• A Valorant leaker reveals a new game mode coming to the shooter in patch 2.03
• In the mode “Escalation” the name says it all
• The mode was officially confirmed by Riot Games

Update from 17 Febraur 2021: The escalation mode has now been confirmed by Riot Games. There are not yet as precise details as in the leak on Twitter, but the developer explains the mode as follows: “At the beginning, everyone gets a strong weapon. These are replaced with a more challenging and less lethal weapon with each kill. This makes the game not only more challenging, but also more tactical.” That sounds a lot like the fun mode that the Valorant leaker held up to us yesterday.

In a new video on the official Valorant channel, “Escalation” is teased:

Original post dated February 16, 2021: A leak reveals a planned 5v5 mode for Valorant called “Escalation”. The fun mode will supposedly be brought into the game with the next patch (i.e. 2.03).

Anyone who has ever tried the arms race mode in CS:GO will certainly be able to see some parallels to “Escalation.”
Leaker ValorLeaks has found the preliminary ruleset and uploaded it to Twitter:

In this 5v5 match, there are a total of 12 escalation levels. Each of these levels has a specific weapon or skill associated with it that you must use to take out enemies. Killing enemies will earn you points. Seven points unlocks the next level for the respective team. However, each player has their own weapon level.

You must score at least one kill with each weapon to unlock the next weapon level. One kill gives one point. The team can advance in the escalation level even if they are on an older weapon level (but then they only get half points for killing an enemy).

An example explains the principle of level advancement: “Your team can be at level 4, with the possibility that you are ‘stuck’ at weapon level 1 (say it’s a Vandal weapon) until you get 1 kill with that weapon. You then advance to weapon level 2, not directly to level 4.” Everything clear so far?

Whoever manages to go through all twelve escalation levels or reaches the highest level within ten minutes wins the round.

Individual operator skills cannot be used in this mode. However, some skills do appear as options in the weapon levels. At level one, you get either Raze’s rocket launcher or a Phantom or Vandal. At level two, you get either the Vandal or the Phantom.

At levels 3 through 11, there are a variety of weapons and abilities that are not explicitly mentioned, and at the twelfth level you may settle for a shorty, the standard pistol, a knife, or a stun dart. So, just like in the arms race, there’s a downgrade at the very end to make it really exciting again.

For a match in Fun Mode, Valorant players will receive a full 800 experience points, with another 200 XP on top for a win. Escalation” is planned as a time-limited mode. I hope it stays, though. After a frustrating Ranked, there’s nothing better than a trollish round to cool down.