What Is Counter Strafing in Valorant

Here’s a quick guide on counter strafing in Valorant and how to perform it

Ever wondered why high-ranked players move left and right between the period of shooting their gun? They are performing a technique called “counter-strafing,” which can help you win gunfights easily. 

The concept of counter-strafing is not a new one, as it has existed in Counter-Strike for years. In Valorant, performing this move in a duel is much easier. 

If you want to get better at aiming and win gunfights easily while also making it hard for the opponent to shoot you, it’s crucial to master counter-strafing. This guide will talk about what this technique is and how to counter strafe in Valorant. 

What is Counter Strafing in Valorant?

In gaming terms, strafing means moving sideways using “A” and “D” on your keyboard. Counter-strafing, therefore, refers to moving to the opposite side.

In Valorant, counter-strafing is the act of moving to one side and then instantly changing direction. Players will shoot their bullets in the small window of changing their direction as the shots are the most accurate in that instance. 

Similar to Counter-Strike, Valorant implements a more realistic shooting mechanic where you have to be standing completely still to land your shots where your crosshair is pointing. Therefore, you would naturally tend not to move while shooting. However, this makes it easier for your opponent to kill you in a gunfight, as a completely still enemy is not very hard to hit. 

This technique of implementing movement in shooting makes it harder for the enemies to kill you since your movement can be unexpected. 

How to Counter Strafe in Valorant?

To perform counter strafing, you can follow these steps:

• Move sideways by either using the “A” or “D” keys
• Move to the opposite side by using either “D” or “A” key
• Shoot right when you move to the opposite side

For an easier understanding, suppose you are moving right by pressing the “D” key. When you are ready to shoot, you will instantly press the “A” key and fire bullets. In this case, both your “A” and “D” keys should be pressed, making you entirely still. When you are done shooting, let go of one of the movement keys. 

Practicing Counter-Strafing in Valorant

Get yourself against a wall like this in the range, move to either right or left, and then shoot right when you move in the opposite direction. See if your bullet is landing correctly where your crosshair is pointed at. 

If your shots are inaccurate, you are not counter-strafing correctly. In that case, move to the right by pressing “D” and then press “A” when you are shooting. Make sure you press both “A” and “D” in the short window of shooting your gun. After shooting, let go of one of the movement keys. 

After getting the hang of it in the range, start practicing it in deathmatches against other players. Bear in mind this takes a while to master, and it’s important to give yourself time to learn.

For more guides like this, check out ESTNN’s Valorant section.