Hail CS2’s accuracy-focused mechanics as much as you want, but VALORANT is no less of an aiming and strategy game. Every day, many low-Elo players in the free-to-play tactical shooter question their skills whenever they lose a chunk of rating, get matched with a ‘bad team,’ or perform poorly in competitive matches. If you’re struggling to overcome VALORANT’s Elo hell, I have some advice that might help you.
Before we begin, it’s important to remember that as much as practice makes perfect, winning also requires a positive and healthy attitude. Spending hours in Aim Lab and the Practice Range won’t help if you aren’t in the right frame of mind.
Now, let’s delve into the tips, shall we?
The only VALORANT tips you need to overcome Elo hell
1) Accuracy is king
Very few VALORANT players understand the need for accuracy over speed. If you’re wondering why exercises like Aim Lab’s Gridshot or Hard Bots in the Practice Range aren’t improving your aim, here’s the reason: they’re meant to warm you up, not improve accuracy. Speedy aiming is important, but accuracy should come first if you want to climb out of Elo hell.
The perfect practice routine to improve your aim is to try the Easy and Medium Bots exercises in the Practice Range using a Sheriff and a Guardian. Don’t move on to other weapons until you can hit all 30 bots perfectly on their heads with a Sheriff and a Guardian. This routine has yielded the best results for me.
You can also practice strafing while doing these routines, but make sure not to move when you shoot. Enable the Shooting Error graph in Settings > Video > Stats to see if you’re moving while shooting or if it’s just a shooting error.
Tip: Running and gunning can be useful in certain cases, but it’s not the best habit to adopt if you’re aiming for accuracy.
It’s also important to understand where your aim is lacking. Find the perfect sensitivity for your play style. I’ve always found low sensitivity (~200 eDPI) to be the best for accuracy, but if you prefer more movement, you might want to stick to higher flexibility (~350 eDPI).
2) Clear angles with patience
Most low Elo VALORANT players don’t know how to properly clear angles. It’s crucial not to hold the “W” key when peeking an angle. Instead, use the A and D keys to clear angles.
For this, load up custom matches for every map and practice crosshair placement at common headshot angles. Make sure to clear angles individually, rather than peeking all of them at once.
Tip: Always prioritize one-vs-one fights over one-vs-x fights. Clearing angles slowly will give you a fair chance at clutching the round if needed.
3) Learn one agent… of each role
No, you shouldn’t just know one VALORANT agent. Low Elo players often like to “keep it simple” by maining one agent and then complain about not having smokes on their team. To avoid losing games, you need to learn not to lock in one agent and instead learn how to fill different roles.
Tip: It gets incredibly difficult to win games in the absence of a controller or initiator on your team. You can still manage without sentinel agents, but you’ll need to watch the flank yourself and take care of post-plant situations.
Now, before you get angry, I don’t support filling roles if you don’t know the agent. It’s important to know when and how to use an agent’s abilities effectively.
This is why you should main at least one agent from each role, rather than just one out of the 22. This way, you can fill gaps in your team and contribute to its success. Here are a couple of flexible agent collections I recommend learning that are good for almost every map:
– Jett, Skye, Omen, Cypher
– Raze, Breach, Harbor, Sage
Or, you can learn how to play without smokes or flashes.
Tip: Remember the golden rule: you can’t complain if you instalock.
4) Improve your utility usage and know how to counter
Having impeccable crosshair placement is great, but if you don’t know how to play to your agent’s strengths or make good decisions with abilities, it’ll be hard to climb out of VALORANT’s Elo hell.
In lower ranks, aim plays a significant role, but if you want to consistently win games and climb the ranked ladder, you must also focus on using your utility effectively.
Tip: No agent is ‘weak’ if the player knows how to utilize their full potential.
If you’re Jett, make space for your team by smoking and dashing in. If you’re Omen, smoke chokepoints for your team and time it properly. If you’re Sova, use your Recon Dart and Owl Drone to initiate your team’s moves. And as a sentinel, watch the flank or help your team hold the space they’ve taken control of.
At the same time, you need to know how to counter your enemies’ utility usage. Don’t challenge something you can’t handle. Call for a rotation, unite for a retake, or plan a proper counter.
Tip: Solo queueing isn’t bad, but having a duo or even a trio can make VALORANT’s ranked experience easier and more enjoyable.
5) Communication is key
You can’t escape VALORANT’s Elo hell if you’re not a good communicator. Remember that it’s a team game, and winning games without crucial information is difficult, especially without an initiator on your team.
Don’t think of any call as “useless.” Every piece of information can be valuable to your team. Even if you see an enemy’s position while spectating a mute teammate, announce it on the mic. Every little call helps.
Tip: Don’t demean your teammates or think of them as idiots. It’s better to guide them and build a positive atmosphere for a better chance of winning.
These tips can help you separate yourself from low Elo players and improve your ranking in VALORANT.
VALORANT, Elo hell, aiming, strategy, accuracy, crosshair placement, utility usage, communication