Peeking is one of VALORANT’s core fundamentals. Mastering the ability to peek around corners and successfully get the jump on an enemy could just be the difference maker in many players’ ranked games.

Peeking is a direct counter to angle-holding, while holding angles is a direct counter to peeking. In every scenario, the player holding the angle will have an inherent advantage on the peeking player — largely thanks to the element of surprise, as well as the fact that the player further away from the angle will be the first to see the peeking player. In many cases, a split-second could decide which player comes out on top of a trade.

In this guide, we’ll go over the basics of peeking, the different approaches you can take when working around angles, and how to get the advantage in those split-second exchanges.

Playing Around Angles

Every map, angle, and corner in VALORANT plays by the same rules. The number one thing that you need to remember — whether you’re peeking an angle on offense or holding one down on defense — is that the player that's further away from any angle in question will always have the upper hand.

The player holding the angle will get the first glimpse of the trade, because they’ll see the player that’s pushing the angle before they can be seen by them. It doesn’t matter if you're holding an angle from across an entire spike site, or if you’re waiting in a corner for an unlucky pushing enemy to pass by and peek at the wrong time. The same rules surrounding angles will always apply.

Peeking and shooting in VALORANT will almost always come down to how you approach angles and sight lines. While you can sometimes find ways to capitalize upon the system through well-timed abilities or coordinated pushes with your teammates, the only surefire way to win straight up one-vs-one gunfights is to perfectly combine good aim with strong knowledge of sight lines.

While you can certainly utilize abilities and the game’s natural mechanics to manipulate what your opponents see, the bottom line will always come down to gunplay. Ten times out of ten, the player further away from any given angle in the game is going to have the upper hand in a straight up gunfight. Still, there’s ways to even out things out as a pushing player, and even turn naturally negative situations into winnable fights that you’ll want to push into and take.

Mastering the “Swing Peek”

There’s multiple ways to approach angles in VALORANT. When peeking around corners, you can either take the slow and conservative approach, or the wild and fast one. Slow peeking does have its advantages, especially when you’re trying to gather information or throw the player holding an angle off-center.

Keep in mind to avoid slow peeking when you’re closer to the given angle than the potential player that could be holding it on the other side. If you walk around a corner slowly, you’ll be a sitting duck.

With that being said, you’ll want to focus more on swing peeking when moving around corners. A swing peek is an aggressive style of peeking — one where you stop shift-walking the second you get next to a close angle and out in the open — will usually favor you. While players that are further away from the angle will have a slight advantage, a quick peek could catch them off-guard and level the playing field.

When you combine a quick peek with solid crosshair placement, you’ll be able to get a good glimpse and a quick shot on any player holding the angle from a far-off position. To make the most of a swing peek (or to counter one if you’re on defense) your crosshair should always be placed at head-level when looking at a corner. The quicker you position yourself for a clear and precise shot, the better off you’ll be as a peeker, despite how close to the angle you are.

Peeking like a Pro

Pro players mix up their approach well enough to throw enemy teams off-guard. A healthy combination of swing peeking and slow peeking is what took the game’s best players to the highest level. However, in standard ranked games, you should be doing everything in your power to focus on mastering the swing peek technique.

While slow peeking does have its place in the game, the fast-paced, often wild nature of the competitive ladder will reward players who are able to perfect the game’s more aggressive styles of play.

Always keep your crosshair at head level when swing peeking, too. It’s easy to fall into the habit of moving your crosshair off center when taking advantage of a chaotic approach such as the swing peek, but if you’re able to keep your aim centered, you’ll have a better chance at winning the trade when you first see an enemy player.

In the direst cases, you’ll need to quickly reposition your crosshair onto an opponent’s head and immediately take your shot. This technique is called a “flick,” and while it’s certainly flashy and has its place VALORANT, it takes a significant amount of time to master.

Pro players rely on their ability to flick a lot more than your average, everyday VALORANT player, but, if you can get a head start on your ability to mimic what the pros do in their games, you’ll have a better chance at ranking up. Just make sure to focus on your fundamentals first.

At the end of the day, you’ll want to focus on keeping your crosshair up and focused on where the enemy's heads will pop out. Your ability to position, aim, and outplay your opponent is centered almost entirely around gunplay.