Now is the perfect time to start playing Valorant. This first-person shooter game offers a high level of challenge, with advanced skill requirements and even more demanding limits. Newcomers to the world of Valorant may feel a little intimidated at first. That’s why we want to provide a beginner’s guide on how to play Valorant.
Don’t worry, we’re here to give you the best tips and tricks that will help improve your game, from the lowest position to becoming a skilled and outstanding player in every match.
How to Play Valorant for Beginners
1. Understand Valorant Gameplay
In every game, it is important for all players to understand the basics of the game. This also applies to beginners who have just started playing Valorant, where they need to have a solid understanding of how to play.
Each match in Valorant involves two teams, each consisting of five members. The game lasts for 24 rounds, and the team that wins 13 rounds will be the winner. Please note that each player only has one life per round.
However, if a player is shot and killed, they will be able to return to action in the next round. Teams can win by defeating members of the opposing team during the game.
One team will act as the attackers, whose goal is to find and plant a bomb known as a spike in specific locations used by the opposing team. On the other hand, the other team acts as the defenders, whose mission is to defuse the bomb and prevent the attacking team from planting it.
At the beginning of each round, players will receive a certain amount of money commonly referred to as creds. These creds are used to purchase various equipment, such as weapons, armor, and abilities. Players must use their creds wisely to support their team in order to achieve victory at the end of the game.
2. Getting to Know the Characters/Agents in Valorant
When choosing a character or Agent in Valorant, there are several things you should consider at the beginning of the game. To increase your chances of winning against the opposing team or when devising a strategy, it is important to understand the role of each Agent.
There are four main roles in Valorant: duelist, initiator, controller, and sentinel. Here is a brief overview of each role available in the game:
Duelists are Damage Per Second (DPS) roles in the game Valorant that have very high attack power. Every character in this duel category is able to survive intense battles thanks to their attacking abilities. Some examples of duelist characters include Jett, Raze, Reyna, and Phoenix.
Initiators are a role in the game that has the ability to initiate attacks and provide a number of advantages for their team over the opposing team. They are able to open up strategic areas or zones, giving them a tactical advantage. Examples of characters that fall into this category include Sova, Breach, Skye, and Kay/O.
Sentinels are characters capable of guarding an area and exploring new territories. Many of them have skills similar to support functions, such as providing healing or building walls to block access to certain areas. Among the characters in this role, we can find Sage, Killjoy, and Cypher as examples.
Controllers function as regulators. Characters who play this role are able to manage the areas they dominate. The main responsibility of this character type is to hinder the movement and vision of enemies, both in defensive and offensive situations. Some examples of controller characters are Brimstone, Viper, Omen, and Astra.
3. Understand the Basics of How to Play Valorant
After joining the game and selecting the character or agent you want to play, each player will choose an agent based on different roles. Then, you will enter the map and the first round will begin.
In each round, you will act as either the attacker or the defender, and these roles will switch in the next round. Between each round, there is a shopping phase where you can purchase weapons and abilities.
Be sure to decide on your shopping priorities first. Next, the game will continue through several rounds until one team wins.
4. Get to Know the Valorant Map Well
Valorant offers a variety of maps, each with its own unique characteristics. Among these maps are Ascent, Icebox, Haven, Split, and Breeze. When you start the game, the system will randomly select one of these five maps.
Each map has different characteristics, so it is very important to know every detail well. This includes knowledge about the ideal location to place spikes, enemy hiding places, and so on.
By understanding these maps, you can gain a deeper understanding to design effective strategies when competing.
5. Choosing Weapons According to Ability
One effective strategy for playing Valorant is to choose a weapon that suits your skills. In this game, no weapon can be considered the best in all situations, because each weapon has its own advantages depending on the conditions the player faces.
Your playstyle will determine which weapon is most appropriate to use. Many players are very fond of weapons such as the Phantom and Vandal. However, there are also other weapon options to consider, such as sidearms, SMGs, rifles, snipers, heavy weapons, and shotguns. For example, the Ghost is a weapon that deals high damage with accurate shots.
This weapon is very effective in pistol rounds or when fighting at long range. On the other hand, if you are in a round with limited credits, weapons such as the Spectre can be a good choice, as they have satisfactory firing speed and damage and are easy to use.
However, if you have enough creds, weapons such as the Phantom or Vandal are worth choosing, as they are the rifles with the highest damage available in Valorant.
6. Learn the Mechanics of Shooting in Valorant
Although it is a first-person shooter (FPS) game, Valorant has unique gameplay mechanics that set it apart from many other FPS games. To play well in Valorant, one of the main keys is shooting with precision.
Make sure your character does not move—either running or walking—as this will cause your shots to miss the target. To overcome this problem, it is important for you to learn the counter-strafing technique. This technique allows your moving character to stop instantly.
The method is quite simple: just press the opposite direction button from the one you are currently using. For example, if you are moving left with the A button, press D briefly to stop your movement.
Regarding weapons, most rifles in Valorant, except for Spectre, have different recoil and random firing patterns. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not fire continuously until you run out of ammunition; it is better to fire a few shots at the beginning.
