Gaming
In the world of competitive first-person shooters, VALORANT is up there as one of the elite, so you'll want to hone your skills to be the very best.
A game that has captured the hearts and minds of gamers worldwide, VALORANT features tactical gameplay, precise gunplay and strategic team dynamics, making it a true test of skill and strategy.
Whether you're a fresh recruit or a seasoned agent, the quest to improve and climb up the ranks in VALORANT is a journey filled with challenges, triumphs and endless opportunities for growth.
If you've ever wondered how to raise your game, you're in the right place. In this guide, delve into the strategies required to not only get better at VALORANT but to dominate the battlefield absolutely. Here are seven simple tips to level up your game, forge your legacy and leave your mark on the world of VALORANT.
01
Set up your game properly
What you should be sure to set up, besides proper sensitivity, is your crosshair. In Valorant, you have countless options, from classic to a crosshair shaped like a square or smiley face.
The sound setting is also important. You'll notice right away that the agents use different announcements. Some of them, especially the ones at the beginning of the round, are irrelevant, and you might even find it useful to turn them off. What you should have on, however, is Gameplay (⚙️ Audio Settings - voice-over). This will let you hear the agents' important announcements. For example, when Skye blinds someone, she'll say, "Blinded." Owl will announce "Found them" or "There they are" when revealed by an arrow.
You'll also find it handy to turn off the display of your opponents' bodies via Show Corpses Off (⚙️ General Settings - other). The bodies of the agents are otherwise quite large, and they can cover a thrown weapon or confuse you and slow down your reaction.
Tune the keys to what you're comfortable with (⚙️ Controls settings). The basic ability settings don't suit everyone, so investing the time to customise the keys is a good idea. If you change your keyboard language often, we recommend you bind two different keys; otherwise, your bind won't work in the game with the wrong keyboard settings.
Also, don't forget to customise the mini-map (⚙️ General settings - map) to get the info you need about what's going on in the game. You can choose its size, rotation and other parameters. Thanks to the mini-map, you can track not only your team-mates but also your opponents and the location of some abilities once they're revealed.
In terms of resolution and graphics settings, it really depends on your gaming setup. Try out what suits you and how your PC handles the game. However, always set the FPS limit to off and if you want to increase your FPS, lower the quality of your graphics settings as below:
As a last suggestion, you should check the Enemy Highlight Colour setting (⚙️ General settings - accessibility), where you can specify the colour of opponents' rendering (red - basic, two different shades of yellow, purple). One of the colours will likely suit you better in terms of catching your attention.
Also, check out the 'Stats' setting, which lets you instantly find information about the performance of your PC or connection. You can choose which data you want to see during the game. If you're not going to test these settings, we recommend you turn this option off so that it doesn't disturb you while you're playing.
02
Improve your aim
Having precise aim in VALORANT is a must and can be the difference between victory and defeat. Although abilities play a key role, aiming is still the foundation of the game. There are several ways to improve your shooting accuracy.
You can turn on practice mode, where there are several options to choose from, but Shooting Range mode is the most suitable for aim practice. In it, you can practice shooting on bots or aiming with Agent Jett's ultimate aiming gun, for example. You can also set the speed at which they spawn and disappear. In addition, you can change the aiming sensitivity directly in the Shooting Range.
If you find the bot aiming too easy, move to Deathmatch, where you'll already be playing against normal players on classic maps. This will serve well as a warmup before a match, as you don't use abilities there – just shoot – and if your opponent accidentally disables you, you'll revive right away.
Another cool option is to use the external Aim Lab app, which you can find on Steam. While not directly part of VALORANT, Aim Lab is the official training partner for VALORANT VCT and offers over 12,000 different training options. Of course, it can adapt to your personal settings and evaluate your aim skills. Check out what it looks like, performed by Valorant team G2 Gozen's mimi below:
03
Communication is key
VALORANT is a team game, so make sure you're in tune with your compatriots. Use voice chat or the ping system to relay information, coordinate strategies and call out enemy positions. As they say, don't suffer in silence. Get talking, and you can guarantee things will get miles easier.
Communication starts in the lobby, where your team chooses their agents. The best option is if all five of you can agree on a suitable combination – and no one will immediately and selfishly instalock your preferred agent. Unless you're playing full stack with your buddies, the instalock agent may be the first problem for team communication of an uncomfortable player.
Something you can't do without either is understanding the terms being called and when to use them. If you've never played an FPS game, these terms will be difficult for you to pick up, so read our glossary to learn VALORANT's basic terms and expressions, and how to communicate and shop properly in the game.
04
Learn the maps properly
If you really want to win, each intricately crafted VALORANT map needs to be learned until you know it like the back of your hand. Learning call-out spots, high-traffic areas, and vantage points will automatically raise your game to the next level with no necessary skill required.
On most maps, you'll find general terms such as mid, A-site, B-site, defender (CT) and attacker (T) spawn. In reality, however, you need to know more than the basics of each map to give your team-mates the most accurate information about opponents' position. Often, they're named after their surroundings, which makes the information very intuitive. For example, on the Bind map, an area is named 'Garden' because there are flowers there.
A great help is to open the map, which contains a lot of basic positions (in the original setup, you open it with the M key) and be sure to use pinging, which you can use to mark the exact location of your opponent on the map at a glance.
05
Master your agents
You won't have all agents unlocked at the start. Only Brimstone, Jett, Phoenix, Owl and Sage will be available initially. These are relatively simple agents, and using their abilities isn't difficult. The agents are divided by role into initiators, duelists, sentinels and controllers, so play each of them to see if you enjoy a more aggressive or passive style of play. Find out more about the differences between them here.
No agent is difficult to use, but some require more training and skill. The duelist Phoenix is a bit easier than Jett to start with, but if you compare those two duelists to Agent Yoru, they're very simple. In fact, Yoru has teleporting and blinding abilities, which need to be practised before the match because using them wrong can cost you your life.
We recommend that you practice each agent's abilities in training or custom mode. Firstly, you'll know what each agent does, and secondly, you might find one that really suits you.
06
Learn from the best
In the beginning, you just need to play, play and play some more. You need to get used to how the game works, how to move and shoot, what the agents do and what the maps look like. Sooner or later, though, you'll reach a stage where you'll know the basics and reach a good rank, but your improvement will stall. In this case, you have to know for yourself if you're failing against better opponents or if it's team play or agent skills giving you trouble.
In any case, outside of individual training, the best advice is always to learn from better players by watching top-level tournaments like Red Bull Home Ground, which boasts some of the world's sharpest VALORANT shooters.
Check out the highlights from the Red Bull Home Ground 2023 World Final below to see just what you can learn from the world's best VALORANT teams:
You have to believe in yourself, but also be able to accept criticism and take as much as you can from it. If you can learn from your mistakes, you'll become a better player
07
Stay positive
It's a great mindset to have in all walks of life, and certainly in your VALORANT ventures, to remain positive. Don't let your head drop if you're having a bad game. Stay focused, and success will come.
By following these tips, you'll build a strong foundation for success. One day, maybe you'll even make it into the world of esports, but that's a long road. Remember, practice, teamwork and adaptability are your allies on the path to becoming a VALORANT champion. Good luck, agent.
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