What is Valorant and how does it play?
Before we suggest useful tips and tricks, you should be aware of what you are getting yourself into with Valorant. That alone will give you an advantage over other newcomers in the first few laps. In terms of gameplay, the tactical shooter from Riot Games is heavily based on its competitor Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.
In standard mode, two teams of five players each compete against each other. The attackers have to place the so-called spike (the bomb) on one of the bomb sites and the defenders have to prevent that.
Before the new round starts, you buy equipment such as weapons, armor, or skills. You will keep this if you survive the next round. You receive credits, for example, for a round win, kills, or placing the spike.
By the way: If you have decided on an agent at the beginning of the match, you cannot change him later. Although there are many different skills, the bottom line is how good you are with the weapons. Below we provide you with tips that will make every player better.
Exercise patience!
Valorant is not a fast hero shooter and in no way comparable to Overwatch or Paladins. So be patient and above all move slowly and quietly over the map. Hold down the Shift key while walking (default setting) to silence your steps.
If the opponent knows where you are approaching from, you have as good as lost the duel. Many defenders also make the mistake of pushing out of cover too quickly. You have to defend the bomb sites and have an advantage because the enemy has to act.
More precision when shootin
All weapons are more precise when you stand still. Some shotguns or machine guns fire bullets even more accurately if you also crouch. In general, we can give you the tip to reduce the sensitivity of your mouse properly. There are very often "1-on-1" duels or firefights at medium distances, where a high DPI will only prevent you from aiming.
You should also avoid "spraying" and only use the zoom or sight of the weapon in rare cases (right-click). If you play mostly fully automatic weapons, you can try out the weapons on the training ground and memorize the “spray patterns”.
Skills rarely lead to a kill
The skills of agents are rarely fatal and are more used to support the team or to carry out your role. Raze's frag grenade, for example, gets a kill every now and then because of the high damage, but you should use such abilities to lure opponents out of cover or to gain valuable seconds on the clock and keep enemies at a distance.
Know and play the role of your agent
The fifteen agents are divided into four categories and thus perform corresponding roles: duelist, initiator, tactician, guard. It will surely have been a few hours of play by the time you have found your favorite agent.
You should therefore always be aware of the role of your character and adapt your playstyle accordingly. It makes little sense to choose a support agent like Sage and then die first in the hail of bullets. This means that your team does not heal and you lose a decisive advantage.
Communicate with your team!
Communication is half the battle; you will notice that in "Ranked" mode at the latest, you don't necessarily have to use voice chat if you don't want to. You can and should always ping danger or a dropped spike for allies.
Before the start of the round in the buying phase, you can click to ask to buy a weapon or reply to a request from another ally. You can also signal to the team that you have a lot of credits or that you want to save this round (“eco” round).