In the fast-paced, tactical world of Valorant, communication is key. While coordinating with your team is paramount for victory, there are moments when extending your message to the entire lobby, including your opponents, becomes a valuable tool for sportsmanship, clarity, or even a touch of friendly banter.
Valorant provides a straightforward system for “All Chat,” though it comes with the responsibility of adhering to Riot Games’ community guidelines.
The All-Chat Command: Bridging Both Sides
Sending a message to every player in a Valorant match is surprisingly simple.
The primary method involves a quick keyboard shortcut:
- Press “Shift + Enter” simultaneously during a match. This combination will open the text box with “All” pre-selected, indicating that your message will be visible to everyone in the game, including the opposing team.
Alternatively, for those who prefer typing commands:
- You can explicitly type “/all” at the beginning of your message in the standard chat box. For example, typing
/all Good luck, have fun!will ensure your greeting reaches both sides of the battlefield.
When to Utilize All Chat: Etiquette and Practicality
All Chat, while a powerful communication tool, should be used thoughtfully and respectfully. Its primary applications often fall into categories of sportsmanship and practical communication:
- Displaying Sportsmanship: Many players use All Chat at the beginning of a match to wish both teams “Good luck, have fun” (GLHF) or at the end to congratulate opponents with a “Good Game” (GG). This fosters a positive atmosphere and reflects well on the community.
- Clarifying Technical Issues: In rare instances, if technical issues arise, such as a player disconnecting or a server-side problem causing a pause, All Chat can be used to communicate with the opposing team, helping to coordinate and understand the situation.
- Friendly Banter (with Caution): While not its primary purpose, All Chat can be used for lighthearted interactions. However, this must be approached with extreme caution. What one player considers banter, another might find offensive. Always err on the side of politeness and avoid anything that could be misinterpreted as taunting or toxic.
Important Considerations: Responsibility and Limitations
Using All Chat comes with crucial responsibilities, and it’s vital to be aware of its limitations:
- Adhere to Community Guidelines: Riot Games has strict community guidelines against toxic behavior, hate speech, harassment, and any form of abuse. Violating these guidelines in All Chat can lead to penalties, including chat restrictions or even game bans. Messages are monitored, and reported instances of bad behavior are acted upon.
- Strategic Silence: Never, under any circumstances, should you share sensitive strategies, enemy positions, or any information that could potentially disadvantage your own team through All Chat. This constitutes “griefing” or “sabotage” and can result in severe penalties.
- Player Settings: It’s important to remember that individual players have the option to disable All Chat in their game settings. If a player has this feature turned off, your messages will not reach them. This is often done by players who wish to avoid distractions or negative interactions. You can disable all chat in your settings by navigating to General -> Privacy and toggling off “Show All Chat.”
- Voice Communication is Team-Only: While text chat offers an “all” option, Valorant currently does not support voice chat with the opposing team during matches. Voice communication is strictly limited to your party or your entire team, emphasizing the game’s focus on team-based coordination.
Mastering Valorant’s chat system, particularly the judicious use of All Chat, can contribute to a more respectful and connected community. By keeping messages constructive, sportsmanlike, and mindful of game etiquette, players can leverage this feature to enhance their overall Valorant experience.
Written by:
Christian