best way to be offline in Valorant is to practice without distractions. Online practice should not be where the basics are being learned in the first place. Hit F10 or mute all, including voice and chat, for a distraction-free environment when playing online in modes such as Spike Rush, Deathmatch, or Competitive. Turn off notification pop-ups for Battle.net (standalone agent only), Epic Games, and Steam, and make sure YouTube or any other website’s sound is muted. Mobile phone notifications should also be muted.

Reactive play to a real opponent could require twice as much time compared to creative development. The best way to accelerate offline practice is by freeing up as much cognitive energy as possible from non-game factors.

Avoid Toxic Players

The Valorant community likes to communicate with its teammates either through voice or chat messages. If you do not want to be a part of that communication and you prefer off-the-grid gaming, you should avoid toxic players to reduce chat interruptions and misinformation. Riot Games offers voice, text, and player muting options. They can be found in the settings and are toggleable by match in the scoreboard.

Test Out New Strategies

Testing out new strategies is a great way to play Valorant without being online while also gaining an edge against other players when you are connected. It is easier to take risks with new strategies when you are not online because you won’t be risking lessened performance or upsetting other teammates. Although strategies change as Valorant evolves, the general concepts you develop during offline play like map control and improvement of communication with your team are still of use.

How to be Offline in Valorant?

To be offline in Valorant, which means disabling one’s in-game presence and options, players must participate in a match. While in the game, open the Menu in the top left-hand corner of the HUD by clicking the lines, open the Friends List, click on their account name, and choose the friends list status using either Sparks or Groups. Offline status will now display next to their name.

Offline gamers have tests in the game but are not connected to other players in chat, Out of Game interaction, and additional party features. When you do not want to be online in the game, communicate with your friends and let them know that you are about to turn off your communication.

For Knockout City, the game will allow your offline status to be displayed. Then there are features in the game where you do not show that you are online and do not engage. Unfortunately, for games like Fortnite, there is no real way that a player can be wholly offline as there are continuous notifications in the game that indicate that a player is online even though they are not actively doing anything.

Disconnect from the Internet

It is against the rules in Valorant to be offline by disconnecting from the internet. If you have trouble with ping in Valorant, Riot Games recommends that you test your Internet connection to see if it is working correctly and then try reconnecting.

You can check your internet connection speed at sites like Speedtest.net and bufferbloats at Dslreports.com. 80ms is an acceptable average ping for a Valorant player. To improve latency in Valorant, reduce the number of devices using the network and close other applications that may be using the network excessively. Use Wi-Fi over cellular, as long as it provides a strong and stable connection. Sit close to the router to minimize latency and packet loss. If all of this fails, consider upgrading your package. If you have low ping already but are experiencing lag, packet loss, and stuttering, you can troubleshoot that with this Reddit post on Star Wars Squadrons, as the fixes for Valorant are similar.

Use a VPN

Using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is another option to be offline in Valorant – it creates a network within another network allowing you to mask your IP address and access your server from anywhere in the world.

Without getting into the technical details, it is a service that you can pay for which will grant you a different proxy server, essentially faking a new IP Address for you during internet connection. This is not a free method and requires a monthly or yearly fee for a quality service.

Apparently for many technical reasons, ExpressVPN is especially recommended for this type of activity, but there are many other popular services in the field as well like NordVPN, CyberGhost, IPVanish and many more.

Change Your Status to Appear Offline

At this time Valorant does not have the ability to appear offline in their platform allowing for all types of friends to see whether or not you are online. Valorant plans to increase this feature in the future with Riot ID privacy settings, which will likely have a feature called Appear Offline. This can then allow for specific categories of friends to see your status or not, certain modes of play to be blocked for visibility, and only invite from specific friends to be sent.

The Riot ID which is your by-account name in Valorant, Riot Games production, and across all games can be accessed at the top of the home screen. The Riot ID, provided it is unique which is usually the case unless a similar one was already taken, can be entered into the Search bar on the right to find a user. This will show if the person is online. Alternatively, adding a friend and direct messaging will also show whether a person is online or not. Valorant does not have a “Just for chat” option as some casual social networks or email platforms have to minimize interactions but not clarify if you are active or not.

What are the Risks of Being Offline in Valorant?

