Force Buying (Valorant): What is force buy in Valorant?

Force Buy refers to a strategic decision made by a team in Valorant ^[1] where the squad buys equipment and weapons despite not having a lot of funds. This strategy is in games where economic management is a huge factor in whether a side will win. 

Usually, when players force buy-in rounds, they buy pistols, equipment, abilities, SMGs, and shotguns since those types of firearms are almost always cheaper than the bigger weapons in the game. Force buying is a high-risk, high-reward tactic because it can catch the enemy team off guard if they think their enemies are saving their funds and doing an eco round. However, if a squad does a force buy and they lose, they won’t have enough money for the next round.

When should a team force buy in and Valorant?

Force buying is a risky strategy that a team must employ only when necessary. One of the few times it is okay to force buy is when it’s the last round of the half because after the sides switch, the amount of money both teams have will reset, so it’s just better to spend all the money and try to win the round rather than letting it all go to waste.

Another time to force buy is when the game is at a match point where if the enemy team wins a single round, they will win the entire match. At this point, it’s essential to force buy because the game will end if the opponents win, so it’s a better strategy to have something to fight back with instead of nothing since losing isn’t an option at that point.

How is force buying in Valorant different from Counter-Strike?

Force buying in CS2 typically refers to purchasing more utilities to compensate for weaker weapons. However, things are different in Valorant. Force buying in Valorant usually means buying a Vandal or Phantom but not having the funds to purchase a full shield or saving enough for a full buy in the next round.

Force buying in Valorant is more dependant on pure aiming, as players usually don't have utilities, abilities, or shields to fall back on. In this sense, it's more of a gamble as losing a force buy means not having enough funds for a full buy in the next round.

References

1. [1] "official Valorant homepage". playvalorant.com. Retrieved July 26, 2024