Tips to Rank Up in Valorant: Valorant is an extremely competitive game by nature. More often than not, it’s ranked system tends to be quite unforgiving. Many players find themselves hard stuck in a certain rank – right from Iron, to Gold, to Diamond. Dealing with boosted accounts, smurfs and toxicity can make it really hard to rank up in Valorant. But maybe it’d be different if you changed your approach to the game.
Sharpen your claws–and your aim. Tigris is ready to join your collection. Leaves Feb 16. pic.twitter.com/7OGLYQjre0
— VALORANT (@VALORANT) February 2, 2022
Top 5 Tips to Rank Up if Hardstuck in Valorant:
Here’s 5 tips to help you rank up in Valorant – while improving technical skills and other aspects in the game:
1. Don’t Solo Queue: Hardstuck in Valorant
If you’re looking to rank up in Valorant, the quickest way to do it is to find people to queue with you. Solo queuing is highly inefficient, since it makes your matchmaking inconsistent. Additionally, you may not have effective communication with 4 other random players on your team. Valorant relies on teamwork the most – which is extremely hard to coordinate when you’re solo queuing.
Several pros and content creators have also addressed this issue – and they don’t recommend solo queuing at all. Finding a consistent duo/group of friends to play with can take you a long way. It will make communicating in game a much easier experience. You’re much less likely to get tilted by toxic teammates when you have someone in your party too. Not only does it help you rank up, but it also makes the game much more fun to play.
2. Crouching vs Counter-Strafing
Crouching refers to using the crouch function while taking duels in the game. While crouching was very effective in other FPS games like CS: GO, it can do you more harm than good in Valorant. The first bullet accuracy while crouching is highly inconsistent – so if you do want to crouch spray, the best time to do it is mid-spray. This especially applies in a lower elo, where your opponents may not have the best aim. Crouching just makes it easier for them to hit your head, and rewards bad crosshair placement.
Instead, counter strafing is a technique with a much higher success rate when you’re taking duels. It essentially refers to a method of shooting more accurately while moving/repositioning at the same time. Between positions, you’d stand still while taking the first shot to exploit Valorant’s 100% first bullet accuracy. However, crouching isn’t always bad either. It can be helpful when you know exactly where an enemy is or when you’re in a 1v1 duel. It all depends on reading the situation correctly.
3. Tapping vs Bursting vs Spraying: Hardstuck in Valorant
Sometimes, it isn’t your crosshair placement that’s the issue. Choosing how to shoot in specific situations can make a huge difference.
Tapping refers to shooting single bullets in succession. It works best in long-range fights, especially with guns like the Vandal and the Guardian. Bursting is a style that uses around 2-5 bullet sprays consecutively. The Stinger and Bulldog are the guns most compatible with this method. Lastly, spraying simply refers to continuously shooting bullets. Guns like the Phantom and the Spectre have the best sprays in game. However, spraying is usually good only in close range fights, and you need to be able to control recoil to effectively spray.
When deciding which technique to use, there are a lot of factors you need to consider. These mostly include the range of the fight, the gun you have and what mechanics work the best for you. With practice and variation, you’ll learn to read the situation correctly and select which method to use in no time.
4. Communication: Hardstuck in Valorant
Although it sounds generic, communication is certainly one of the most important aspects of Valorant. Since the game heavily relies on teamwork, being able to deliver good comms can be a game-changer. Having good callouts for opponent’s locations, communicating to coordinate utility usage and much more is usually the differentiating factor between the team that wins and loses.
Communicating also truly helps develop your overall game sense. In case you find yourself stuck in a lobby full of no comments, try not to get tilted. Continue giving your callouts, since those will still help your teammates. And as I mentioned earlier, try not to solo queue so that you don’t find yourself in these situations.
5. Try New Things
Lastly, don’t be afraid to try new things in game. In case you aren’t having a good run with a particular agent, test out new agents and see if you like their playstyles. You may think certain agents are boring. But, actually playing them and doing new things with their abilities can prove to be really fun.
Watch popular content creators and pros and try to recreate new things that they do in game. It’ll help you develop a better sense of the game. In addition, you may also catch your opponents off guard with new combinations and setups.
Let us know if these steps helped you, and good luck ranking up in Valorant!
