27 Best Valorant Tips For Beginners (Pro Curated List)

Becoming a pro in valorant takes time and dedication, but with the right guidance, you can climb the ranks and dominate the competition. This curated list, compiled by experienced valorant pros, offers 27 essential valorant tips that will benefit both new and developing players.

Whether you’re struggling to secure kills, improve your aim, or strategize effectively, these tips will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in valorant. So, grab your weapon, buckle up, and prepare to transform your gameplay from bronze to radiant.

Learn The Basics

Game Modes And Objectives: Understanding how each game mode functions is vital. Whether it’s the standard Spike plant/defusal, the fast-paced Replication, or the chaotic Spike Rush, know the win conditions for each mode.

Weapon Fundamentals: Get familiar with different gun types (pistols, SMGs, rifles, shotguns, snipers, heavies). Learn their damage, recoil patterns, and ideal usage scenarios.

Agent Roles: Valorant has Duelists, Initiators, Controllers, and Sentinels. Understand the overall purpose of each role and how they function within a team.

Map Knowledge: Knowing the layouts of maps, callout names for locations, and common strategies for each area.

How To Improve Your Understanding Of The Basics

Play The Tutorial: Valorant offers a fairly comprehensive tutorial. Don’t skip it. It covers basic movement, aiming, and weapon mechanics.

Practice Range: Here, you can experiment with various weapons and agents, test their fire rates, bullet penetration, and ability usage.

Play Unrated Matches: Before playing competitive modes, play a good number of unrated matches to get used to the flow of the game, how to buy weapons and abilities, and to apply your knowledge in a live scenario.

Watch Guides and Streams: There are endless resources online for understanding basics: Agent guides, weapon analyses, map breakdowns, and pro player streams where you can observe strategies.

Practice Your Aim

Accurate aim is the foundation of success in a tactical shooter like valorant with good aim, you can eliminate enemies quickly and efficiently, which translates into winning more rounds.

Increases Confidence: As you improve your aim, you build confidence in your gunfights. This confidence allows you to take calculated risks and outplay your opponents.

Precision Is Rewarded: Valorant favors precise headshots and short, controlled bursts of fire over spraying bullets wildly. Mastering your aim will ensure you get maximum value from your weapons.

How To Improve Your Aim

The Practice Range:

• Focus on Headshots: Use bots for target practice, always aiming for the head.
• Strafe Practice: Simulate real-world scenarios by including strafing and counter-strafing movement while practicing your aim.
• Track Moving Targets: Use the ‘Practice Mode’ to improve your ability to track enemies’ movements and adjust your aim accordingly.

Deathmatch:

• Warm-Up And Practice: Before getting into competitive matches, use Deathmatch to warm up your aim and practice in a more chaotic environment.
• Focus On Mechanics: Don’t worry about wins or losses in Deathmatch use it purely to practice your aim mechanics.

Aim Trainers:

• Dedicated Tools: Consider using external aim trainers like KovaaK’s or Aim Lab for focused practice on various aiming skills (clicking, tracking, flicking).
• Customizable Scenarios: These trainers allow you to tailor specific scenarios to improve weak areas of your aim.

Crosshair Placement and Sensitivity:

• Ideal Crosshair Placement: Practice keeping your crosshair at head level, pre-aiming common corners, and reduce the need for major aim adjustments.
• Find Your Ideal Sensitivity: Experiment to find a mouse sensitivity that allows you to aim comfortably and make both large and small adjustments.

Additional Tips:

• Consistency Is Key: Practicing your aim regularly for short sessions is better than infrequent, long training sessions.
• Don’t Get Discouraged: Improving aim takes time and effort. Remember, progress is better than perfection.

Crosshair Placement

Crosshair placement is the practice of anticipating where an enemy’s head will appear and pre-emptively positioning your crosshair at that expected head level.

This minimizes the need for flicking or large aiming adjustments when an enemy suddenly appears, which can make the difference between winning and losing a duel.

Why Is Crosshair Placement Important?

• Faster Reaction Time: You eliminate the need to flick and adjust your aim when an opponent peeks, making your reaction time much faster.
• Increased Accuracy: Pre-aiming at head level means fewer adjustments, significantly increasing your accuracy in a firefight.
• Muscle Memory: Good crosshair placement develops strong muscle memory, leading to even more consistent aim in the long run.

How To Improve Your Crosshair Placement

• Conscious Awareness: Pay attention to where you place your crosshair at all times. Actively practice placing it at head height, even when simply navigating the map.
• Angles, Angles, Angles: When holding an angle, position your crosshair further or closer from the wall depending on how close you are to the corner. If you’re far away, hug the wall more closely. If you’re right on the corner, place it a little further out to anticipate enemies swinging wide.
• Practice Range: Use the practice range to move between targets at varying distances while deliberately maintaining head-level crosshair placement. Custom games are great for practicing on specific map areas.
• Deathmatch: Deathmatch is perfect for training crosshair placement in dynamic situations, as you’ll be dealing with moving enemies from various angles.
• Vod Reviews: Record your gameplay and watch it back. Analyze instances where your crosshair was off, and note why you made the mistake, then work to consciously correct it.

Remember: Consistent practice is key to mastering your crosshair placement. Make it a habit and you’ll see your aim and overall performance improve significantly.

Control The Spray Pattern

When you hold down the fire button on an automatic weapon in valorant, the bullets don’t all land on the same spot. Each weapon has a unique recoil pattern that shows the direction the bullets will travel over time as you shoot continuously.

Controlling the spray pattern means learning how to counteract this recoil to keep your bullets on target.

Why Controlling The Spray Pattern Important?

• Accuracy: Mastering the spray pattern allows you to land more shots on target at medium and even long ranges, leading to more kills and higher win rates.
• Consistency: Instead of your shots going everywhere, controlling the spray makes your gunplay more predictable and reliable.
• Confidence: Knowing you can control your spray means you can take battles at further ranges you might have avoided otherwise.

