What Does 'Thrifty' Mean In VALORANT?

Like every other shooter game, VALORANT uses different terms to communicate or understand the game's scenario. These terms can sometimes be tricky, but some are straightforward, such as ACE, Flawless, Clutch, etc., but terminologies like Team Ace and Thrifty can be new for many new players. If you are one of them needing help understanding what Thrifty means, keep reading the article as we will explain it to you in the simplest terms.

What Does Thrifty Mean In Valorant?

Before we explain how Thrifty works, you need to understand how the credit system works in Valorant. Valorant is a game where weapon economy or credits are a crucial part. You start the game with 800 credits for each player on either team, and you gain credits per round, depending on win or loss.

If the winning team has a loadout value of at least an average of 2500 credits less than the enemy team, the round is determined as Thrifty. In other words, if your team does a low-value buy or otherwise known as an Eco Buy, which can include purchasing Sherrif's, Shorty, Frenzy or Ghost and winning against stronger weapons such as Vandal, Phantom or Operator, it is called a Thrifty Round. 

Although everyone on the team doesn't need to buy pistols during an Eco Round to attain Thrifty, sometimes, if a couple of your teammates buy a Stinger while the other goes with pistols, as long as your total loadout credit has an average of less than 2500 credits compared to the enemy team, the round will be known as a Thrifty Round.

If your team does achieve Thrifty successfully, the game has a voice-over, which will let the teams know after the round ends by narrating and displaying 'Thrifty' written on the screen. If you have low credits, try playing an eco round and save credits to have better buy the next round instead of trying to maximise buy every round and have arguably weaker weapons than the enemy team.