Valorant is a deeply competitive game with some really fun mechanics. At the heart of all competitive fun though, is the idea of progression. Valorant is fun while you’re improving, seeing better results and performances thanks to the time you put in. This is a big part of what makes games like this enjoyable. What happens though when that slows down? It is easy to begin to feel like you’re trapped in your rank. Like no matter what you do, you just can’t seem to get better at Valorant.
This guide covers what you need to know. On top of having your agent down and a quick reaction speed, these are the things you need to look at if you feel like you’ve stopped getting better at Valorant.
Improve Your Aim to Get Better at Valorant
The first category for improving in Valorant really is your aim. Without great aim, you’re not gonna win duels or rounds. Pretty much every single player knows this. Yet, most players struggle to ever actually technically improve at aiming in-game. So how can you go about actually getting better?
The first thing to think about is how you’re practicing. Spending some time in the practice range isn’t fun, but it is an effective way to level up your aim in Valorant. Our full guide to improving your aim is here that goes into more detail on how you can actually make good use of your time in the range. That is a big way you can get better at Valorant.
On top of that, there are some mechanics that you might actually be missing when you’re trying to improve. Flicking is a good mechanic to try and master if you’re looking to break out of a rut. This is where you ‘flick’ your crosshair to the correct position to aim before you actually shoot. This takes advantage of first shot accuracy and helps to internalize tracking.
You can work on polishing this in the practice target if you’re methodically about how you train. By turning on strafing and putting a wall into the practice range you can make a lot more progress in your games.
Game Sense
Game Sense is an odd term but one you’ll see a lot in coverage of deeply competitive games like Valorant or Overwatch. Beyond your mechanics, this is your innate knowledge and ability to read the game, then adjust tactics on the fly. It is knowing when to push, when to pull back, and when to drop your utilities to get the most value out of them. It is key for getting better at Valorant.
So how exactly do you improve this? It is about thinking tactically in-game. Out of the game you need to be analyzing how your decisions impacted the game, what went wrong, and where you can improve.
Game sense starts with mastering the minimap and figuring out how to use the location data on there to your advantage. If you’re playing holding a site, you need to know to rotate over to the other site. Paying attention to the minimap is going to help you get around teammates with bad communication.
Know Your Role to Get Better at Valorant
Roles in Valorant aren’t quite as simple as just the few categories given. Even within the categories, there are some clear roles for the different agents that have emerged. Breach and Phoenix have become entry fraggers who smoke in first. There are similar fraggers who should stay a little further back to do their role properly, like Brimstone and Omen. Those who push in between are typically Sage and Cypher. All of those characters on the surface would be pushing in, but where exactly is a bit more complicated.
There’s also a lot to be said for learning your hero inside and out to getting better at Valorant. Their abilities are one thing, but you need to consider how those abilities interact with the economy. In each round, try to make sure you’re coordinating your economic approach and thinking what will give you the most value in the next round.
Watch Higher Level Players for your Agent
This is an important thing for getting the hang of what you need to be doing. Watching higher level games and thinking through their tactics can be a big plus. It is even better though if they’re playing the same Agents that you typically use. This does make a difference, and it can show you how the top players with that agent use their kit.
Coordination to Get Better at Valorant
Coordination is really important in Valorant, but if you’re struggling to get better then you likely already know this. You might not be able to get much communication from your team, which could be holding you back a bit. Try to stay more aware of your team’s actions and play towards what they’re doing. If you’re with a bad group, then you need to follow their lead rather than have everyone taking their own approaches. Sometimes teams are too awful for communication, but in an ideal world, this would help you get better at Valorant.
Playing the right role for your agent and looking at the minimap should improve things here. However, better cooperation and more communication can always help you improve.
Economy
A lot of players in Valorant aren’t particularly effective with their economy. The idea of under-buying in certain rounds just doesn’t seem to be helping. Our full guide to the economy in Valorant is here since it is a big topic. It never hurts to re-assess your economic strategy in-game.
These steps should be helpful for you to get better at Valorant. These tips are bigger picture, they’re things to think about in-game. Rather than specific mechanics, changing the way you approach the game and your own performance can help you break through a stalemate in your improvement.
Our guides to specific maps and agents can also be a big help if you’re looking to master the basics:
- How to Get Valorant Skins – Guide
- Valorant Killjoy Guide – Abilities, Tips and Tricks
- Who is the Best Valorant Team?
- How to Counter-Strafe in Valorant
- The Best Valorant Team Composition
- Ascent Map Guide