Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of playing alone, with a duo, or with a full group in Valorant.
The competitive community in Valorant have asked Riot to split solo queue and duo/squad queue. Riot has responded to the community by stressing the importance of the single queue system and its new tweaks and improvements. By mitigating long queue times and adjusting ranks post game with more accurate and consistent changes, players can expect to have a better experience when playing Valorant alone or with a group.
Playing Solo Queue
Playing Valorant in a solo queue can sometimes be inconsistent and debilitating. The wide rank gaps that can sometimes happen in your games along with teams being compiled in ways that lead to lopsided games can frustrate players who want the competitive experience without drama or commitments. Some players have expressed their opinions of closing the gap to allow for a more competitive power struggle inside of your rank with more games needed to rank up or down. I think ideas like this are for the benefit of the community and should be explored. But until Riot starts to loosen their stance on competitive queues and split the solo and grouped ranks, here are some things you can do to make the best of your experience as a solo player!
- Play at a consistent time each day to try and catch players you can get queued with or have match history against. The more you know the players on your queue time, the more consistent experience you can have.
- Think about what characters are your strongest and how they fit inside of the meta.
- Map rotations have been fixed so you will not get the same map too often. Use this new map rotation to sharpen your skills and learn from other players to close weak areas off or learn new tips
Playing in a Group
Playing with other people you know have complementary skill sets and Agent pools is the best way to gain rating and ranks in Valorant. Most players are open to adding new players who help make their gaming experience more fun and competitive as long as you are open to healthy communication and playing as a team. For every heavy fragger there is a support player looking to make plays and create opportunities.
Always have good voice communications etiquette. Try to avoid communications that take sound cues or give bad information.
Playing as a Duo
If you are queuing as a duo, you’ll want to talk to the other three players and figure out who has what strengths and weaknesses when the lobby assembles. Being friendly and talking things out before you lock a hero usually leads to better teamwork.
Don't stay in your own 2 person silo when duo queuing!
Playing as a 5 Stack
If you are grouped as a 5 stack, use your teams ability to communicate to get better results in matches. If you have an in game leader, let that person have the majority of communications. If you’re a new stack or new to playing together, use the most effective ways to communicate information during rounds that will not disrupt other players in the round.
Your 5 stack should have a healthy mix of support players and fraggers. Celebrate your strengths and offset your weaknesses.
- The maps give you a good indicator of what Agents should be selected for the meta. Try to play to the meta if possible.
- Take risks in rounds where you can use abilities and equipment to secure frags. Frags destabilize economies and create round win opportunities. Abilities are the cheapest things to invest in and some utilities have high frag potential.
Final Verdict
If you want to get better at Valorant you’ll want to spend time in solo queues and grouped queues equally.
There are people you can meet or teams you can fit into if you’re not relying on other players or locking yourself out of other groups by being stacked in every game. You’ll learn things from players by expanding your friends list and teammates.
Losing is a part of the game, but learning from other players can be more beneficial to your overall Valorant experience than becoming reliant on a small group of friends.
If you’re a majority solo queue player, spend time in unranked learning how to use support Agents and fragging Agents. This way you’ll have an Agent pool you can choose from that assists your teammates who could be 3 or 4 queued and your time in the game will be more positive and consistent.
If you’re going to play the game, invest in Agents you’ll be productive with for the long haul. Good luck in your ranked endeavors.
Speaking of stacks, join the SteelSeries Discord to find teammates!
Read more
- Who is the New Valorant Agent?
- How Valorant Ranked Works Now
- How to Rank up Faster in Valorant
- Valorant Act 3 Competitive Changes: What We Know
Let's talk Valorant on the SteelSeries Discord!