How To Improve Spray Pattern

The Practice Range:

• Choose a weapon and fire a full magazine at a wall without moving your mouse. Observe the bullet pattern created this is the raw recoil pattern.
• Now, try again, but this time move your mouse in the opposite direction of the bullet pattern to compensate for the recoil.
• Repeat, focusing on accurately counteracting the movement of the recoil.

Deathmatch:

• Use Deathmatch as a low-pressure way to practice spray control in moving combat situations.
• Focus on short bursts and then longer bursts, adjusting your aim as you fire.
• Try different weapons to learn their unique patterns.

Counter-Strafing:

• Counter-strafing is stopping your forward/sideways movement right before you shoot.
• Incorporating counter-strafing with spray control improves your accuracy while firing on the move.

Custom Games:

• For more structured practice, set up custom games with bots and enable cheats.
• Use infinite ammo and no cooldowns to focus on controlling the recoil pattern for extended periods.

Burst Fire

Burst fire involves firing a short, controlled series of shots (usually 2-5 bullets) rather than simply holding down the trigger to spray. It’s a balancing act between the precision of single-tapping shots and the volume of fire from full auto.

Burst fire is most effective for medium to longer range engagements where spraying becomes wildly inaccurate.

Why Burst Fire?

• Improved Accuracy: Weapons in valorant have recoil patterns that cause your aim to jump upward with sustained fire. Short bursts help reset that recoil, allowing your next few shots to remain more accurate.
• Conserves Ammo: When spraying at distance, many bullets will miss. Bursting helps you focus your shots for better efficiency.
• Manages Recoil: Each gun has its own recoil pattern. Burst firing lets you learn and account for it, improving your aim over time.

How To Improve Your Burst Firing

• The Practice Range: The range has targets and a recoil visualization mode. Experiment with different weapons to see their recoil patterns in a burst.
• Deathmatch: A chaotic environment, but it allows you to practice bursting against moving targets and refine your timing.
• Crosshair Placement: Keep your crosshair at general head height around corners and anticipate enemy appearance at that level. This ensures your first burst is on target.
• Muscle Memory: It takes time to develop the habit of releasing the trigger after a few shots. Consistent practice is key.
• Bot Practice: You can set up custom games against bots with difficulty settings. This gives you a more controlled environment to practice your burst fire technique.

Remember: Even with burst fire, don’t let your focus narrow too much. Be aware of your surroundings and ready to adjust.

Tap Firing

Tap firing involves firing single, precise shots rather than holding down the trigger and spraying. This maximizes the accuracy of your shots, especially at longer ranges.

It’s particularly useful with weapons like the Vandal, Phantom, Guardian, and Sheriff, where the recoil after the first shot can significantly throw off subsequent rounds.

Why Is Tap Firing Important?

• Accuracy: Because your crosshair resets to its original position after each shot, tap firing allows you to place shots directly on target more consistently.
• Headshot Potential: Precise shots increase the chances of hitting an enemy’s head, resulting in faster kills.
• Reduced Ammo Waste: Controlled tap firing prevents you from spraying bullets wildly and missing your target.

How To Improve Your Tap Firing

Practice in the Range: The Practice Range is the perfect place to master tap firing.

• Select a weapon like the Vandal or Phantom.
• Place your crosshair on a stationary target and focus on firing single shots at a consistent rhythm.
• Pay attention to how your crosshair moves after each shot and adjust your next shot accordingly.

Deathmatch: Head into Deathmatch to practice tap firing in a more chaotic environment against moving targets.

• Try to focus on accuracy rather than speed initially.

Counter-Strafing: Combining tap firing with counter-strafing can make your shots even more precise.

• Counter-strafing involves moving in the opposite direction of your momentum and stopping abruptly before firing a shot. This briefly resets your aim and improves accuracy.

Crosshair Placement: Always keep your crosshair at head level. This will reduce the need for major aim adjustments when you tap fire.

Timing: Find a consistent rhythm for your tapping. Experiment with different speeds depending on the distance to the target and the weapon you’re using.

Remember: Tap firing takes practice to master. Be patient, start at a slower pace, and gradually increase your tapping speed as you gain confidence.

Movement

Good movement in valorant is crucial for several reasons:

• Evasion: Fluid and unpredictable movement makes you a harder target to hit, improving your survivability.
• Angle Creation: Effective movement helps you create new angles for attacking and surprising your enemies.
• Information Gathering: Proper movement allows you to peek corners and scout areas safely, gaining valuable intel on enemy positions.
• Repositioning: Movement is key to quickly repositioning yourself between firefights or rotating to different sites.

How To Improve Your Movement

Strafing and Counter-Strafing:

• Strafing is the act of moving sideways (using ‘A’ and ‘D’ keys).
• Counter-strafing is rapidly reversing your strafing direction to come to an abrupt stop.
• Practice this technique repeatedly to accurately adjust your aim when coming to a stop. This makes you less predictable in gunfights.

Jiggle Peeking:

• Instead of wide-swinging out from behind cover, jiggle peeking involves briefly exposing yourself to check an angle and then quickly moving back into cover.
• This minimizes exposure while giving you information on enemy location.

Jump Peeking:

• Combine a short jump with peeking to clear angles above normal sightlines.
• Use it sparingly against opponents who know you might jump peek.

Never Stand Still:

• When stationary, you’re an easy target. Maintain some level of movement even when holding angles.
• Small, unpredictable movements are best. Avoid repeated patterns.

Audio Cues:

• Use sound to be aware of your own movement.
• Minimize unnecessary noise, especially when trying to move stealthily.

Practice Drills

Deathmatch: Use deathmatch to practice purely focusing on your movement, aiming, and counter-strafing techniques.

Practice Range:

• Set up moving targets in the Practice Range to work on your movement and aim coordination.
• Place targets behind cover to simulate jiggle peeking and jump peeking techniques.