The risks of being offline in Valorant are significant. When you restart the app or return after being offline due to a poor connection, you’re rematched into the same game, most likely a game that’s not going well for you.

The problems arising from being offline in Valorant include not having the ability to play effectively, losing points, and facing penalties like low priority queue punishment from quitting mid-game (although this can be avoided by restarting the app, waiting out poor connection until you are automatically disconnected, or setting setting for a timeout to close out the game if losing connection). Plus, having a bad game has been shown to reduce future enjoyment from Valorant as well as impact the enjoyment of other leisure games.

The solution is to simply prevent this occurrence. Ensure that either the internet connection is strong enough to play properly, or you are busy doing something else that cannot be delayed to prevent the losses on Valorant.

Missing Important Updates

When you miss a critical game update on Valortant, the game is no longer easy to play because you have out-of-date weapons or skills. To be offline to important updates with the game still easy to play, use the following file called “Game Updating Guidelines” on the google drive that Valorant has established. Whenever you are offline, the developers of Valorant provide detailed patch notes into any changes and will explain why they made these changes.

When you come back online, visit the Valorant website, scroll down, and expand the “Current” patch notes to catch up on changes. For greater detail, there are complete patch note logs that go all the way back to when the game was in beta testing.

Unable to Play with Friends

There is no way to stop playing with friends other than by unfriending them in-game or unfriending them on any social media account connected to the account. Remember that privacy settings in external accounts like Facebook can affect who you see playing in-game. If you are offline to one friend in Valorant, make sure that person has the right settings selected, or they may still see you online in the game. See this How to Enable/Disable Apex Legends Cross-Play (Console Only) article for an introduction on What cross-play is and a reminder to check external social media settings that may override in-game settings.

Potential for Account Suspension

The potential for account suspension in Valorant exists, although players whose accounts have been suspended claim it is because someone else on their account cheated, and no direct evidence has been found of the ability to be owned by the same suspended account for being in-game offline.

Riot Games, Valorant’s developer, does not proactively disconnect users from matches due to network quality problems, which is sometimes done gratuitously by other similar games. Therefore, there should be no penalty for one account due to the benign discontinuing of another account.

As of February 2021 no reports of game forfeit due to account suspension playing offline Valorant have been found online, nor easy-to-access sections on any reported forced suspensions directly linked to being in-game offline. If one is found or entitled to future exposure, it will be mentioned in this guide. Game_Rant points out that in nearly all cases in which Riot Games catches a player using cheats, the company issues an automatic, permanent HWID (hard disk identification) ban to that account so the copy of the game itself can only be accessed through an entirely new account.

Is Being Offline in Valorant Against the Rules?

Being offline in Valorant is against the rules. Riot’s Code of Conduct states that players’ computers must be in-play with the account logged in during a match, and the game of Valorant must be running at all times during the match. If a player disconnects or goes offline, they must reconnect or get back online within a specified amount of time.

If a player is not online and has not been replaced by a substitute, they are considered AWOL (absent without leave) and playing 4v5 is not an available solution. The team that adheres and obeys the Valorant Game and Competition rules will have the best chance of keeping their opponent in ping while they’re offline. Playing in a lagged game becomes a matter of good sportsmanship and fair play while being offline is sought to be fixed.

How to Stay Safe While Being Offline in Valorant?

You stay safe while being offline in Valorant by ensuring your profile and computer with Valorant credentials is safe when you log in. Make sure your account is not set to automatic log in if you need to switch between them. And remember to sign out when you are finished playing to cut access to your account off. Use a secure password for your Valorant account. This is especially important for those who link their Riot accounts to their highly sensitive financial accounts like major credit cards or bank accounts, making any access or break-in to the account by an unauthorized user especially risky.

Use a Trusted VPN

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) anonymizes your device’s internet access, safely protecting it from unscrupulous internet users and corporations.

Though it does not improve latency, it won’t worsen it, either. There have been reports of malware and other issues with off-brand VPNs, and so it is advised to stick to a few well-known and respected names. In using a VPN for Valorant, it’s advised to try for higher quality virtual private networks because lower-grade VPNs could unknowingly put you at risk or not be stealthy enough to be safe for protecting your real internet of origin to the Riot service. Paid VPN services generally offer better coverage, services, support, and control options that could be needed due to unforeseen technical issues.

