Do you frequently die while peeking at angles or get headshot by an enemy swinging, halting your rank advancement? Well, I am sorry, but your movement probably sucks.
As with any other first-person shooter, aim and movement go hand in hand in making you a better player. It is one of the most important mechanics to master in order to progress.
Fret not, as this guide will cover all the things you need to know to improve your movement in Valorant. From drills to in-game scenarios, we’ve got you covered.
Fundamentals of Good Movement in Valorant
To develop good movement habits, you must first master the fundamentals. Continuous drills make these habits second nature, allowing you to outperform most average players. Here are the fundamentals you must master in order to improve your movement and rank up.
1. Holding Angles
Before moving on to more advanced mechanics such as jiggle peeking and wide swings. You must learn how to hold angles correctly.
A player with good angle-holding ability often makes the opponent think twice before peeking. That’s the type of player you’re aiming to become.
Surprisingly, it is relatively simple to master. To hold angles like a pro, you must have good crosshair placement. This means always keeping your crosshair at head level. This allows you to headshot the target with only minor adjustments.
There are essentially two main peeks you need to be wary of: The wide peek, also known as the wide swing, and the short peek. A wide peek means the enemy swings across the angle and then shoots you, and a short peek means the enemy peeks close to the angle.
So, keep your crosshair in the center, not too wide or too short. This makes you kill the enemy with a simple micro-adjustment. However, this also depends on how the enemy team is playing.
If the opponent frequently rushes and plays aggressively, holding wide is preferable. And if they’re playing more passively, holding closer is preferable.
Practice Holding Angles in Deathmatches
You can practice this movement guide easily in Valorant by queuing into Deathmatch and just holding angles. You may die a lot at first, but after a while, you will get the timing right.
Another thing to keep in mind is the role or agent you play. Sentinels and Controllers should often avoid playing aggressive angles. Whereas Duelists and Initiators can benefit from being aggressive.
2. Peeking and Clearing Angles
Now that you’ve mastered the art of holding angles efficiently, it is time to learn how to clear them. The first thing you need to do is load into a private match and go around the map, walking and clearing all the angles.
This will develop your habit of checking all angles and help you get killed less by camping enemies. But this is just half of what clearing means.
The other thing you need to master is peeking. As I said above, there’s a wide and a short peek. Just try to mix them up to keep the enemy guessing how you are going to peek.
The two other peeks to know about are the jiggle peek and the jump spot. Jiggle-peek is the most useful of them all. It allows you to gather information without dying.
To jiggle-peek, take your knife and line up with the wall you want to peek from, then quickly peek and move back to safety.
Practice Peeking and Clearing Angles in the Practice Range
You can practice this in the practice range. Simply line up against a wall and attempt to jiggle-peek the bots. You can take it a step further by incorporating shooting. You must, however, perfect the timing. Begin slowly and gradually increase your speed.
Jumpspotting is similar to spotting but involves jumping and strafing. Simply align with the angle, then jump, peek, and strafe back to safety. This, like the jiggle peek, can be practiced in the range.
3. Strafing
Strafing has been part of first-person shooters from the beginning. It is the most vital thing to master for having good movement.
Strafing means moving left and right quickly and shooting while staying accurate.
To elaborate more, you move left and right, then stop just for a moment and shoot, and repeat this in a cycle.
Practice Strafing in the Practice Range and Deathmatches
It is easier said than done because you need to nail down the timing perfectly. The perfect drill to master this is plain and simple. Hop into the range, aim at the bot, move left or right, stop, and then shoot.
Once you’ve mastered this, enter a Deathmatch and purchase a guardian. Strafe left and right, attempting to headshot the enemy. Concentrate solely on getting headshots. Slow down if your gun is becoming inaccurate.
You may die a lot at first, which can be frustrating, but to master strafing, you must be persistent.
Related: (Patch 6.08) The Best Valorant Agents to Use in the Current Meta!
Habits to Break for Improving Movement in Valorant
Now that you know the essentials of movement in Valorant, let me also guide you about some habits you need to break. Most lower-ranked players have these routines, which prevent them from ranking up.
1. Crouch Shooting
Shooting and controlling recoil is easier while crouching. As a result, it becomes a habit. However, you also become a sitting duck for the enemy. As your hitbox shrinks, it becomes easier to hit your head. Avoiding crouch shooting is one of the best tips for beginners to improve.
Furthermore, once crouched, you are fully committed to the duel and cannot retreat to safety. Crouch only when you are in close quarters with the enemy and about to commit to a full spray. Otherwise, try to implement strafing.
2. Running and Shooting
The other habit is running and shooting. Now, this seems pretty simple, but even good players sometimes make this mistake. While moving, your gun becomes highly inaccurate, so it is best to stop and shoot.
This habit automatically goes away when you master strafing. The only time you should run and shoot is when using a shotgun or an SMG.
3. Don’t Always Keep Running or Walking
Finally, understand when to run and when to walk. Most of the time, players stomp across the map, giving away free information. This allows the enemy to easily predict your movements. Try to shift walk when you are approaching a site or an enemy.
However, walking every time is not recommended either. Because it can cause you to be late for rotations, and you may end up losing simply because you were slow to rotate.
So, know when you have to run and when you should walk, depending on the game scenario.
Conclusion
Movement in Valorant may appear to be a tedious mechanic to master, and to be honest, it can be. However, if you want to reach your desired rank, you must incorporate movement drills into your routine. And that’s exactly why I tried to make a comprehensive Valorant movement guide
A player with great aim but poor movement is worse than a player with decent aim but good movement. The movement goes hand in hand with aiming and is frequently the reason you win fights.
I can’t tell you how many enemies I’ve killed simply by moving and strafing more effectively. So yeah, do implement these tips and experience your gameplay going up a notch!