Additional Tips

• Wide Peeking: Utilize wide peeks in conjunction with other movement techniques to be less predictable.
• Crouching: Use crouch sparingly to change your hitbox and throw off enemy aim. Don’t overuse it as it sacrifices mobility.

Remember, mastering movement takes time and practice. Implement these tips and practice drills regularly to see significant improvement in your valorant gameplay.

Utilize Cover

Why Utilize Cover Is Important

• Survival: Cover reduces your exposure to enemy fire, significantly increasing your chances of staying alive.
• Strategic Advantage: Cover allows you to reposition, reload, or use abilities without being an easy target.
• Peeking and Prefiring: Cover gives you a safe point from which to peek out, quickly fire, and retreat back into safety. This helps you gather information and damage enemies while minimizing risk to yourself.

How To Improve Your Cover Usage:

• Map Awareness: Learn where solid cover exists on each map—walls, boxes, corners, etc. Mentally note these spots as you move around.
• Active, not Passive: Don’t just stand behind cover. Use it actively to advance. Peek, fire, and quickly duck back. Reposition slightly before re-peeking.
• Angle Advantage: When peeking, expose as little of yourself as possible. Consider using jiggle peeks (quickly peeking out and back) or shoulder peeks.
• Don’t Overexpose: When peeking, don’t stand too far out from cover. This gives enemies a bigger target to shoot at.
• Unexpected Cover: Get creative! Use agents like Sage or Viper to create your own temporary cover with their abilities.
• Cover Discipline in Firefights: When a gunfight breaks out, your first instinct should be to find cover immediately. Assess the situation before deciding on your next move.

Additional Notes:

• Not all cover is solid. Some objects offer only partial protection.
• If you’re forced into the open, use movement techniques like strafing and counter-strafing to make yourself a more difficult target.
• When the enemy knows your position, don’t stay in the same spot of cover for too long. Reposition to avoid pre-fires.

Peek Shooting

Peek shooting is a fundamental movement and aiming technique in valorant and many other tactical shooters. It involves:

• Quickly exposing yourself from behind cover to spot enemies or take a shot.
• Minimizing exposure: You immediately retreat back to cover after firing or if you spot an enemy pre-aiming that spot.

Benefits Of Peek Shooting

• Surprising your opponents: Enemies holding an angle won’t expect you to pop out and fire so quickly.
• Staying safe: You minimize the time you are exposed to enemy fire.
• Gathering information: Even if you don’t take a shot, you can quickly gain info on enemy positions.

How To Improve your Peek Shooting

• Master Crosshair Placement: Always aim at head level. When peeking, you shouldn’t need to wildly adjust your aim since your crosshair is already close to where enemies are likely to be.
• Counter-Strafing: This is the technique of quickly stopping your movement after strafing (moving left or right). Practice in the Range to fluidly move, stop, shoot a burst, and move back the opposite way. This makes you unpredictable and difficult to hit.
• Jiggle Peeking: This means quickly peeking and re-peeking an angle multiple times to confuse an enemy who might be watching the corner. You can even bait out shots from enemies holding angles with Operator sniper rifles.
• Wide Peeking vs. Short Peeking:
  • Short Peeking: Expose yourself only enough to see and shoot at one angle. Limits your vulnerability.
  • Wide Peeking: Swing out aggressively from cover, often used to catch an opponent off-guard or to fully commit to the duel. Riskier, but can yield higher rewards.
• Mix it Up: Don’t become predictable. Alternate between wide and short peeks, different jiggle patterns, and vary the timing of your peeks.

Practice Makes Perfect

Take time in Deathmatch or the Practice Range to focus solely on your peek shooting mechanics. It will feel awkward at first, but with continued practice, you’ll be out-peeking and out-gunning your opponents in no time.

Use Abilities Strategically

Why It’s Important

• Disrupt the Enemy: Abilities can force enemies out of position, block their sightlines, and create confusion. This gives you an opening to make a play or catch them off guard.
• Support Your Team: Healing, providing shields, and using reconnaissance abilities to gain information give your team a huge advantage.
• Control the Map: Area-denial abilities can block off chokepoints while smokes create temporary cover to help you advance or retreat in safety.
• Create Opportunities: Powerful ultimates can clear sites, initiate a fight, or give you an insane retake advantage.

How To Improve Your Ability Usage

• Understand Each Ability: Take the time to deeply understand what every agent’s ability does, how it works, and its potential uses. Experiment in custom games to get the hang of them.
• Coordinate with Your Team: Discuss plans before the round starts. Communicate when you are using an ability and whether you need support to make the most of it.
• Learn Ability Lineups: Many abilities can be deployed more effectively from specific locations. Watch videos or practice in custom games to find the best angles and spots.
• Don’t Waste Abilities: Don’t just throw out abilities at random. Think about how they will impact the current situation and whether they will help you achieve your immediate goal.
• Adapt to the Situation: Be flexible with your ability usage. Your strategy may need to change depending on the enemy team’s composition and how the game unfolds.

Specific Examples

• Sova: Use your Recon Bolt to scan common enemy positions before your team rushes a site.
• Sage: Place your wall to block off an angle of attack, or to gain a height advantage for a teammate.
• Omen: Smoke off key areas to cut off sight lines, or use your ultimate to teleport behind enemy lines for a surprise attack.
• Raze: Use your BoomBot to scout an area or flush out enemies in tight spaces.

Key Points To Improve Ability Usage

• Timing Matters: Using an ability too early or too late can make it useless.
• Creativity is Rewarded: Think about unique ways to use abilities. Surprising your enemy can give you the edge.
• Remember Abilities Last Temporarily: Don’t assume that just because you used an ability it solved a problem permanently. Always have a follow-up plan.

With practice and thoughtful awareness, you’ll transform your ability usage from haphazard to a strategic weapon that wins you games!

