VALORANT Gauntlet Mode: Rules, How to Play & Rewards
VALORANT is adding one of its most experimental modes yet with Gauntlet: Glitched, launching in Patch 13.06 on September 22, 2026. This fast-paced, ability-drafting experience throws out the usual agent select and replaces it with a roguelike-style system where every duo builds a custom hybrid Robo-Agent on the fly. Eight teams of two enter a tournament-style bracket. Only one duo walks out on top. Matches wrap up in eight to fifteen minutes, making it perfect for players who want high-energy games without the full commitment of a standard competitive match.
Gauntlet: Glitched is not a traditional 5v5 bomb-defusal mode. It is a pure 2v2 elimination arena built around randomized ability drafts, upgrades, and unpredictable glitches that can completely change how familiar skills behave. The result is a mode that rewards quick decision-making, creative builds, and strong duo coordination.
This guide breaks down the rules, explains exactly how to play, covers the arenas and upgrade system, and looks at what players can expect in terms of rewards and progression when the mode goes live.
Core Rules and Format
Sixteen players enter as eight duos. You can queue solo or with a friend. Once the lobby fills, the tournament structure begins. Each round pairs your duo against another team in a straight 2v2 fight. Win the round and you stay healthy. Lose the round and your team loses health. Reach zero health and you are eliminated from the Gauntlet.
The format continues in a round-robin / elimination style until only one duo remains. Because every loss chips away at your health pool, consistent performance matters more than a single lucky round. Strong early drafting and solid aim both play a role in lasting longer.
There is no traditional economy or buy phase in the classic sense. Instead, the focus sits entirely on the ability draft and the staged weapon progression that Riot has built into the mode. The arenas themselves are purpose-built for these short, intense 2v2 fights.
How the Ability Draft Works
This is the heart of Gauntlet: Glitched. At the start of each round you are presented with a randomized selection of abilities pulled from the wider VALORANT roster. You draft one (or more, depending on the exact flow) and add it to your hybrid Robo-Agent kit.
Abilities begin at Level 1. As the match continues you can upgrade them to Level 2 and eventually Level 3. Each upgrade level adds power and new enhancements. Some examples Riot has shared include:
- Yoru’s Fakeout can be upgraded so the decoy starts shooting bullets on its own.
- Skye’s Trailblazer can grow into a gigantic wolf capable of one-shotting enemies.
- Gekko’s Wingman can scale from its normal size into a much larger version with greater impact.
Every draft is a bet. You do not know what options will appear next, and in some rounds you may even have the chance to randomize your choices again, similar to certain Teamfight Tactics mechanics. Taking the randomize option can lead to something better or something worse. The tension of that choice is intentional.
Unexpected “glitches” can further alter abilities in dramatic ways. A skill you thought you understood may suddenly behave differently, forcing you to adapt on the spot. These glitches are what give the mode its name and its replay value. No two games will feel the same because the combination of draft luck, upgrade paths, and random glitches creates constant variety.
The Arenas
Matches take place across four arenas inspired by existing VALORANT maps. These spaces are stitched together with visible glitching seams, giving them a familiar yet uncanny feel. Riot has optimized the layouts specifically for 2v2 combat, so the sightlines, cover, and angles are tighter and more focused than a full bomb-site map.
Because the arenas are purpose-built, mixed-skill duos can still compete effectively. The design aims to reduce the feeling that one player is completely carrying or being carried. Strong individual aim still matters, but the ability draft and upgrade system give both players meaningful tools to influence the fight.
How to Play – Practical Tips
Success in Gauntlet: Glitched comes from reading the draft, communicating with your teammate, and adapting quickly.
At the start of a match, talk through a rough plan. Decide whether you want to lean into aggressive entry tools, strong utility for holding angles, or a mix of both. Early Level 1 abilities are relatively weak, so surviving the first few rounds while building toward stronger upgrades is important.
When the draft screen appears, evaluate the options against what you already have and what the current health situation looks like. Sometimes it is better to diversify your kit. Other times doubling down on one ability and pushing it to Level 3 creates a powerful specialty that can carry later rounds.
Glitches will throw curveballs. Treat them as opportunities rather than problems. A suddenly altered ability might open a new playstyle you had not considered. The best players will stay flexible and experiment instead of forcing a predetermined build.
Because matches are short, the cost of a bad draft is lower than in a full competitive game. Use that freedom to try combinations you would never run in Unrated or Competitive. The mode is designed for experimentation.
Weapon progression is staged, so you will not have full buy power from the first round. Learn the timing of when better guns become available and plan your aggressive or defensive plays around those power spikes.
Queueing and Session Flow
You can queue solo or as a pre-made duo. Solo queue will pair you with a random teammate, so clear and quick communication becomes even more important. Voice chat or clean pings help a lot when deciding which ability to take or how to approach the next fight.
Games consistently finish in the 8-to-15-minute range. That makes Gauntlet: Glitched ideal for short sessions, warm-ups before ranked, or simply blowing off steam after a long competitive grind. You can play several matches in the time it takes to complete one full Unrated or Competitive game.
Rewards and Progression Context
Specific cosmetic or currency rewards tied exclusively to Gauntlet: Glitched wins have not been detailed as permanent track rewards in the initial announcements. The mode itself is positioned as a high-energy, experimental experience rather than a primary ranked or battle-pass grinding vehicle.
That said, playing Gauntlet still feeds into the broader progression systems that arrive with Patch 13.06. The new Agent Mastery system rewards playtime and performance with your favorite agents, and time spent in any mode contributes to overall account activity. Kingdom Credits, daily checkpoints, and other free progression currencies continue to accrue across most game modes, so time in Gauntlet is not wasted.
The real “reward” of the mode is the creative freedom and the satisfaction of building a unique hybrid kit that carries your duo to the final. Landing a powerful Level 3 upgrade at the right moment or discovering a broken glitched combination feels genuinely exciting in a way standard agent select cannot match.
Why Gauntlet: Glitched Matters
VALORANT has always balanced tactical depth with agent identity. Gauntlet: Glitched temporarily removes the fixed agent identity and lets players remix the ability pool into something new every game. It sits in the same experimental spirit as earlier limited-time modes but goes further by making the draft and upgrade loop the central focus.
The short match length, 2v2 format, and heavy variance make it accessible to a wide range of skill levels while still offering depth for players who enjoy theory-crafting builds on the fly. It is the kind of mode you can jump into for three games, discover a wild combination, and then carry that energy into your next ranked session.
Final Thoughts
Gauntlet: Glitched launches with Patch 13.06 on September 22, 2026, just ahead of VALORANT Champions. Eight duos draft randomized abilities, upgrade them across rounds, deal with unexpected glitches, and fight in purpose-built arenas until only one team remains. Matches are fast, creative, and deliberately unpredictable.
Learn the draft rhythm, communicate with your partner, embrace the glitches, and treat every round as both a fight and a building opportunity. Whether you queue solo or with a friend, the mode rewards flexibility and quick thinking more than rigid pre-made strategies.
When the patch drops, jump into a few games, experiment with upgrade paths, and see what kind of hybrid Robo-Agent you can create. The Gauntlet is waiting, and only one duo gets to leave as the winner.