Despite being a fairly young game, Valorant has a pretty huge player count. As of 2023, there are more than 15 million active players. Have you been stuck with an Iron ranking for some time now? After a certain point, you can’t blame second-rate support for not progressing any further. Ultimately, your training regimen and pre-game routine probably needs polishing up. Wondering how the pros prepare for battle? We’ve got you covered.
Work On Your Aim
Valorant is a first-person shooter, so you don’t stand a chance in hell of doing well if your aim is off. You only need to look to star players like Tyson “TenZ” Ngo from Sentinels to see just what’s possible with a little practice. Thankfully, there are many different training options for players who need to refine their aim.
If bot aim trainers aren’t a core part of your pre-game training regimen, now’s the time to introduce them. Perfect for when you need to practice with a moving target, bot aim trainers can be heavily tailored to exacting requirements. Tracking training is something else to consider. Here, your goal is to keep your crosshair locked on a moving target for as long as possible. Good tracking ability not only helps you predict the path of an enemy, it also makes it easier to handle rapid-fire weapons like SMGs.
What About Warm-Ups?
As with standard sports, many competitive gamers feel the need to engage in a few warm-up matches before taking to a tournament stage. Even if you’re a casual player who only ever plays with friends online, it’s best to return to Valorant after a spell of inactivity on the tail of a few warm-up matches. Is your aim suffering? Are you drawing a blank when trying to remember callouts? Warm-up games are vital for letting you know exactly which areas you should be focusing on.
Scrims and Custom Games
If you’re in desperate need of a warm up, setting aside some time for a practice game is a must. Rather than test your mettle against lower-skilled opponents, you can play against high-powered enemies in a controlled virtual environment. You can even load your custom game with bots to test specific skills. Concerned about what a recent game update means for your finely-tuned strategies? Once you’ve read through the patch notes, make sure you’re testing the waters with a custom game before taking on your opponents for real.
For more experienced players, there are also scrims. These practice matches are generally arranged between established teams. Even though scrims aren’t ranked, they’re still highly structured. If you’re keen to experiment with fresh tactics or dust off your communication skills after a period of digital downtime, they’re the best way to get your team back on track.
Esports Pros Take Their Fitness Seriously
Take a look at the Valorant tournament schedule at 1337PRO.com. Every S-Tier team you can see in the fixtures will have a dedicated health and fitness program. High physical fitness levels might not seem all that relevant for video gaming, but grueling esports tournaments will test anyone’s endurance levels. Fortunately, you don’t need to spend hours in the gym everyday to get yourself tournament-ready. Minor stretching should be more than enough to ward off strains and sprains. However, your sleep schedule and daily diet should also get a review if you’re looking to climb the Valorant ranks and go pro, with both contributing to better reaction times.
Ultimately, you need to find a pre-game training regimen that works for you. While top-tier teams benefit from dedicated health and fitness coaches, the burden falls on you alone when you’re playing casually or in online leagues.
