Everything you need to know about VALORANT’s Spike

Riot Games has found the perfect balance of character-based action and adrenaline-pumping gunplay in its new five-vs-five tactical shooter. But VALORANT isn’t all about bopping heads and wiping the floor with your opponents. The game’s main objective revolves around the “Spike.”

The Spike is VALORANT’s version of the bomb from Counter-Strike. It might look and feel like a bomb, and it works in much the same way, but it has distinct differences.

Related: How to drop The Spike in VALORANT

The goal of the attacking side in VALORANT is to plant the Spike on one of the several bomb sites scattered around the map. Some maps have two bomb sites, while others, like Haven, have three. The attackers win the round when they take out all five of the defenders, or if the Spike detonates. 

The job of the defenders is to defend each of the bomb sites. If they prevent the Spike from being planted before the time’s up, they win the round. Equally, if they kill each of the five attackers, or defuse the Spike, they win.

The Spike

• At the start of each round, one of the five attackers will be given the Spike.
• You can drop the Spike by selecting it, and pressing the “G” key.
• The Spike can only be planted in a select area on each of the bomb sites, marked with a yellow outline of the map.
• To plant the Spike, hold down the “4” key.
• It takes exactly four seconds to plant the Spike.
• You can cancel planting by letting go of the “4” key.
• The Spike explodes after 45 seconds (five seconds longer than the bomb in Counter-Strike).
• It takes seven seconds to defuse the Spike.
• The longer the Spike’s been planted, the more frequent it beeps.
• When it’s close to detonating, it will beep at a fast rate.
• When the Spike explodes, it kills every player in a large radius.
• If you re-enter the Spike’s blast radius after it explodes, you die.
• The Spike can be pinged with the “Z” key.
• The Spike will appear on your minimap when it has been dropped.