Learn The Maps

Why Map Knowledge Is Crucial

• Anticipation: Understanding the layout gives you a strong sense of where enemies are likely to be based on timings and plays. This lets you pre-aim those areas for increased success.
• Strategic Positioning: Know the best angles, chokepoints, and hiding spots to maximize your advantage and minimize your exposure. You’ll be able to play off map geometry better.
• Faster Rotations: When your team needs help defending another site, map knowledge minimizes wasted time getting there, potentially saving rounds.
• Ability Usage: Know the best spots to deploy smokes, walls, recon abilities, and ultimates. This ensures your skills have the greatest impact on the map.
• Flanking: Good map knowledge helps identify the routes ideal for quietly getting behind the enemy for surprise attacks.

How To Improve Your Map Knowledge

• Play the Game: Direct experience is the best teacher. Play as much as you can on every map. Pay attention to pathways, names of locations, and common strategies.
• Custom Games: Set up a custom game and explore each map at your leisure. No pressure from opponents means you can study all the nooks and crannies.
• Pro Videos: Watch videos of professional players on specific maps (plenty on YouTube!). Analyze where they position themselves, how they use abilities, and their rotation paths.
• Online Map Guides: Many websites and tools have detailed map images with callouts and explanations of key spots. ValoPlant is an excellent example.
• Create Lineups: For agents like Sova or Viper, experiment in custom games to find the ideal lineup spots for your arrows or toxic clouds.

Communicate Effectively

Why Effective Communication Matters

• Information is crucial: Valorant is a team-based shooter where sharing knowledge gives your team a significant tactical advantage. Knowing where opponents are, what skills they’ve used, or what their plans are can turn the tide of battle.
• Coordination is key: Communicating with your team ensures everyone is on the same page. You can plan attacks, defenses, and map control strategies more effectively.
• Less tilting, more winning: Clear comms prevent misunderstandings and frustrations, ensuring the team’s morale remains high even in difficult rounds.

How To Improve Your Communication In Valorant

• Use voice chat whenever possible: Voice chat is the fastest and most efficient way to communicate in-game. Typing is much slower and can distract you from the action.
• Callouts: Use clear, concise callouts to describe enemy locations, actions, and abilities. Refer to locations by their known names on the map. (e.g., “Jett on A site”, “Two pushing Long B”, “Sage walled Mid”)
• Be specific: Avoid vague language like “over there” or “behind us.” Specific callouts allow your teammates to react appropriately.
• Stay positive and constructive: Don’t flame teammates for mistakes. Instead, focus on helpful and encouraging feedback to improve everyone’s gameplay.
• Listen as well as talk: Pay attention to the callouts your teammates are making. Respond and adapt your gameplay accordingly.
• Utilize the in-game ping system: This can be a great supplement to voice chat, especially for marking locations on the map or indicating your intentions quickly.

Advanced Communication Tips

• Share your ult status: Let teammates know when your ultimate is ready or how much charge you have left. This enables better combo potential.
• Inform your plans: Are you going to push a site, hold an angle, flank, or rotate to help? Communicate it briefly for better team coordination.
• Callout enemy utility usage: Knowing if the enemy has used smokes, flashes, or other abilities can sway tactical decisions.

Learn Economy Management

Understanding Economy Management

• Round currency: In Valorant, you start with a limited amount of credits (in-game currency) each round. Your credits are used to purchase weapons, shields, and abilities.
• Win/Loss Bonuses: Your team earns credits based on whether you win or lose a round. Winning rounds gives you a bigger bonus, which allows for stronger buys in the next round.
• Kill Credits: You also earn a small amount of credits for each kill.
• Objective Credits: On the attacking side, you earn credits for planting the Spike and even more if it detonates.
• Smart spending: Economy management is the art of effectively using your credits across rounds to maximize your chances of winning. This involves knowing when to buy fully, save for later rounds, or even force buy weaker weapons when you’re low on credits.

How To Improve Your Economy Management

• Be Aware of Your Team’s Economy: Discuss with your teammates about the state of your team economy before buying. This will prevent situations where some players have full buys and others can’t even afford decent guns.
• Don’t Force Buy in Every Lost Round: If you lose a round, sometimes it’s better to “eco” (save credits) or do a partial buy instead of forcing a full buy with weaker weapons. Losing again would cripple your economy for several rounds.
• Use Your Weapons Wisely: If you survive a round, you get to keep your weapon, so use them effectively. There’s no need to buy a new Vandal if you can pick up a perfectly good one off a dead opponent.
• Coordinate Purchases: Try to coordinate purchases with your team so you don’t end up in situations where everyone has snipers and no rifles or vice versa.
• Prioritize Buying for Your Teammates: If you have a lot of credits, consider purchasing a weapon for a teammate that’s low on cash. This kind of strategy can increase your overall team firepower and win chances.
• Spend Wisely But Don’t Hoard: Don’t be afraid to spend, but prioritize a good primary weapon and armor. Hoarding too many credits makes you less effective in the current round and less able to bounce back if you lose.

Learn Agent Counters

Understanding Agent Counters

• Agent Abilities Interact: Each agent’s abilities are designed to interact with each other in different ways. Some abilities directly counter others, creating opportunities for strategic play.
• Advantageous Matchups: Certain agents excel in duels against others due to their ability kits. Understanding these matchups gives you an edge when selecting your agent and engaging in combat.
• Team Composition Considerations: Picking an agent that counters an enemy’s high-impact agent can help your entire team. Think about what your opponents may pick and adjust accordingly.

How To Improve At Using Agent Counters

• Familiarize Yourself with Abilities: Knowing the abilities of each agent inside and out is the foundation for understanding counters. Study abilities and their effects.
• Analyze Pro Play: Watch professional matches or streams. Observe how the pros pick agents in response to their opponents’ selections, and pay attention to how abilities interact during the game.
• Experiment in Your Own Matches: Try out different agents against various opponents. Analyze how your abilities interact with those of the enemy, and figure out which matchups feel more advantageous.
• Use Online Resources: Several websites and guides provide detailed information on agent counters. For example, search for “Valorant Agent Counter Chart” to find resources that visually display favorable matchups.

