Valorant may be free to play, but let’s be honest – the true magic of the game happens when you customize your equipment. Weapon skins are, for better or for worse, the only method of self-expression available in Valorant. What skins you use and how you pair them speak towards your personality and your tastes in-game.
The bigger question is, what exactly is the best way to spend your precious money once you top up Valorant? There are a fair few different ways to get skins in Valorant after all, so which one’s the best from a value standpoint? That’s what we’re hoping to answer, so keep reading to find out!
Valorant weapon skins
What Can You Buy in Valorant?
Before we break down the best way to spend your money after top up Valorant, let’s break down your options first. One of the core reasons Valorant manages to stay so popular is thanks to its lack of pay-to-win features. Weapon cosmetics, skins and effects are the only true cash sinks in the game, and it’s where you’ll be directing most of your earnings.
To buy anything in Valorant, you’ll need Valorant Points (VP). Naturally, you purchase VP using real money, and the amount you get depends on your region and selected payment method. While you can purchase them in-game, we recommend Lootbar, the go-to platform for cheaper, faster and safer game top-ups, especially top up Valorant. The value is excellent compared to a lot of the typical rates. Also the itemku valorant and lapakgaming valorant are popular for Valorant top up.
Once you have your VP, there are a few different avenues to acquire skins, and where you should go with your money is mainly dependent on what skin you’re eyeballing on any given day. With that, let’s dig into the different methods of acquiring them.
1. The Valorant Premium Battle Pass
Pound-for-pound, Valorant’s premium battle pass provides the highest amount of bang-for-your-buck in the game. The 1000 Valorant points, the premium battle pass offers 11 different tiers of content for you to unlock via playing the game. These include a bevy of sprays, gun buddies, in-game portraits, titles, and yes, even weapon skins.
On top of these perks, you also get a 3% boost to your Battle Pass XP from matchmade games. This means you’ll have a much easier time completing your battle pass, which can be godsend for gamers with little time. Considering how many different cosmetic rewards and skins you get, it’s a solid deal. But, there are some caveats to the premium battle pass.
For starters, every single Valorant battle pass has an expiry date, and you absolutely do not want to purchase it by Valorant top up at the tail-end of that time. Accidentally buy the battle pass at the wrong time, and you risk completely burning your investment. You can also peruse the battle pass skins without purchasing them, just to make sure they’re actually something you’re interested in.
2. Valorant Weapon Skin Bundles
Typically, people save their Valorant top up for weapon skin bundles, and it’s not hard to see why. These are usually more premium than their battle pass counterparts, with the highest quality effects and animations. These are the flashy weapons that leave your team salivating for a test run.
Valorant Weapon Skins
Of course, they’re also ridiculously pricey. This is where the Valorant skin tiers come in. For those not in the know, every Valorant skin is ranked by its tier, which dictates the price of the bundle and skin. The tiers are as follows:
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Select Edition: Blue circle: 875 VP per individual skin, 2930 - 3500 VP per bundle. (Smite, Prism II, etc.)
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Deluxe Edition: Green rhombus - 1275 VP per individual skin, 4270 - 5100 per bundle. (Chromedek, Tigris, etc.)
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Premium Edition: Upside-down pink triangle - 1775 VP per individual skin, 7100 VP per bundle. (VALORANT GO!, Gaia’s Vengeance, etc.)
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Exclusive Edition: Upside-down orange pentagon - 2475 VP per gun, 8,700 VP per bundle. (Chronovoid, Spectrum, etc.)
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Ultra Edition: Yellow diamond - 2475 VP per individual skin, 9,900 VP per bundle. (Elderflame, Protocol 781-A, etc.)
Keep an eye open for the tiers of specific weapon bundles, especially the one’s currently available to you. You typically save a lot more buying the entire bundle than one specific weapon in a bundle. Bundles also typically come with titles, player cards and other goodies, which can sweeten the deal. The main downside to bundles is that they’re timed, so once they’re gone, they’re gone, unless…
3. The Valorant Shop and Night Market
At the end of every Valorant act, the much loved and maligned Night Market rears its head for players to take a look at. Every player draws six different random weapon skins, and they’re offered at a discounted price. Sometimes you get some incredible deals through the night market. Other times you get pretty uninteresting choices, but it’s always fun to share your draw.
Valorant weapon skins
If you aren’t a fan of the battle pass weapons or the current skin bundles, then it can be worth waiting for the night market. Meanwhile, the regular Valorant shop also offers random weapon skins every now and then. These refresh every 24 hours, though unlike the night market, these come at the regular price.
Generally, we wouldn’t recommend spending your Valorant top ups on the random shop skins. Unless there’s a skin you really want featured, it’s hard to justify it as it’s the most expensive way to get skins in Valorant.
Conclusion
Valorant skins are a great way to express yourself in-game. Be as flashy as you’d like, though you may need to fight off people trying to hound you for skins sometimes. Also, make sure to do your research before purchasing a skin. Make sure you’ve enough Points by Valorant Points top up, preferably through a safe and value-oriented provider like Lootbar, especially for top up Valorant.
Just remember: It’s all cosmetic. Your aim still needs practice, no matter how shiny your gun looks. Practice makes perfect, and you’ll need it if you want to be good at Valorant. So, enjoy your skins, practice your one-taps, and always remember to keep a cool head while playing!