If you follow me on Instagram or have an account on this site you probably have aspirations of going pro, reaching Radiant, or just getting better at VALORANT in general. The path is different for everyone but I've grouped some tips and focus points based on your current matchmaking rank.
Before I get into the specifics of what you should be working on based on your rank I want to touch on mentality. One thing that every player can work is their mental fortitude. Having a strong mental will go a long way in everything you do, in and out of the game. I often get messages or read comments about how players get tilted and they can't focus, or someone on their team is a bad teammate and they are causing them to lose RR (Rank Rating), and so on... These are literally just excuses. You are making up excuses for your poor performance, or the L you just took. You need to change the way you think.
So let's start with the facts. You're going to win games and you're also going to lose games. You are going to miss shots, you're going to make bad decisions, you're gonna be inconsistent and play really good 1 match and like doo-doo the next. How you handle all this will decide how fast you progress as a player. If you're using your energy to be toxic, mad at teammates or yourself, you're just wasting your time. Being negative in no way, shape or form helps you win games, or get better.
Your energy should be focused on getting better individually when you're playing matchmaking. In VALORANT it's extremely hard to carry a game, especially if you are playing in the rank you belong in. There are also many ways you can contribute to a team environment if you're not getting kills. You can support teammates with utility, communicate effectively, cheer your teammates on, and gas them up. It's not always about how many kills you got.
If you let your emotions get the best of you when gaming here's a tweet I saw that I hope helps.
I found this image and it's interesting to see the ranked distribution. If you're in Iron, Bronze, Silver, or Gold you're in the general population of players, and this is a good thing. It means there's tons of room for improvement than if you are already Immortal/Radiant.
1 more thing before I get into the details of what each rank should be focused on! Let's recap my Top 5 Tips To Get Better At VALORANT.
Play a lot
Don't worry about your rank
Play with purpose
Always refine your mechanical skill
Play 1 agent
Live by these 5 tips. The only one that might not apply when you've reached Immortal/Radiant is playing 1 agent. The other 4 stay true.
Iron
HAVE FUN! You're in the lowest possible matchmaking rank and you shouldn't be taking it too seriously.
Find the right sensitivity and train your mechanical skill daily. 10-15 minutes a day will go a long way over an extended period of time. If you haven't read my Beginner Guide To Aiming that's where you should start.
Learn the maps and the call-outs. When you're in-game press CAPS LOCK and you'll see a 2D overview of the map along with the call-outs.
Learn what each agent's abilities are. The easiest way to do this is to load up a custom game, turn on cheats and give yourself unlimited abilities and money to run around. You can also change agent in the Cheats menu.
Practice using your abilities and make sure you get used to pressing the keys on your keyboard or mouse quickly.
Play Unrated, Spike Rush, and Deathmatch a lot! There's no pressure in these games and they are geared towards having fun, which should be your primary goal in this rank.
Bronze/Silver
Continue to train your mechanical skill daily.
By now you should have picked your main agent. Practice getting really good with that agent. If you haven't picked a main yet check out How To Choose Your VALORANT Class/Agent.
DO NOT BUY EVERY ROUND! I noticed players in Bronze, Silver, and Gold buy almost every round. If you can't afford a rifle + half shields (at a minimum) SAVE for the next round.
Practice your VALORANT Movement Fundamentals in Deathmatch every day.
Use the Phantom over the Vandal. The Phantom is much more forgiving and you can control the recoil of the weapon a lot easier than a Vandal. You will probably notice you're more consistent in getting kills.
Gold/Platinum
Start diving into the meta. I have a guide coming soon explaining this more but essentially you want to understand how agents are utilized, how maps are played on defense and attack at the most basic level.
Make sure you're playing your agent to the meta. If you're playing a Duelist, get in there and entry frag. If you're playing a Sentinel, get your lurk on but don't bait your whole team every round.
Continue working on your movement but start to prioritize Crosshair Placement and putting yourself in good positions to get kills.
Continue to use the Phantom over the Vandal. Again, a much more forgiving weapon if you miss.
Diamond
If you were communicating effectively in your previous ranks, continue to do this. If you weren't, prioritize communication going forward. Make sure to read VALRAONT Communication 101.
Make sure you're using teamwork to win rounds. You need to start utilizing Crossfires, Contacts, And Baits.
You will greatly benefit from VOD reviewing at this rank and on. If you've never done a VOD review, check out my Beginner VOD Review Guide.
Immortal/Radiant
You should have your fundamentals down by this rank, and you'll need to work on your game sense. More specifically, what to do when something happens, or what to do when you have a read on the game. The game will become more like chess because, at the highest ranks, most players have close to or similar mechanical skills, the only thing separating them is game sense.
Play to secure rounds. If you want to play on a team or in tournaments you need to make sure you're doing what you can to win the round. There are A LOT of bad habits that get picked up from playing ranked that will not work in a real match such as wide-swinging, pushing every chance you get, and peeking 1 by 1.
Focus on your mental fortitude. When you reach Immortal you obviously want to try and get Radiant, but at what cost? If you're getting angry cause you're losing games then you need to take a step back. If you're truly a Radiant skilled player, you will eventually hit that rank. It's only a matter of time.
I hope this helps you on your matchmaking journey. Leave me any comments or questions on this post and I'll respond whenever I get a chance.