Surrender means ending a contest early on purpose, and every rule set that allows it answers the same question: how much do you give up, and who has to agree? In team shooters and MOBAs, your whole team votes. In one-on-one games, you decide alone. This guide walks through how the best-known surrender systems work, how a surrender differs from a remake, and gives you a simple way to decide when to quit and when to play on.
TL;DR
- In team games, surrender is a vote, and the threshold changes by mode. Valorant Competitive asks for a unanimous vote, while Unrated asks for less.
- A forfeit is not the same as a remake. If a teammate is confirmed AFK early, a remake can save you from taking a loss.
- The best time to surrender is when the outcome is effectively settled and playing on only costs you time, never when you are merely behind.
Table of Contents
- What surrender means in each setting
- Surrender votes in team games
- How to decide when to surrender
- Our view on giving up in a competitive game
- Try a match where every round counts
- Common mistakes with surrender
- FAQ
- Sources
What surrender means in each setting
The word covers a few quite different situations in games, and mixing them up is why rule searches get confusing.
| Setting | Who decides | What you give up | Can you take it back? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team shooters and MOBAs | Team vote | The match, counted as a loss | No |
| One-on-one games | You alone | The match, usually counted as a loss | No |
| Remake | The game, after a confirmed AFK player | Nothing: the match is voided | Not needed |
The common thread is the absence of a good alternative. The surrender options in competitive games are deliberately restricted by time gates and voting thresholds, so teams only forfeit when a comeback is close to impossible. We will come back to that principle, because it is the best test for any decision to give up.
Surrender votes in team games
In team games, you cannot surrender alone. The team votes, and the game sets the rules so that quitting stays a considered choice rather than a tilt reaction.
Valorant
Riot’s support page on surrenders explains that you start a vote by typing /surrender, /concede or /ff in chat, or by clicking the Surrender button. If the vote passes, the next round is forfeited, so a vote on round 8 ends the match at the start of round 9.
The thresholds depend on the mode. In Riot’s patch notes for update 1.03, Competitive requires a unanimous vote from all present players, while Unrated is more lenient and passes with up to one no vote. Teams are limited to one attempt per half. The earliest round you can call a vote has changed between patches, so check the in-game rules for the current setting rather than trusting an old guide.
There is also etiquette. Calling a forfeit early without meaningful team agreement is widely seen as poor sportsmanship. It often draws no votes from teammates who want to play on, and it can waste your single attempt for that half. Say what you are thinking in chat or voice before you call it.
League of Legends
The League of Legends wiki describes surrender as a vote that lets a team forfeit. On Summoner’s Rift, the standard rule is a 4 out of 5 majority once the game passes the 20-minute mark. Earlier than that, the rule varies by mode, and a unanimous vote is typical. The player who starts the vote is anonymous and cannot call another for six minutes.
Surrender versus remake
These are not the same thing. A surrender is a consensual vote that counts as a loss. A remake, per the same wiki page, is available in the first few minutes when a player is confirmed AFK, and it ends the match without penalizing the other players. If a teammate never connects, check whether a remake is available before you spend your surrender vote.
Riot has also acknowledged the frustration around this. In a developer post about Quickplay, the team noted that when a game is clearly over, the current surrender rules make it tough to get out and queue again. That is the tension in every surrender system: you want to stop wasteful matches without letting people quit on a winnable one.
How to decide when to surrender
Use the same three questions in every setting.
- Is the result effectively settled? That means a comeback is near impossible, not just unlikely.
- What does playing on cost? Time, or the morale of your teammates.
- Does the rule even allow it right now? Time gates, round limits and vote cooldowns all matter.
If the answer to the first question is no, the answer to the whole thing is almost always to keep playing. Comebacks that look impossible at the midpoint are the reason surrender rules have time gates in the first place.
Our view on giving up in a competitive game
We build a fast mobile football card game, so we think about this a lot. Here is where we stand.
First, the best forfeit rule is one you rarely need. Vladers matches are quick reaction duels: you tap faster than your opponent to win possession, build your attack and create scoring chances. When rounds are that short, the swing from a bad moment to a good one is also short, and that is a reason to stay in the match. A League match is one-on-one, so there is no surrender vote. You can leave a match at any time, and leaving a live match ends it for both players.
Second, the decision before the match matters more than the decision during it. Your four-card squad (a goalkeeper and three outfield players), your formation and your special actions shape how a match goes. If you lose, ask what you would change in the lineup, not whether you should have quit.
Third, progression rules should protect the player’s effort. In ranked play, how divisions, season resets and demotion work decides what a loss really costs you. In Vladers League a loss costs 12 League Points, plus one more for each goal of difference up to five, so keeping a defeat close limits the damage. That is one more reason to play a bad match to the end. If you want to see how we think about that, read how demotion protection works and how division promotions and season resets are set up. Knowing the price of a loss is the first step to deciding whether a result is worth fighting for.
Finally, we would rather you leave a match feeling that you learned something than feeling robbed of the chance to try.
— Julien
Try a match where every round counts
If you like the idea of tactical choices with fast reflexes, you can try Vladers, our free football collectible card game. Open packs, build your four-card squad, pick a formation and take on opponents in Vladers League, Weekly Clash, Story Mode and more. Progression does not require any purchase, and rewarded ads are optional.
Common mistakes with surrender
- Surrendering on tilt. One lost round in a shooter, or one conceded goal in a football game, is not proof of anything. Wait for the evidence.
- Calling a vote without saying a word. In team games, silent votes get no votes, and you lose your attempt.
- Ignoring the remake window. A confirmed AFK player early on can mean a free exit.
- Assuming the rules are the same everywhere. Games, modes and patches all change the details. Read the current rules, with the date they were published.
- Treating forfeit as failure. In every setting, a well-timed surrender is a tool. A badly timed one is a habit.
FAQ
What is the difference between surrender and forfeit?
In most games the two words mean the same thing: you end the match early and take a loss. In team games, the vote is often typed as /ff, short for forfeit, and some rules treat the next round as the one that is forfeited.
How many votes does a surrender need in Valorant?
It depends on the mode. Riot’s patch notes say Competitive needs a unanimous vote, while Unrated is more lenient and passes with up to one no vote. Each team can only try once per half. Check the current in-game rules, because Riot has changed the details over time.
Is a remake the same as a surrender?
No. A surrender is a team vote that counts as a loss. A remake is available early in some games, such as League of Legends, when a player is confirmed AFK, and it ends the match without penalizing the rest of the team.