You’ll make a mistake in every single VALORANT match throughout your gaming career. The trick is limiting the amount and the severity of your errors.
There are countless common mistakes a player can make in VALORANT. While I’ve never made a single one, I guarantee you’ll die a lot less if you keep these tips in the back of your mind while you play. Don’t expect too much instantly. Fixing mistakes takes time, so if you’re still struggling to see results immediately, keep at it.
Most common VALORANT mistakes and how to fix them
1) Not clearing angles as you push
While some angles simply cannot be cleared by one person as it leaves can heavily impact the flow of a push onto the site, you must clear your corners. An opponent will capitalize on this and it’ll obliterate any push your team is trying to do.
This tip doesn’t only involve making sure no one is behind a corner. But, I’m also talking about focusing on your crosshairs as you clear them. Too many times will a player go into auto-pilot and clear corners, relying on fast muscle movements to flick to their head.
As you climb the ranks you can learn on your auto-pilot mode more. The way to combat this is by literally staring at the center of your crosshair and clearing out these angles slowly.
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I suggest going into a Deathmatch and practicing clearing a line of entry over and over again. As for not clearing corners entirely, start doing that. Or if you’re going after your entry player, clear the angle after they’ve gone beyond it to ensure it’s safe.
2) Aiming down sight
Aiming down your weapon sight is effective in certain situations. It can be great for holding longer distances and incredibly thin angles. But don’t forget, it’s harder to quickly escape, and your spray completely changes.
My solution is to not use it for several matches to get you into the habit of using iron sights. Honing your aim without using ADS is going to benefit your game in the long run.
If you’re not an operator user, unbind it.
3) Overextending
This is an issue even higher ranks encounter. While pushing fast after taking down an enemy is sometimes the perfect play to collapse onto a site, there is always the chance you’ve run in before your teammates have the time to react.
Once you’ve achieved that almighty first pick, you’ve positioned yourself into a five-on-four. Now you have this advantage, it’s best to communicate with your squad before flying out without backup.
4) Not thinking about noise
Your noise is easily heard within the radius shown on the minimap. Taking note of where you and your teammates are is the best way to know when to make a noise.
If you’re in a position where you’re trying to deny information, things like reloading, jumping, landing, and taking a small step can all ruin your push.
This is something that can be honed as you climb the rankings, but always keep in mind that opponents gather plenty of information based on noise. Focusing on the ring that appears in your minimap is the best way to wrap your head around VALORANT’s noise mechanics and how much of a racket you’re really making.
