What does Thrifty mean in VALORANT?

If you want to become a champion player in the hottest FPS on the gaming scene, you need to know the lingo. VALORANT has a whole world of unique phrases to wrap your head around before you can master the game – Thrifty is one of those terms, but what does it mean?

VALORANT can be intimidating for any fresh-faced bullet magnet of a newbie player, but that’s why we’re here. In this guide, we’ll show you what Thrifty means, why it’s important, and how to get a Thrifty in your save rounds.

So, what is Thrifty?

In VALORANT, Thrifty is when a team wins a round by spending less credits than their opponents. To get a Thrifty commendation, the round-winning team must spend less than 2500 credits. This kind of “eco” play means Thrifty teams usually win with cheaper equipment like shotguns and SMGs, strong tactics, and a sharp, steady aim.

This common VALORANT term will either appear at the end of a Thrifty round (see image below), or in team chat as a proposed strategy for the next round.

That’s it in a nutshell, but we’re far from done here.

So, a Thrifty round is when a team wins with a loadout that’s worth less credits than an enemy team, but why would you want to take on this challenge? Read on, agent.

Why would you aim for Thrifty? - unpacking the strategy

Seems like a weird target at first, right? It won’t for long.

As a newbie, the idea of an “eco” round might sound alien. But when you build up your rank and begin playing Competitive games, you’ll learn fast that team economy in ranked VALORANT matches is a critical part of any winning strategy.

Careful credit spending plays a huge part in your team’s ultimate victory.

For the total novice, let’s break it down now nice and easy.

VALORANT: A tactical shooter

To avoid being shredded in every game, tactics are crucial when playing VALORANT. And mastering the use of in-game credits (“Creds”) is a vital part of those tactics.

In Unrated and Competitive games, you unlock better weapons by buying them between rounds. Yes, this means you’ll never start the first round with the best weapons (and neither will your opponents, so you won’t be instantly mowed down by Phantoms from every angle).

Never forget, your weapon isn’t the sole deciding factor in VALORANT – better weapons don’t guarantee victories.

Credits don’t grow on trees

After each round, you earn Creds. How much you earn depends on how you and your team performed in the last round.

You don’t have to spend all your Creds between each round. Teams often opt to save some Creds for unlocking the strongest weapons later.

? And here’s where the Thrifty logic comes into play…

Why waste your Creds on mildly effective gear when you can carry your credits into the next round and put them towards better weapons that give you a higher chance of winning overall?

And if that’s not appealing enough, consider the demoralizing effect that’s sure to infect all but the toughest teams when you crush their egos by beating them with basic gear!

Winning warfare 101

See, it’s the classic warfare tactic – be prepared to lose one battle to win the war.

But this is VALORANT, we don’t just throw in the towel here. We play “save rounds” (we play Thrifty).

When a team isn’t doing so well on Creds, you’ll often hear the in-chat call to "save."

The Thrifty team will buy the bare minimum and try to carve out the win (“get a Thrifty”) through talented sharpshooting and tireless teamwork, rather than a larger ammo clip, armor-piercing rounds, and stronger shields.

Thrifty is only awarded to the team that wins the round like this, but even if you take the loss the tactic is still worthwhile… because next round, you’ll be back with a vengeance (and bigger guns).

Make no mistake, Thrifty rounds are tough to win. Especially since the enemy team can see your Creds and so might see your save-round strategies like site camping or shotgun use coming.

Still, learning to get a Thrifty is a key part of the game. Wisely investing your credits works wonders for any team’s chances of winning.

How to get Thrifty

“Go thrifty next round, k guys?”

You know the strategy being called for, but how do you actually get a Thrifty?

First, know this: no one wins 100% of save rounds. Going thrifty and winning the round to snag a Thrifty commendation aren’t the same thing.

Out-playing a team with better weapons generally takes a strong strategy, tight teamwork, and amazing aiming all mixed together.

Best Thrifty strategies

Here are a few tactics that have proven effective ways to get a Thrifty commendation:

• Play defensively and camp on your side of the map. This is a great way to frag (kill) any aggressive enemy agents and rack up a solid kill count.

• Stack one Spike site. AKA, stay together and focus on one bomb site. It’s a high-risk play and a bit of a coin toss on how it’ll play out, but the rewards can be high.

• Overwhelm your opponents with a united front. This works whether you’re attacking or defending – organize your whole team to either rush one site or defend one side, and stick together no matter what.

• Scoop the loot. In other words – always collect the dropped weapons of agents your team kills. This is a major asset to your economy and managing your credit spend.

Whichever strategy you choose, it’s generally best to avoid an aggressive approach. Being tactical is always the best way to win a Thrifty round.

Best guns for a Thrifty round

The best gun for a Thrifty round is always the same – whichever cheap gun you’re best with.

But you’re here for more tangible advice than that. So, here are a few solid suggestions to hang your next save round hopes on:

Sheriff – a decent stand-in for the Vandal with one-shot headshot capabilities at up to 30 meters, and only 800 credits!

Spectre – it’s no Phantom, but at only 1600 Creds, this slick SMG is a reliable powerhouse.

Marshal – it’s not as savage a sniper as the Operator, but it has better no-scope accuracy and movement speed, plus it’ll only cost you 1100 credits.

Bucky – at 900 credits, Bucky is a solid shotgun option for a Thrifty round (just beware the awful bullet spread and settle in for a role as point-blank executioner).

Shorty – despite a recent nerf, the Shorty remains a popular shotgun-handgun hybrid, and at a mere 300 credits is one of the cheapest weapons available. The strategy here is to get a kill and hopefully get your opponent's rifle.

Sadly, all rifles are off the cards for any Thrifty round due to their high price tag.