Example: Jett vs. Viper

• Jett’s agility and smokes allow her to quickly escape Viper’s toxic areas of effect. This makes Jett a more favorable pick in this matchup.
• Viper’s walls and smokes can also be used to block Jett’s vision and movement, making it more difficult for Jett to play aggressively.

Additional Tips:

• Don’t Rely Solely on Counters: Knowing your counters helps, but excellent aim, map knowledge, and teamwork always remain essential for success.
• Be Flexible: Be able to adjust your playstyle and adapt to your enemy’s counterpicks, even if your chosen agent isn’t ideal.
• Communication is Key: Coordinate with your team about who can counter who, and adjust your strategies accordingly.

Fake Planting

What Is Fake Planting?

• A tactical maneuver where an attacker fakes the action of planting the Spike to deceive the defending team.
• The attacker starts the Spike plant animation and makes the associated planting sounds, but cancels it part-way through.
• Goal: To lure defenders out of position, forcing them to react to a false threat and leaving other areas of the map vulnerable for attack.

How To Improve Your Fake Plants

Make it Convincing:

• Practice the timing of the plant animation to cancel it right after the loudest clicking sound. This is the most convincing moment to defenders.
• Combine your fake plant with teammates making noise elsewhere to further sell the trick.

Choose the Right Location:

• A fake plant is most effective in spots where defenders are likely to rotate from after hearing a plant sound.
• Corners, cubbies, or entry points where they might be lurking are ideal.

Coordinate With Your Team:

• Communicating the timing of your fake plant is key. Teammates should be ready to push the other site or capitalize on drawn-away defenders when you initiate it.
• Having one teammate create noise on the other site at the same time further reinforces the illusion for the defenders.

Adapt to the Enemy:

• If defenders wise up to your fake plants, don’t overuse them in the same way.
• Vary the timing of your cancellation or plant in completely different spots to keep them guessing.

Combine with Other Strategies:

• Post-plant, you can try to reposition for a sneaky kill on a rotating defender.
• A fake plant, followed by an immediate real plant at the other site, can completely throw off the defense.

Learn When To Rotate

Understanding Rotations

What it is: Rotating in Valorant involves moving from your current position on the map to a different one, usually to support another bomb site or area being contested.

Why it matters: Effective rotations allow you to:

Defend sites as a team: Help out teammates who are under pressure and prevent the enemy from easily taking over a site.

Surprise the enemy: Flank attackers from unexpected angles and disrupt their strategy.

Gather information: Get a sense of where the enemy team is concentrated and adapt your strategy accordingly.

When To Rotate (as a Defender)

• When a site is getting overwhelmed: If you hear heavy gunfire and your teammates are calling for help, rotate quickly to avoid losing a site.
• When you spot a lot of enemies elsewhere: If you see most of the enemy team pushing a different site, consider rotating to flank them or reinforce an undefended area.
• When you suspect a fake: If you think the enemy is faking an attack on one site to distract you, rotating can help confirm their intentions or catch them off guard.
• After planting the spike: Sometimes, rotating away from the planted spike can put pressure on the attacking team to split their attention.

How To Improve Your Rotations

• Communication is key: Coordinate with your teammates using voice chat. Let them know if you see enemies pushing, plan your rotation, and offer help when needed.
• Map awareness: Knowing the map layout is crucial. Learn the fastest routes, common chokepoints, and hiding spots to make informed decisions.
• Listen carefully: Pay attention to audio cues like footsteps, ability usage, and gunshots that provide information about enemy location and movement.
• Timing is everything: Don’t rotate too early, leaving your initial site vulnerable. But also don’t rotate too late, or you risk arriving when it’s too late.
• Don’t all rotate at once: Leave at least one person defending in case it’s a fake or there’s a flanker lurking.

Trade Kills

What Is Trade Killing?

• Trade Killing involves immediately avenging a fallen teammate by eliminating the enemy who killed them.
• It’s a crucial tactic to maintain a balanced player count, preventing the enemy from having a numerical advantage.

How To Improve Trade Kills:

• Communication is Key: Clear callouts are essential. When a teammate dies, they should quickly communicate the enemy’s position, health, and any other relevant information you’ll need to make the trade.
• Develop Map Awareness: Knowing where teammates commonly position themselves lets you anticipate where a trade kill opportunity might arise, allowing you to react quickly.
• Positioning: Position yourself close enough to your teammate to swiftly capitalize on their callout, but not so close that you both get taken down by the same enemy.
• Surprise: Move unexpectedly. Peeking a corner differently than your teammate did can catch the enemy off-guard, giving you the edge for a successful trade.
• Aim: Practice your aim so that when the moment comes, you can confidently and accurately take down the enemy. Trade killing situations are often fast-paced, so quick, precise aim is essential.

Additional Considerations:

• Don’t be reckless: While trade killing is important, don’t rush blindly into danger without assessing the situation. Overextension can lead to further casualties, creating a worse-case scenario for your team.
• Use Abilities Creatively: Some agent abilities can facilitate effective trade kills. For example, Sova’s recon bolt can track down an enemy after a teammate dies, making the trade kill easier.
• Game Sense: Develop a good understanding of how rounds usually play out. This knowledge will help you anticipate where enemies might be and capitalize on trade kill opportunities.

Help Out Teammate

Why Helping Teammates Matters:

• Strength in Numbers: Valorant is designed around team play. Supporting teammates creates a numerical advantage, increasing your chances of winning fights.
• Combined Skill: Each agent brings unique abilities to the field. Covering a teammate can lead to ability combinations that are far more impactful than individual efforts.
• Morale Boost: A supportive team environment where players help each other leads to improved morale and better communication, fostering positive gameplay.

