VALORANT VOD Review Guide (2026): Replays, Stats and a Method

Every player has watched a pro's VOD and learned nothing they could use. Reviewing your own games is different: the mistakes are yours, the situations come back every week, and since September 2025 VALORANT records them for you. This guide explains what the in-game Replay system can and can't do, how to get a replay before it expires, a 30-minute method that turns one match into one clear goal, a checklist of what to look for, and which of the stats Riot added in 2026 are worth your attention. Checked 8 November 2026, patch 13.09.

What VALORANT's replays can do

Riot launched Replays with patch 11.06 on 16 September 2025 on PC in every region but China, followed by consoles in patch 11.10 (11–12 November 2025). Riot's launch post lists what the viewer does:

Patch 12.00 (6 January 2026) added replays for Custom Swiftplay and Standard matches, which the party leader opts into in the Custom lobby settings — useful for scrims with your team. For ranked games, The Spike's guide lists the supported modes as Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay, Premier.

What they can't do

• They don't last. The Spike's guide (updated 25 October 2025) says a replay only works on the patch it was recorded on and files are deleted when an Act ends. Review the same week.
• No matches you weren't in. The Spike's guide says Riot doesn't officially support watching other players' games, and replays don't cover esports matches; for pro play, watch the broadcast VODs.
• The minimap knows too much. Riot notes that the minimap and megamap show enemies even when you turn outlines off — so judge your decisions by what you could see.
• Some ability previews are missing. Placement previews such as Brimstone's Sky Smoke or Cypher's Trapwire don't show until the ability is deployed.

Getting the replay

1. Open Career client

   After the match, open your Career page and find the game in your match history.

2. Download one click

   Click the Replay icon on the match to download the file; The Spike's guide walks through the same steps.

3. Watch Replay viewer

   When the download completes, select Watch Replay. Pick your own POV first, with the HUD on.

4. Same patch, same week expiry

   Riot's last two patches came two weeks apart (13.08 on 13 October, 13.09 on 27 October 2026); review before the next one, or the file stops working.

The 30-minute review method

BoostPirate's method. It's built around the fact that you remember your deaths badly and your kills too well:

1. 2 minPick the rounds

   Use the timeline's death marks to choose three deaths: one early, one in a lost round you expected to win, one you'd call bad luck.

2. 12 minYour POV, slowed

   Rewind five seconds before each death and watch at .25x–.5x. Pause on the frame the enemy appears.

3. 8 minTheir POV

   Switch to the player who killed you. What did they see, hear and know? When did they start aiming at your spot?

4. 5 minFree cam

   Zoom out over the site. Who could have traded you? Where was your utility? Was the plan sound?

5. 3 minOne sentence each

   Write what went wrong in one sentence per death, then circle the habit that appears twice.

What to look for: the checklist

Run each death through these questions — your ticks are saved in this browser so you can come back to the list. The aim and movement items link to the guides that fix them.

The numbers worth reading

Patch 13.06 (22 September 2026) rebuilt the end-of-game and career screens. Three additions help a review:

• Performance Score decides MVP and the scoreboard order in Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay, Premier, according to Riot's 13.06 notes — but it doesn't change your RR. Compare it across many games, never one.
• Trades. Patch 13.09 (27 October 2026) added hover text for trades on the PC scoreboard. A death your team traded is a very different death from one it didn't.
• Accolades and Map Rating. Accolades track personal bests in Competitive and Premier from 13.06 onwards; Map Rating (13.08) grades each map, and in 13.09 your Act Best Match started to count more. Use them to choose which map to review first.

Why the enemy's view matters most

Your own POV shows what you did. The enemy's POV shows why it failed — and it's the one view you can never get in a live game. Watch for three things from their side: when they first heard you (footsteps give away runs, which is why walking matters), where their crosshair waited (if it was already on your head, the duel was lost before it started), and what they expected (did they pre-aim the spot you always use?). If two deaths in one match show an enemy pre-aiming your position, the fix isn't aim — it's variety.

Turning notes into a goal

A review only works if it changes what you do next. BoostPirate's rule: one goal at a time, phrased as an action you control, checked over five games.

Write the goal down, play the five games, then review one of them against it. When it's a habit, pick the next one. Our rank-up guide has the bigger picture of how habits turn into RR.

Reviewing with friends or a coach

Because Custom games can be recorded since patch 12.00, a team can scrim, save the replay and review it together with the free camera — the cleanest way to discuss a plan, since everyone sees the whole site. In ranked games, a second pair of eyes catches what you explain away: a friend who plays your role, or a coach, will point at the habit you didn't circle. Keep group reviews short and specific: one round, one question, one answer.

Common review mistakes