Valorant Tips for the New Player

So, you have finally downloaded Valorant, completed the tutorial, and next is to actually play the game…. but you don’t want to get yelled at by your teammates? Here are some tips for you!

Communicate with your team!

This one might seem obvious but it’s crazy how many people don’t do it. Information is key in Valorant so if you know that the enemy team is rushing to your site, communicate that! If your Viper wall is coming down, try to remember to tell your team (I’m guilty of forgetting that one.) And if you die to Reyna in showers, that’s also worth mentioning.

Familiarize yourself with the maps

Talking about showers, it’s a good idea to clean your callouts up. If you press M (might be a different key bind for you), you can look at the map and see what different areas are called

Know when to spend or save

At the beginning of each round, you get the chance to buy stuff in the shop. This is where you buy abilities, guns, and shields. Don’t forget to buy shields! They could be the difference between you winning a fight or losing it. It’s tempting to always get the best gun possible but there’s a bit more to winning a game in Valorant. My number 1 tip is to see what your team is doing! If your team is full buying (meaning they have full shields and guns) then you should full buy too. If they are saving (meaning they are making sure they have money to full buy next round) then you should save too. If it sounds confusing, this video does a good job at explaining it!

NO STRAFING

This one is something that took a while to learn for me! I came from Apex where strafing is encouraged but unfortunately, in Valorant, you lose accuracy if you move as you shoot. The Spectre is probably the most forgiving if you like to run and gun, but if you enjoy the Vandal, stop moving!

Play with your team

If you’re attacking, it’s a good idea to stick with your team. Assuming you are new to FPS, you might not have the aim to take on two or more enemies on your own. If you lose your fight, that can create a huge disadvantage for your team and in the event that there are only a couple of enemies on site, you create a number’s advantage which is always favorable. Valorant is a team game so unless you are able to carry on your own, it’s important to play together!

WALK

One of the most frustrating things is one you are trying to push quietly, and your teammate is making noise by running. Use your shift key unless your team is rushing site. That means that unless most of your team is running, it’s a good idea to walk!

Play defensively

If your team is defending, you want one or two people on each site. Unless you feel confident that you are better than your opponent, playing a passive angle and letting them push is what I would advise! Your enemy has to check a lot of angles before entering site and you might catch them by surprise if they don't know where you are! On the other hand, you eliminate that advantage by pushing them first (although in some scenarios they might not expect the push.)

Practice your aim

Valorant has an awesome practice range with lots of options to practice your aim. Aim comes down to muscle memory, so practice is important. It’s also a good way to get used to different guns and their recoil. I personally enjoy warming up with the sheriff or guardian! It helps me focus on headshotting the bots rather than just killing them. I start on the lowest mode so I can get used to shooting their heads only. Then after a few rounds of that, I do a couple rounds on medium. I will also play a couple of deathmatches if I still have time!

Learn what the different classes do and play accordingly

Valorant is unique as an FPS in that each agent has a specific role. If you play as a duelist, your job is to enter a site. That means you will lead your team by using your abilities, gather information, and maybe kill a couple of enemies. If you die, that is okay! Your team can use that information to either choose to trade you or go to another site. Experiment with different agents and see what you enjoy playing! I am a Viper main, so I recommend learning her.

Experiment with your mouse sensitivity

Depending on what your DPI is, you might enjoy different mouse sensitivity. That is a setting you can change right in the range, so you get to also try it out right away. Try to see if you undershoot or overshoot and adjust accordingly. Don’t fall into the trap of using the same sensitivity as a pro player. They might have a different mouse, different grip, and different hand size, and then it won’t feel exactly right for you. It’s also completely okay to play with high sensitivity if you are still hitting your shots! Some people prefer playing that way.

Find the right crosshair for you

There are awesome websites that have crosshairs you can import into Valorant if you like them. You can also just make one yourself using the extensive options the game gives you. I personally changed my crosshair about five times before finding one that I really liked. Some people like bigger crosshairs while others like small ones, whatever floats your boat!

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

It’s okay to be a beginner. Part of being great at something is learning from your mistakes. At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you should have fun playing it. Experiment with new plays, learn from them, and mute toxic enemies and teammates. The Valorant community is amazing to be a part of and if you’re reading this guide, it means you are willing to be better so don’t get discouraged if you don’t ace right away :)