Summary
Since its release in 2020,Valorant’spopularity has consistently been skyrocketing, with it attracting millions of new players every year. There are many factors behind its massive success, but undoubtedly the biggest reason for this continuous influx of players is the incredibly active development team, which is constantly working to improve the game and grow its community. WhenValorantfirst launched, it offered only a handful of agents and maps, but now, players canchoose from over 20 charactersand explore a whole catalog of unique arenas.
While the addition of new maps, agents, and the evolving meta feels seamless for veteran players, it can be highly overwhelming for beginners, especially those new to FPS games. Understanding the gunplay mechanics, mastering character abilities, and keeping up with the ever-changing meta can feel like a daunting task. But beginners shouldn’t fret, as there are several tips and tricks that they can use to significantly improve their gameplay, giving them a huge head start on their journey to Radiant.
6Optimize the Game Settings
Picking The Right Settings Can Make A World Of Difference
A big mistake beginner players make when playingValorantis ignoring the Settings menu. This is understandable, as opening this menu can be a little intimidating, seeing how many different options are inside, coupled with technical jargon that’s not so easy to understand. However, the Settings menu can work as an incredibly useful tool that, if used correctly, can immediately improve a player’s in-game performance.
Despite there being a boatload of options in the menu, the only thing beginner players need to worry about is theirVideo, Audio, Sensitivity, Map, and Controller Settings (for console players). It will take time and a lot of experimenting to get these settings right, but it’ll be more than worth it in the end, as this can give beginners a guaranteed improvement in their performance.
5Get a Better Crosshair
The Default Is Not Good Enough
For a new player, the defaultValorantcrosshair may seem perfectly fine to use; in fact, the crosshair may not even seem all that important to the gameplay. However, seasoned players know just how much of a difference the crosshair makes and how terrible the default one is. It’s gratuitously large, making it difficult to place it on the enemy’s tiny head, and it expands with the gun’s recoil, throwing off the player’s aim as they’re spraying their gun.
Therefore, getting a better crosshair is a quick and incredibly easy way for beginner players to improve their aim and consistently start hitting nasty one-taps. Luckily, they don’t even need to go through the hassle of creating a new crosshair from scratch, as there’s an option in the Settings menu toimport pre-made crosshairsby simply pasting their code.
Crosshair codes are abundant on the internet. Asite like VCRDBcan be useful.
4Practice Your Movement
It Is Not Just About Having A Good Aim
It’s not uncommon to see beginnerValorantplayers solely focus on improving their aim while entirely neglecting their movement. From an inexperienced point of view, it seems like aim is the name of the game, and every other mechanic isn’t nearly as important. However, this couldn’t be far from the truth as aim and movement go hand in hand inValorant.
In fact, movement may even take precedence over aim, especially at higher ranks. At these ranks, practically everyone has good aim, so movement ends up being the deciding factor in gunfights. If a beginner player focuses on practicing their strafing, jiggling, jump-spotting, crouch-peeking, and other movement patterns right off the bat, they’ll be able tobreeze through the lower ranksand leave their peers in the dust.
Deathmatch is the perfect place to practice movement since it offers uninterrupted, continuous gunfights. Before queuing up for a competitive match, players should always hop in a Deathmatch and practice the different aspects of their movement.
3Always Keep an Eye on the Minimap
The Radar Is A Valuable Tool That Is Packed With Useful Information
Not paying attention to the minimap is probably the most common mistake new players make inValorant, and it might also be the biggest one. The minimap, sometimes called the radar, or simply “the map,” is that little box in the top-left corner of the HUD. At first glance, it might seem like it’s just there to help players get a sense of the map’s layout, but it does so much more.
Simply put, the minimap is the player’s best friend during matches. It shows where their teammates are, where utility is being used, where enemies have been spotted, and where people have been eliminated. The amount of crucial information packed into this tiny corner of the screen is unbelievable. With a quick glance, players can figure out weaknesses in their team’s (or opponent’s) defense, where enemies are likely to attack, where abilities should be used, how totake a bombsite, and more.
Of course, there’s a bit of a learning curve with the minimap. It takes time and practice for beginners to understand how to infer valuable information from it fully. Once somebody gets the hang of it, it will improve their game sense dramatically, allowing them to outplay their opponents without breaking a sweat.
2Find Your Perfect Role
Become A Master Of One
Considering how many different agents are inValorant, with new characters being added every few months or so, it might seem like the best approach for a rookie is to try out all of them and become a jack of all trades. However, beginners must remember that a jack of all trades is a master of none. For rookie players wanting to improve quickly, it’s paramount that theyfigure out whichValorantagent role suits them best.
Some players may find the aggressive, fast-paced nature of the Duelist role alluring, whereas others may prefer the more strategic andsneaky play-style of the Controller role.
Once a player has figured that out, the next step is to find out which agent within that role matches their playstyle, while keeping the game’s meta in mind. Mastering one agent and nailing their playstyle and abilities is a highly effective way for new players to become consistent in their gameplay. As they become more comfortable, they can then expand their repertoire by learning additional agents, ultimately building a whole selection of agents to choose from.
1Manage Your Economy
Build Towards A Full Buy
Few things are more frustrating inValorantthan starting a round completely broke, without enough money to buy a Vandal, Phantom, or even a Guardian. This is often the result of poor economic management, which is a crucial aspect of the game that can make or break a match.
The economy system inValorantis fairly straightforward; players earn money by winning rounds, getting eliminations, and planting/defusing the spike. This money is then used to buy weapons, armor, and abilities. The key to good economy management is ensuring that the team can “Full Buy” (buy proper weapons, heavy shields, and all abilities) in as many rounds as possible. While this may sound tricky, it’s actually quite simple. During each Buy Phase, players should check the team’s economy. If the credits are too low for a Full Buy, the team should either save their credits or opt for a “Half Buy” (cheaper weapons, light shields, and basic abilities).
To make things convenient, the Buy Menu shows the minimum amount of credits players will have in the next round, making it easy to decide how much to spend. Mastering economy management is a surefire way for beginners to get better results, as it decreases the number of handicapped rounds in a single match.
