MOST of the issues I read on this subreddit, no one complains about in my Immortal games and I think it can hurt new players/ people feeling like improving is out of their control when in reality the vast majority of players don't focus on developing their play.

Hit-reg Issues:

• Hit-reg is VERY good in Valorant, yes there are rare cases where shots do not reg properly and those can be clipped and highlighted but the vast majority of the time you likely missed the head.
• I mean literally 1 shot in maybe 10 games you will have a hit-reg issue that results in a death.
• I recommend using game recorder like Shadow Play to record your games and review shots that you feel should have hit. It's possible that you shot before stopping, most players are not counter strafing properly so even if your crosshair placement is good if you're not stopping before you shoot it will mess up your accuracy.

Audio:

• Footstep audio is actually very good in Valorant compared to other FPS titles, and there are some failsafe that Riot has in place. There are distinct sounds for Metal/Wood/Sand etc, this helps in situations like B site Bind Tube where you will hear if someone comes from CT, Tube or Hookah because they all have seperate audio queues.
• The one issue I know with Audio in high rank is vertical audio, it's difficult to determine where someone is above you (for example Ice Box its difficult to tell if someone is default ropes or rafters on A site.
• IF you are having audio issues, I recommend assessing the headphones you are using. Low quality headphones. Open audio vs a good quality headset makes a big difference.

Running & Shooting at close range:

• In Immortal, for all close range fights, like market in Bind for example, EVERYONE runs and guns. Although it may not be the best thing for the game, it's important to maximize the game mechanics.
• Most low ranked players take much longer to adapt to new meta/mechanics of the game, I highly recommend that you learn to run shoot around any sharp corners, because it will help you win.
• General rule of thumb:

Extreme Short range => Run and gun

Short-Medium range = Counter strafe into shoot

Long range = Strafe shoot back and forth shooting when accurate.

^^ Most low rank players apply the same shooting technique at any range, which is EASY to abuse.

Smurfing:

• I do agree that smurfs are a big problem, because I myself also have a smurf account (diamond & gold) and it's very clear there are smurfs BUT I encounter ALOT less smurfing in low ranks, you will encounter smurfing commonly in Diamond+ though.
• In Plat or lower there are SO MANY PLAYERS, there are smurfs but because there are so many players its very likely that someone in your game is either A) just having a good game or B) soft smurfing (their main rank is maybe slightly higher).

I really think people should focus on improving themselves vs. blaming these issues if they feel stuck in their rank. The best thing you can do is use a game recorder and then review footage, this will help you see gaps in your play and improve in-game decision making.

LETS NOT CALL THE GAME TRASH AND DETER NEW PLAYERS.