01 The independent VALORANT desk
News, guides and esports context for players who want to know what changed, why it matters and what to do next.
Latest dispatch
Start here
Fix a setting, understand your rank, or learn a round plan you can practise with your team.
02 / Latest dispatches
Fix VALORANT audio first, then practise movement, weapon, ability, Spike and map cues with the minimap and round timer.
A practical Sage guide to Barrier Orb timing, Slow Orb layering, Healing Orb choices, safer Resurrection targets and better round reviews.
A beginner VALORANT economy guide to full buys, saves, half-buys and force-buys, with team calls that protect your next round.
What VALORANT's cheater-detected message means, what to do after a suspicious match, and when Riot may restore lost RR.
Smokes do more than hide an angle. Learn what a VALORANT Controller is trying to buy in a round and how teammates should play around the smoke.
The old AimToolingRadialFrictionBaseSpeedMultiplierX claim was never a supported aim setting. Here is what Riot actually changed and how to troublesho...
03 / Know the field
Start with the part of VALORANT you want to understand better. We will take you from the headline to the useful detail.