How To Control Recoil in Valorant

Valorant Training
This knowledge will change your view of the game | © reddit.com

Have you been firing warning shots instead of killing your enemies over the past few matches? Here are some tips on how to improve your aim.

We all know that Valorant is not only about shooting, but also about tactics and outsmarting your opponents. However, weapons are the primary tool to execute our strategies, so we need to know how to use them. The core aspect of controlling weapons in Valorant is understanding their recoil patterns, and that's what we're going to talk about today.

Recoil Pattern Definition

Recoil Pattern is the way bullets go when firing a continuous series. In short, if you aim at a wall and press the left mouse button, you will see the exact pattern of the weapon you are using. Each weapon in Valorant has its unique recoil pattern. For example, let's look at the Vandal:

Valorant Vandal Pattern
Vandal's Recoil Pattern | © Riot Games

Some of you may be familiar with this specific pattern from other FPS games like Counter-Strike or Battlefield. As you can see, Vandal's recoil first goes up slightly and then turns left. That's how many beginners score headshots — they have their crosshairs set low, and then the spray goes up and kills their opponent with a headshot. But that's not it's supposed to go.

How To Control Recoil in Valorant?

The rules for controlling weapon recoil in Valorant are similar to those in most FPS games. To manage any weapon spray, you need to move the mouse in the opposite direction than the pattern suggests, with appropriate speed and accuracy. Again, let's use the Vandal example — when the spray goes up, you have to move the mouse down, and when it turns left, you move it right... and that's how you hit the exact point where your crosshair is. This is how the principles for recoil control look like for every single weapon in Valorant.

The Best Way To Learn Recoil Patterns

The most effective way to learn to control recoil patterns in Valorant (and pretty much any other FPS game) is to play the game regularly. You may have even managed to get a good rank without knowing the term “recoil pattern”. That's because you have taught your muscle memory the specific mouse movements needed to score frags with a particular weapon, and now you do it subconsciously.

Even if you have a busy schedule, try to find time to play Deathmatch or Spike Rush to constantly remind your muscle memory of what you need to do to score headshots. In any sport, consistency is key, and it's no different in esports.

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Szymon Bielawski

I've been into competitive gaming and eSports since I was a kid. I started out in the local CS:GO scene and ended up performing at the international major tournaments like Hearthstone Masters Tour. The competitive gaming world discovered a new...