How To Improve at Helping Out Teammates:

• Be Aware: Proactively monitor your team’s positions and health. Be ready to step in and help when needed.
• Communication is Key: Use your voice chat, Let teammates know when you’re available to support, and clearly call out when you need assistance yourself.
• Covering Fire: When someone needs to make a play (e.g., peek a corner, plant the spike), provide suppressing fire or distractions to draw away enemy attention.
• Watch the Flank: Be the eyes and ears for your teammates. Protect them from blind spots and sudden attacks.
• Trading Kills: If a teammate dies, try to immediately avenge their death. Trading a kill evens the numbers and maintains your team’s presence on the map.
• Revive and Heal: Supporting agents with reviving or healing abilities have a significant impact on team success by keeping players in the fight.

Examples:

• If you see a teammate pushing a corner alone, follow closely behind for backup.
• Smoke off a teammate who’s being targeted by a sniper.
• Throw a flashbang to blind enemies while teammate pushes.
• Sage players: Heal up injured teammates and, if possible, use your wall to block off angles while a teammate is reviving another.
• If a teammate calls out an enemy position, try to help them take the opponent down, even if you don’t get the kill yourself.

Remember: Supporting your teammates is just as important as getting kills. It will solidify your team’s success and make the game more enjoyable for everyone.

Don’t Peek After Planting

Why You Shouldn’t Peek After Planting

• Vulnerability: After planting the Spike, you’re often in an exposed position. Peeking puts you at a disadvantage because defenders know exactly where to expect you.
• Focus shift: The goal after planting is to defend the Spike until it explodes. Peeking pulls your focus away from this task and risks unnecessary gunfights.
• Predictability: Defenders will likely pre-aim the common angles around the Spike. Peeking makes you an easy target.
• Team Support: Your team relies on you to help defend the Spike site. Peeking selfishly puts your team in a numbers disadvantage if you die.

How To Improve Your Post-Plant Strategy

• Find a safe post-plant position: Immediately seek cover or find a hidden spot to hold an angle on the Spike.
• Play the time: Instead of peeking, focus on forcing the defenders to defuse, stalling for time with smokes, flashes, or other utility.
• Communication is key: Coordinate with your team for crossfires, ability usage, and callouts on enemy defusers.
• Fake defusing: Pretend to defuse the Spike to bait out enemies or force them to make a risky push.
• Situational awareness: If you have an overwhelming numbers advantage, peeking to quickly eliminate a lone defender might be viable. However, always prioritize defense until you’ve secured a strong position.

Remember: The goal after planting is to win the round, not necessarily to get kills. Playing defensively and forcing the opponent to make risky plays is crucial in post-plant scenarios.

Upgrade Your Gear

Why It Matters

• Responsiveness: Higher-quality gear offers better precision, responsiveness, and smoothness. This translates to quicker, more accurate aiming, and easier recoil control.
• Comfort: Ergonomic equipment designed for gaming can reduce fatigue and hand strain during long gaming sessions. This means less distraction from discomfort and more focus on the game.
• Reliability: Good gear avoids issues like stuttering, inconsistent tracking, and missed inputs, ensuring your ability to control the game isn’t hindered by technical problems.

How To Upgrade Your Gear

Mouse:

• Sensor: Opt for a mouse with an accurate optical sensor. Avoid mice with laser sensors for FPS gaming, as they may introduce inaccuracies.
• Shape and Size: Choose a mouse that’s comfortable in your hand and suits your grip style (palm, claw, fingertip).
• Weight: This depends on preference. Some players prefer lighter mice for faster flicks, others heavier mice for stability.
• Wired vs. Wireless: Wireless has improved immensely, but wired generally remains the most responsive.

Keyboard:

• Mechanical Switches: Offer greater durability, responsiveness, and tactile feedback compared to membrane keyboards.
• Anti-Ghosting: Ensures all your key presses register correctly, even if pressing multiple keys simultaneously.

Headset:

• Sound quality: Choose a headset with clear directional audio so you can pick up on enemy noises and locations.
• Microphone: Opt for a headset with a decent quality microphone for clear voice communication with your team.
• Comfort and Fit: A comfortable, well-fitting headset is important for extended play sessions.

Important Note: While good gear can make a significant difference, it’s not a substitute for skill. Make sure you prioritize skill development, map knowledge, and strategy along with upgrading your equipment.

Watch Pro Players

There are many pro players like TenZ, Demon1, f0rsaken, Something, Jinggg that you can watch and learn but before that why you should watch pro players:

Why Watch Pro Players?

• Strategy and Positioning: Pro players have a deep understanding of map control, rotations, timing, and how to hold or retake sites strategically. They are experts at using angles for maximum advantage and safety.
• Decision-making and Adaptability: Pros excel at reading situations quickly and making split-second decisions based on enemy movements and abilities. They can fluidly adapt strategies throughout a round.
• Aim and Crosshair Placement: Their crosshair placement is impeccable, and their aim is precise. You can learn to anticipate enemy positions and improve your own mechanics.
• Ability Usage: Pros use their agent abilities in creative and impactful ways. They often know lineups and combinations far exceeded what a new player may discover on their own.
• Communication: Observe how pros communicate with their team efficiently, providing critical callouts and information.

How To Effectively Watch Pros And Improve

• Focus on Specific Aspects: Instead of passively watching, choose one element to focus on: crosshair placement, positioning, specific ability usage, decision-making, etc.
• Watch Players Who Use Your Main Agent: Find pros who excel with your chosen agent(s). Pay close attention to how they use abilities for offense or defense setups.
• Analyze, Don’t Just Imitate: Don’t try to mindlessly copy everything pros do. Analyze why they make certain decisions and how those can apply to your own gameplay.
• Replicate in Your Own Games: Attempt to emulate the strategies and techniques you’ve learned from watching pros. Practice them in unrated matches or the Practice Range.
• Watch Educational Content: Many pro players and Valorant content creators offer in-depth analysis and breakdowns of their gameplay for a better understanding of pro-level tactics.

