Valorant is a free-to-play first-person shooter game that has taken off in its own right after many comparisons with games of a similar structure. Developed and published by Riot Games, Valorant takes the 5v5 competitive shooter game and turns it on its head by making the game more welcoming to new players of the genre.  

With its exposure to Twitch before it was launched, Valorant has performed well above expectations and is on its way to becoming a legitimate esports contender this year. The fast-paced game offers many characters to play with and different game modes to choose from. 

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Learning how to duel and work in a team is essential to be successful in this game. Up next, we’re going to tell you more about how to play Valorant and the things you need to know to become an expert in the game.

Valorant - Discover The Best Tips, How To Get VP, RP And More
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What Is Valorant?

For many first-person shooter fans, Valorant is a combination of many popular FPS games. The creators have taken popular parts of those games, thrown them in a casserole dish, and cooked them up so that the game is different than all of the parts that went into it.

Valorant - Discover The Best Tips, How To Get VP, RP And More
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Players will be playing with and against other players in matches that pit two teams of five against each other. Each team will get to play either an attacker or defender. The attacking team will need to plant the Spike and protect it from being defused, while the defending team will do their best to eliminate the attacking team and defuse the Spike before time runs out. 

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Another way of winning the round is to eliminate all the members of the team. Each match will have 25 rounds, and the team that wins 13 rounds also wins the entire game.

How To Download

As mentioned, Valorant is free to play, so you can immediately download the game from the official website. As long as you meet the minimum requirements for the game, you can play the game smoothly.

To download the game, head over to the official website and click on Play Now. It will prompt you to sign in through your Riot account, and the launcher will begin downloading the game. Wait for the game to be fully downloaded and installed, then launch Valorant and start playing the tutorial.

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Features Of Valorant

Valorant offers a lot of features to its players. One of the significant features is the wide variety of characters known as Agents. Each Agent has unique abilities that can help you turn the tide of battles and win your games in many different ways. 

Valorant - Discover The Best Tips, How To Get VP, RP And More
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Some of these agents can create distractions, while others can create shrouds to hide you and your teammates from the enemy. Some Agents focus on supporting your team by healing them or providing your team with vision and information. 

Meanwhile, other Agents are meant to deal pure damage to end the match as quickly as possible.

Game Modes

Valorant has a myriad of game modes for players to enjoy. The Standard Plant/Defuse is one of the most popular game modes wherein players choose to play an Attacker or Defender. Players also get to choose whether they want to play this game in Normal mode or competitively through the Ranked mode.

Spike Rush is another game mode where you get random weapons and play the usual Plant/Defuse game with other players. In Deathmatch, all 14 players will be placed on a random map while the abilities are all disabled. The player that gets to 40 kills first will win the game.

What Are Valorant Points?

Valorant Points are the premium in-game currency used for Valorant. These points are used to purchase cosmetic items such as weapon skins, weapon charms, player titles, sprays, weapon chromas, and many more. It is also used to purchase Radianite Points.

Valorant - Discover The Best Tips, How To Get VP, RP And More
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Valorant Points costs vary from region to region. The equivalent cost of purchasing a set of Valorant Points in one country or region can be different from the next, including the bonus amount of Valorant Points acquired for each set. 

For example, the lowest bundle in the UK that contains 525 VP costs £4.99; however, in North America, the lowest would cost around $4.99 and will only contain 475 VP.

How To Get VP And RP

Players can directly purchase Valorant Points through the in-game store. This is done by selecting the item that you want to buy and clicking on the Purchase icon then the Unlock icon at the confirmation screen. 

Those who have Riot Points from purchasing League of Legends cards can still use them to buy items in the game. The amount of Valorant Points will depend on the amount stated on the redeemable League of Legends card that offers Riot Points.

Learning How To Play

Valorant can be very complicated if you are new to the game. Even those who have experience playing first-person shooter games can get overwhelmed by the game’s gameplay and mechanics. 

Valorant - Discover The Best Tips, How To Get VP, RP And More
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Learning how to aim and shoot is not the only way to play Valorant. There are countless other strategies and mechanics that you need to learn to become better at the game. Here are some of the best tips to play Valorant.

The Right Way To Use Abilities

Valorant is very different from other FPS that have abilities incorporated in each character. Casting your abilities might get you killed if you are reckless in doing so. Some abilities have a delay which means that you are exposed when you cast them.