To be offline in Valorant using a VPN, simply download and install a quality VPN service in your system tray on your device, switch it on, and then choose a server outside your desired area. Your device will give the appearance of being in another region and your IP address will appear to be sending lower latency values to the Riot Servers. There is a surfing of various VPN options, paid and free, with numerous options for speed, security, and location restrictions beyond free trials and money-back schemes.

Keep Your Account Information Secure

Keep your account information secure by doing the following things to be offline in Valorant:

1. Don’t share your account’s login information with anyone you do not trust.
2. Disable automatic sign-in on the Riot Games login page.
3. Maintain strong unique passwords for each account (you can use a password manager to store and keep track of all of these).
4. Don’t subscribe to VPS (Valorant Points as the game’s in-game currency is now called) services or click phishing links. This refers to something in video-game-speak called skins for guns and characters. If you’re not in the know, don’t get impressed by people who say they have customizations you can’t get. Keep an eye out on forums and Reddit because Riot is quite thorough about banning these black-hat activities. (social network).

If you’re not familiar with the social network mention above or encounter a term you do not recognize, don’t be shy about asking. While many websites can provide you with jargon definitions of basic terms, a Q&A comment on social forums can provide you with conversational lingo that utilize jargon effectively. The person who would say that is called an influencer. There are some who answer questions about offline behavior for Valorant in (social networks), while others help users who wonder how to turn profile to offline in Valorant.

If you’ve gotten into trouble because of scams (or you just don’t want your cousin updating your profile or changing settings), the website 4gamers.com shares insight on internet security. Use their methods to be offline in Valorant.

Be Mindful of In-Game Actions

Being offline in-game can be done through a simple act known as throwing, where a player intentionally deranks by sabotaging the game. This can be maliciously done by force quitting the game or performing self-damaging actions to disrupt match outcomes, such as walking in front of a teammate’s sniper shot or defusing the spike prematurely. Match-throwing does upset all the other players in the game, even the ones on the player’s own team, so should not be employed as a good way to avoid being reported.

One important thing to remember is that being reported does not immediately equal being banned from the game. However, if a player is muted and receives a notification that their username and actions have been reported, it is in the player’s best interest to behave well and avoid actions that would legally justify a ban.

Players should not quit games or perform disruptive actions, even if muted. Abide by the guidelines outlined by Riot as closely as possible to avoid contributing to a player report that would jeopardize game privileges.

Conclusion

Valorant does not feature an offline component for normal gameplay. Part of the game can be accessed offline, such as the Shooting Range for practicing weapons, equipment, and abilities in a solo environment with unlimited resources and targets. You can also enter the custom match mode and configure the game so that you are alone with your chosen agents for a training exrcise.

Until Riot Games explicitly addresses the demand for it, there is no viable way to turn the ability to access Valorant offline into a permanent feature. Users should be aware that Riot Games does not allow unauthorized modifications to the game, which may include attempts to access the game offline, and they could face consequences if they attempt this too much. This will render playing Valorant impossible and these consequences may result in damage because attempting to modify and access Valorant is not supported by Riot Games.

Besides those considerations, users should still create the opportunity to play Valorant offline in custom modes. The next best thing to playing in the online world of Valorant to help you grow your skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Be Offline in Valorant?

How do I appear offline on Valorant? To appear offline on Valorant, go to your Riot Games account settings and toggle off the “Show my online status” option.

How to Be Offline in Valorant?

Can I still play Valorant if I appear offline? Yes, appearing offline only hides your online status from others. You can still play and access all features of the game.

How to Be Offline in Valorant?

Will appearing offline affect my matchmaking or game performance? No, appearing offline has no impact on your matchmaking or game performance. It only changes your online status for others to see.

How to Be Offline in Valorant?

Can I choose to appear offline only to certain friends on Valorant? No, the “Show my online status” option applies to all friends on your Riot Games account. You cannot select specific friends to hide your status from.

How to Be Offline in Valorant?

How do I turn off the “Show my online status” option on my Riot Games account? To turn off this option, go to your Riot Games account settings and find the “Show my online status” toggle. Click on it to switch it off.

How to Be Offline in Valorant?

Can I still receive messages and notifications while appearing offline? Yes, you will still receive messages and notifications while appearing offline. However, your status will not change for others, so they may not know you have received the message.