Where To Watch Pro Players:

• Twitch: Follow pro players directly on their Twitch channels.
• YouTube: Search for pro highlights, tutorials, and match analysis.
• Valorant Esports Tournaments: Watch official tournaments to see top-tier teams and players in action.

Remember: Improvement takes time and practice. Be patient, analyze, and adapt pro techniques to your own gameplay style. You can also checkout our player settings guide where you will find many pros settings and gear information.

Warm Up

What Is A warm-up?

• In gaming, warming up is dedicating a short session before your main competitive matches to practice your core skills and get into the right headspace.
• It focuses on mechanical skills like aiming, movement, recoil control, and familiarizing yourself with the game’s rhythm.
• Think of it like a sportsperson stretching their muscles and doing light practice before a big game.

Why Is Warming Up Important?

• Improves Muscle Memory: It helps activate and reinforce good aiming and movement habits.
• Reduces Reaction Time: Your reflexes and focus improve as you get into the game’s flow.
• Enhances Consistency: You’ll be less likely to make silly mistakes or have slow starts in your matches.
• Boosts Confidence: Performing well in warm-ups puts you in a positive mindset for your real matches.
• Prevents Injury: Just like in physical sports, warming up loosens your hand and wrist muscles to help prevent issues like RSI (repetitive strain injury).

How To Create A Good Warm-Up Routine:

The Range:

• Start with bot practice in The Range. Focus on flicking between targets, tracking moving targets, and one-tapping bots at various distances.
• Turn on armor to simulate in-game combat.
• Experiment with the different weapons you typically use.

Deathmatch:

• Spend 10-15 minutes in Deathmatch to practice your aim in a more dynamic, less structured environment.
• Focus on crosshair placement, counter-strafing, and being aware of your surroundings.
• Avoid mindless rushing; try incorporating good combat tactics.

Custom Games:

• Create a custom game for specific aspects you want to practice, like peeking angles against moving bots or practicing specific agent ability lineups.

Additional Tips For A Great Warm-Up:

• Consistency: It’s better to warm-up for 15 minutes daily than a long session one day and nothing the next.
• Focus: Don’t just go through the motions; concentrate on specific elements you want to improve.
• Gradual Intensity: Start with easier tasks and ramp up the difficulty for controlled practice.
• Don’t Overdo It: A warm-up should get you ready, not tired. Stop before you feel fatigued.

Play To Your Strengths

Understanding The Concept:

Identify Your Natural Talents: Do you have lightning-fast reflexes and great aim? Are you a master strategist? Do you excel at supporting your team with well-timed abilities? Understanding your innate abilities is the first step in playing to your strengths.

Find Agents that Suit You: Each Valorant agent has unique skills and playstyles. Choose agents that complement your natural abilities. If you’re an aggressive player with great aim, Duelists like Jett or Reyna might be a great fit. If you enjoy supporting your team, Initiators or Sentinels might be better choices.

Focus on Your Best Skills: Once you’ve identified your strengths and chosen a suitable role or agent, focus on developing the skills that give you an edge. If it’s your aim, spend extra time in the Practice Range and Deathmatch.

How To Improve Based On Your Strengths

Here are some examples of strengths and improvement paths you could take:

Great Aim:

• Practice Range: Refine crosshair placement and recoil control with different weapons.
• Deathmatch: Practice entry-fragging and dueling in quick, intense scenarios.
• Agent Choice: Select agents whose abilities complement your gunplay (e.g., Duelists).

Strategic Mind:

• Study Maps and Rotations: Learn the best strategies for pushing sites and defending areas on each map.
• Watch Pro Streams: Absorb strategies of pro players and team tactics.
• Agent Choice: Consider agents with information-gathering or area control abilities (e.g., Initiators or Controllers).

Exceptional Support Skills:

• Timing is Key: Perfect when to use your support abilities to maximize team advantage.
• Coordinate with Your Team: Learn the callouts and communicate effectively to assist your teammates.
• Agent Choice: Focus on agents with healing, defensive, or intel-gathering abilities (e.g., Sentinels or some Initiators).

Additional Considerations:

• Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment: Even if you think you have a strength, try different agents and playstyles initially to be sure. You might even uncover new talents.
• Be Adaptable: While focusing on your strengths, remain flexible. Learn to play other agents and fill different roles to become a more well-rounded player.
• Review Your Performance: Analyzing recorded matches helps you see which skills are most effective and where there’s room for improvement.

Remember, playing to your strengths in valorant is an ongoing process. It involves self-awareness, practice, and adaptability.

By refining your natural talents and understanding how to leverage them effectively, you’ll maximize your impact and raise your valorant game to the next level.

Take Breaks

Why Breaks Are Important

• Combat Mental Fatigue: Valorant is a mentally demanding game requiring immense focus and decision-making. Extended sessions can lead to mental burnout, making you less perceptive and diminishing your overall performance.
• Reduce Eye Strain and Physical Discomfort: Staring at a screen for extended periods can cause eye strain, headaches, and back pain. Taking breaks allows your body to recover.
• Maintain a Positive Mindset: Losses and frustrating moments can negatively impact your mental state. Brief breaks allow you to reset, reducing tilt and helping maintain a positive mindset for the next match.
• Analyze and Refocus: Stepping away gives you a chance to review your recent gameplay. Analyze mistakes, identify patterns, and come back with a clearer focus and strategy.

How To Improve With Breaks

• Use The Pomodoro Technique: This popular time management method involves focused work sessions of 25 minutes, followed by short 5-minute breaks. Repeat this cycle.
• Physical Activity: Stand up, stretch, walk around, and get your blood flowing. This helps improve circulation and counteract sitting for long periods.
• Refocus Your Eyes: Look away from your screen and focus on distant objects to help alleviate eye strain.
• Hydrate and Snack: Rehydrate and have a healthy snack to refuel your body and mind.
• Briefly Review Replay: Use your break to analyze a short segment of a previous match to identify areas for improvement.

