HOW TO EXCEL AT VALORANT?
This guide, written by myself, is the fruit of my experience as a casual player. My goal is simple: give you the keys to improve quickly, get the most fun out of the game and help you avoid the common traps.
"Scientia potentia est": knowledge is power.
Latin adageThat adage takes on its full meaning in the world of Valorant. My mission is to hand you the fundamentals. Patience and understanding are the watchwords for absorbing these essentials.
DECODING VALORANT'S GAMEPLAY
Valorant is first and foremost a first-person shooter (FPS). Even though every agent has special abilities and unique gear, at the heart of the gameplay lies the art of shooting accurately.
A golden rule to remember: a good shooter usually means a good player. Your choice of agent is only a small part of the equation. What really matters is your reaction speed and the precision of your aim. For that, focus on improving your aim and on your crosshair placement through regular, methodical practice.
Aim is life!
Tips to sharpen your shooting skills
- 01Put time into the practice mode, perfect for warming up before every game.
- 02Perseverance is key: repeat your drills as often as possible.
- 03Work on your aim in short sets rather than one long session.
- 04Never underestimate the mental side of Valorant.
MENTAL GAME AND MINDSET
With a community of nearly 20 million players as of June 2023, Valorant is a melting pot of very different personalities. Managing your emotions and your interactions with other players is crucial.
In short: the mental game matters too.
Tips to build a solid mindset
- 01Accept that some players may be more gifted than you. Humility and perseverance are essential.
- 02Avoid criticizing others, even the most experienced. Everyone makes mistakes.
- 03Remember: defending is often easier than attacking.
- 04Valorant is a team game: wins and losses are shared.
UNDERSTANDING EACH AGENT'S ROLE
Agents are grouped by role (sentinel, controller, initiator and duelist):
Sentinels
Defense experts who lock down areas and watch the flanks, on attack as well as on defense.
Controllers
They excel at slicing up dangerous territory to set their team up for victory.
Initiators
They are there to help their team push into contested ground and drive defenders away.
Duelists
Self-sufficient fraggers. Their team counts on them to get the kills and start the fights.
And by their abilities:
- Some agents let the team gather information.
- Others can block vision at key spots (smokers).
- Others have mobility, or tools that make them more aggressive and let them take risks.
- Some have a kit built to hold a site and are more fragile on the front line, where they are vulnerable.
You will see for yourself that some agents could fit several roles, which can be confusing; still, they shine more in one role than in the others.
Tips for roles and agent abilities
Take the time to try every agent in custom games (even alone) and remember to enable cheats mode and the practice mode. Even if you do not master them, you will at least know how they work. You will know how to assist your allies, and how to counter your enemies.
In a match, focus on your role. If you play Sage (sentinel), for instance, it is not your job to enter first; that belongs to the duelists, who have tools to blind, for example. And they will be delighted to find you still alive to heal or revive them.
KNOWING HOW THE WEAPONS WORK
Weapons differ in damage, range, purpose and price. Some shoot through walls, others deal different damage depending on their fire mode. You should be able to handle the vast majority of them.
THE MAPS
Valorant is played on several maps, and you need to know them all by heart. Why? Because you must be able to identify the blind spots as well as the strategic positions, for you and for the enemy team. One small oversight can cost you a round.
MONEY MANAGEMENT AND THE GAME'S ECONOMY
In Valorant, every round earns you money to buy weapons, armor and abilities. A win earns you more, and so does planting the spike.
In some rounds you will have to make choices, tighten your belt and limit spending, or not spend at all. That decision can be crucial for what follows: with better weapons and heavy shields, you can turn the situation around.
TEAM COMMUNICATION
Communication is essential in team games. It starts with courtesy, a "hello", and it ends with a "GG" or a "WP". You might say good manners will not win you games. True: what matters most is sharing information: how many players, their position as precisely as possible, their gear and their weapons.
Keep your calls short and factual. A clear "two A, one heaven, no armor" is worth more than a long story told after you are dead.
THE GAMER'S EQUIPMENT
Valorant is a competitive online game, designed and built to be as light as possible on hardware. Even though a powerful machine is not required for casual play, and Valorant runs at 30 frames per second on recent computers, playing in good conditions calls for:
- ✓A responsive keyboard and mouse
- ✓A good internet connection
- ✓A headset with a microphone
- ✓A monitor with a low response time (4 ms at most)
THE NINE POINTS TO REMEMBER
- Knowledge is power: patience and understanding above all.
- Aim remains the heart of the game, well before the choice of agent.
- The mental game counts as much as the mechanics.
- Play your role, and let the others play theirs.
- Learn to use the vast majority of the weapons.
- Know your maps by heart, blind spots included.
- Manage your economy: one eco round can save three.
- Communicate precise information, not just emotions.
- Responsive gear does not win games, but it keeps you from losing them stupidly.