Instead, change your perspective and use your abilities as a way to augment your gunplay instead of the other way around. Abilities should enhance your playstyle as your gun is still the best way to eliminate an opponent. 

Notice that most skills in this game are geared towards disrupting your opponents or enhancing your teammates. Use your abilities the right way and at the right time for that massive play. Hold off on using your abilities all at once and take the time to understand what each skill can do to your gameplay.

Learning Angles

It comes as a no-brainer that in first-person shooter games, learning about angles and distance is an essential part of playing the game.

Valorant - Discover The Best Tips, How To Get VP, RP And More
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 A simple rule to follow, especially for beginners, is to take a step back so you can get a larger perspective of your enemy and open up more angles for you to work on. 

The further you step back, the more exposed your opponents become, especially when running towards a corner if they are hiding behind terrain.

Find a perfect spot where you can check your angles. The further you are, the more you can see someone’s arm or shoulder first to have an idea where you can land your perfect headshot. You can always practice this when you are up against your friends and put it to good use once you join ranked games.

Be Conscious Of How You Control Your Character

A lot of players tend to look down when moving around the map. This is one of the most common mistakes that many new players make. Moving around with your angle looking down will only be detrimental to your aim.

When you look down, you don’t see where you’re heading or whom you’re facing. You should always look forward and place your crosshair in front of you at all times. Ensure that your crosshair is the same height as your enemy’s head so you can easily do a headshot if you encounter some along the way.

Never try to move your character around unnecessarily. Learn how to control your character that it is only facing forward and at a certain angle and height so you can react better when a team fight erupts. It will take time for you to practice this, but as soon as it is ingrained with how you play the game, you notice a significant difference in how you play.

Running In Valorant

Many new players might be tempted to run across the map as fast as possible so they can get to the action quicker and catch their opponents off guard. In Valorant, running causes your footsteps to create noise in which your opponents can hear. This can lead you to be ambushed.

Valorant - Discover The Best Tips, How To Get VP, RP And More
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Walk instead of running. Walking might be slower, but it will make you unnoticeable from both the sound of your footsteps as well as the minimap. Walking also makes your aim more accurate.

Walking also makes it impossible for opponents to hear you coming, so you can always set up an ambush. You can even sneak in behind your enemy if you are familiar with the map.

Information is vital in this game, and the more you limit the information you give to your opponents, the more likely you have the upper hand in this game.

Staying Still

Don’t be afraid to stay still, especially when you are aiming or in a team fight. Take the time to take your shot as accurately as possible by staying still for a second or two. This might take a while for you to practice and pull off perfectly, but it is worth the time investment.

Most first-person shooter games might mean instant death for players but in Valorant, staying still means you can win trades. 

Moving around a lot will only let you lose your accuracy and many precious resources in the process. Strike a balance between moving around to reposition yourself and standing still to take your aim.

The Importance Of Buying Armor

Guns are probably the most essential part of playing Valorant, but new players should never neglect the defensive power that armor brings to a team fight. While guns are essential, buying armor is equally important for your game as well. 

Valorant - Discover The Best Tips, How To Get VP, RP And More
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You won’t be able to use your guns to their full extent if you keep on dying. 

Buying armor is always the best thing to do apart from purchasing weapons. Remember that there are two types of armor. 

The first one costs around 400 Creds, giving you 25 extra health points and lowering the damage you take by 70%, while the second type costs around 1,000 Creds and doubles the extra health from the first one.

Playing With The Right Settings

It is very tempting to jump right into the action when you start the game. If you are new to Valorant, get a feel of the game first and then set the settings to your comfort level. 

Sometimes, you might want to set the right settings following professional advice or checking how pro players set their settings.

These settings include mouse sensitivity, key assignments, and many more. Each player will have their own comfortable set of key assignments. Make good use of these assignments, so you can control your Agent well, especially when a fight breaks out.

Conclusion

Valorant is being hailed as one of the best FPS games to come out last year. It is currently building up to become one of the best esport games in the industry, with professional players transitioning to Valorant from other FPS games.

With millions of players playing the game, Valorant continues to pump out great content such as new events, new agents, new maps, and game modes to keep players interested. The free-to-play shooter is a great FPS game for fans of the genre and new players who want to try something new.