Additional Considerations:

• Customize Break Frequency: Experiment to find the ideal break duration and frequency that works best for you.
• Set Reminders: Utilize a timer or app to remind yourself to take regular breaks.
• Utilize Breaks Constructively: Instead of passively scrolling social media, use your breaks to actively improve your gameplay.

Use Ultimate Orbs Strategically

What It Means

Ultimate Orbs: These glowing orbs appear on the map and can be collected by players. Once collected, a player’s ultimate ability will be charged. Ultimate abilities are powerful and can be game-changers if used at the right time.

Strategic Use: It involves more than just waiting for your ult to charge and using it immediately. It means:

• Assessing the situation: Understanding the round’s status, whether you’re winning or losing, where the enemies are, and what the objectives are.
• Maximizing impact: Using your ultimate in a way that will significantly swing the round in your team’s favor.

How To Improve Your Ultimate Usage

Situational Awareness: Pay close attention to the minimap, score, and your teammate’s positions. This will inform when it’s time to make a big play.

Coordinate with Your Team: Communicate with your team and let them know when your ultimate is ready. Plan out ultimate combos for amplified effectiveness.

Timing is Key: Identify crucial moments in the round. Examples:

• Clutch Situations: Your team is down in numbers, and you need to turn the tide to win the round.
• Pushing a Site: Using your ultimate to clear enemies for a safer plant or to break through a defense.
• Retaking a Site: Using your ultimate to force the enemy off-site for a safe defuse.

Know Your Agent’s Ultimate: Every ultimate has different uses:

• Duelists (Phoenix, Reyna, Jett): Great for entry fragging and pushing sites.
• Initiators (Sova, Breach, Skye): Perfect for gathering info or disrupting the enemy’s defense.
• Sentinels (Sage, Cypher, Killjoy): Can heal an injured team, stall pushes or cut off areas of the map.

Example Using Sova’s Ultimate

Poor Usage: Firing your ult toward a site hoping to get random kills.

Strategic Usage:

• Scout with your drone or teammate’s info to reveal a cluster of enemies. Fire your ultimate to force them to scatter or take damage.
• Coordinate with teammates to push the site while the enemy is disoriented.

Remember: Don’t be afraid to hold onto your ultimate until the optimal moment. Sometimes forcing the enemy into a bad situation without using your ultimate can prove strategically advantageous.

Analyze Your Gameplay

Why Analyze Your Gameplay?

• Identify Mistakes: Analyzing matches allows you to pinpoint errors in your decision-making, positioning, aim, and ability usage. Recognizing these mistakes is the first step to correcting them.
• Recognize Patterns: You might discover tendencies such as peeking the same angle repeatedly or overextending in certain situations. Analyzing your gameplay helps you become aware of these patterns.
• Understand Strong Points: It’s equally important to identify what you’re doing well. This helps you understand your strengths and playstyles you excel at.
• Track Progress: By comparing past and present replays, you can visualize your improvement and stay motivated on your Valorant journey.

How To Analyze Your Gameplay

Record Your Matches: Use recording software like OBS or built-in game recording features in Valorant to capture your gameplay.

Review Replays: Take the time to carefully watch your matches. Pay attention not only to the firefights but also to your actions leading up to those situations.

Focus on Specific Areas: Instead of trying to analyze everything at once, target specific aspects of your gameplay:

• Aim: Did you place your crosshair correctly? How was your reaction time? Were you over-flicking or under-shooting?
• Movement: Were you strafing effectively? Were you exposed needlessly?
• Positioning: Were you in advantageous spots on the map? Were you caught out in the open?
• Ability usage: Did you use your abilities at the right time? Did they have the desired impact?
• Economy: Were you buying the right weapons and abilities for the situation?

Take Notes: Write down key observations about your mistakes and successes. These notes will help reinforce your understanding and track your progress.

Seek Feedback: If possible, share your gameplay with an experienced player or coach. They can offer additional insights and help you identify blind spots.

Additional Tips:

• Be Critical but Constructive: Don’t be afraid to acknowledge your mistakes, but don’t get discouraged. Focus on solutions and ways to improve.
• Start Slow: Analyze shorter segments of your gameplay at first. Focus on specific situations or errors instead of the entire match.
• Use Online Resources: Utilize tools and guides to help with your analysis. Look up tutorials, pro gameplay breakdowns, and map callout guides.

Have Fun

Why Having Fun Matters

• Reduces Pressure: Focusing too much on winning or ranking up can lead to stress and anxiety. Enjoying the game takes the pressure off, allowing you to play more naturally and improve organically.
• Promotes Learning: When you’re having fun, you’re less likely to get frustrated by mistakes, making you more receptive to experimentation and learning new skills.
• Keeps You Engaged: A positive, fun experience keeps you motivated to return and play more. This sustained practice is essential for any skill development.
• Improves Mental Game: Having fun builds resilience and a positive outlook. Both of these attributes are essential for dealing with inevitable losses and tilting (where negative emotions impact your performance).

How To Make Valorant More Fun

• Play with Friends: Cooperative play and lighthearted moments make the game far more enjoyable, especially when learning as a beginner.
• Find Your Role: Experiment with different agents to see which playstyle clicks with you. Discovering your preferred role significantly amps up the fun.
• Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge your progress, even if it’s hitting a cool headshot or coordinating well with your team. Positive reinforcement helps maintain motivation.
• Don’t Sweat Toxicity: Some players can be negative. Use the mute feature liberally and focus on your own experience and those of positive teammates.
• Try New Things: Experiment with new agents, weapons, and strategies in unrated modes to explore different elements of the game without worrying about your rank.

Remember: Having fun isn’t just about winning or losing. It’s about finding enjoyment in the process of learning, improving, and engaging with the Valorant world.