10 Simple Tips To Improve at Any Competitive Video Game
Tired of losing your ranked matches? Had enough of losing rating? Whatever competitive video game you play, it’s always frustrating to lose. Whether it was your own fault or because of a bad play by your teammates, nobody likes to be on the losing side. It can tilt you, makes you irritated, and you might even contemplate quitting the game altogether if you stop having fun. But despite all of those challenges, gamers are built to rise up and take on those difficulties.
So to help you quickly get good at pretty much any video game, competitive or not, we’ve put together ten practical and simple tips to speed you along.
1. Join the right community
If you want to be competitive and improve your skills, then you have to join the right communities. These days, lots of people use programs like Discord to create communities of gamers with certain goals in mind. If your aim is to get better at something like Fortnite or League of Legends, then joining certain communities will surround you with players who have similar goals. It’ll be easier to find teammates like this, and you can share tips and strategies with them to improve at the game.
2. Play to improve
Playing to improve is important. Whenever you start gaming, make sure you play with goals in mind such as getting more rating, learning a new character, or practising with different guns. If you play to improve, then your chances of getting better will increase tenfold.
3. Don’t tilt
Tilting is a natural part of gaming. Everyone gets annoyed or upset when they lose, and it’s easy to get frustrated when you see comments mocking your defeat. But don’t get discouraged and don’t let it get to you. Learning to control your emotions means you’ll make fewer mistakes in the future, and it helps to keep the game enjoyable.
4. Record your gameplay
Recording your gameplay allows you to analyse the way you play. It helps you understand why you won or lost, and it gives you concrete footage if you ever think that someone is cheating or you’re losing because of lag. Features like Shadowplay make it easy for gamers to record gameplay without needing to hit record before the game starts. You can also stream your gameplay to Twitch or YouTube so you have an archive of your gameplay. If your PC isn’t powerful enough to record, then it’s worth upgrading your gaming PC so that you can easily record and play without it impacting your gameplay.
5. Monitor your progress
It’s difficult to tell if you’re improving if you don’t monitor your progress. You don’t need to be super serious about this. Just record your wins and losses or take a look at your match history. If you’re steadily climbing then that’s a good sign of improvement, but your ranked status isn’t the only thing you should track. Keep an eye on how well you’re performing with different weapons and characters as well–you’d be surprised at how many different aspects of the game you improve at the same time.
6. Practice with people of all skill levels
If you’re playing a competitive video game, then there’s a good chance there are players of all skill levels around you. It’s important to go against people that are at your level, above your level, but also below your level. Playing against people better than you will help you understand new strategies and give you a challenge to test your skills. Playing people around your level will give you an even match to see how much you’ve progressed. Lastly, playing people below your skill level will help you refine your strategies and skills, and it also gives you a chance to teach people with a lower skill level.
7. Take a break to watch some streams
Watching streams on Twitch.TV or YouTube is a great way to learn from the best players in the game. You could also watch replays of games on these platforms or even in-game replays if your game supports it. This is a fantastic way to see how other people play and it helps you learn the strategies that they use. You can also find educational videos on how to improve in various aspects of popular competitive games. Learning from others is arguably one of the quickest ways to improve at any video game.
8. Upgrade your PC
Upgrading your PC with new products like a graphics card will result in a higher framerate in the game. This provides a smoother experience and reduces the chance that your PC will lag during an intense moment. A strong PC is essential for anyone that wants to be a competitive gamer since it removes a potential limitation that holds back your skill.
9. Get new gaming peripherals
It’s a great idea to get new gaming peripherals too. Many wireless mice now include 8k polling rate which leads to a smoother cursor, making it great for fast-paced games such as shooters. A high refresh rate monitor is also a good idea as it greatly enhances the smoothness of your games. However, you’ll need a computer that is capable of pushing higher framerates to make this worthwhile.
10. Keep playing, but remember to have fun
Lastly, it’s important to keep playing the game if you want to improve. Sure, studying the game and learning different strategies can help, but you ultimately need to play the game to build muscle memory and put your knowledge into action. Just remember that you should be having fun when you play the game. Competitive gaming can lead to a career in esports or streaming, but you need to start by having fun with the game so you don’t get stressed and frustrated when you’re playing it. Try out different games if you have to, or play with different people that have different mindsets to explore every facet of the game.