VALORANT players agree this is the most annoying thing you can do in ranked

Communication is key to success, but overdoing anything never plays out well. Ask any VALORANT player, and they’ll tell you how annoying ‘backseat gaming’ can be. So will a Reddit post dated Aug. 21 that features multiple experiences, proving how frequently players can offer confusing and incorrect advice—and it’s truly infuriating at times.

A Reddit user named Lyo0on shed light on one of the most, if not the most, annoying experience one can have in a VALORANT ranked game. “Stop telling your teammates what to do,” the header read, and for me, it cannot get more relatable than this. 

“It is absolutely useless and tilting when I hear someone ask that question, especially when I know that the play was not bad,” Lyo0on shared, explaining how comms demanding an explanation for a play don’t help at all. They also highlighted how such meaningless questions can diminish one’s confidence, causing panic in future scenarios.

Of course, the community had much to contribute to this topic, reflecting the current condition of VALORANT’s ranked culture. Popular comments shared how common it’s for players to suggest correct setups for a particular agent, especially for sentinels like Killjoy. 

“I play Killjoy, and people tell me where to place my util all the time. It’s annoying because I main KJ; I know the defaults just like everyone else by now who doesn’t even play KJ. Sometimes I like to place my shit in off spots to throw ppl off and then get these nerds yelling at me,” one comment read.

Related: Best Killjoy Ascent Setups in VALORANT

Being a controller main, I can relate. I often get taunted for placing aggressive smokes with Omen. Nothing seems to satisfy such players, and they keep finding faults with your setups. While a lot of things are wrong with the game’s player base, back seating definitely makes me want to rage quit a VALORANT game. 

Don’t get me wrong: suggestions are always welcome. With utilities like smokes and traps, there can be a lot of possibilities for setups. If you want to play according to a particular style, just ask for the smoke or piece of utility you want. A demeaning comment isn’t going to help.  

“I had to stop playing Harbor,” a disheartening comment read. “I’d get flamed if I put it where they didn’t want (that they didn’t tell me beforehand), I’d get flamed for not putting it where they did want (that they didn’t tell me beforehand) and flamed for ‘not using my util enough.’ I gave up.”

Another user summed up everything there is to know about perfect comms in VALORANT. “Everything is in how you say it and what you’re trying to get out of it… If you know what you want, you can ask for the info or adjustment you need,” they said, before heading on to give examples of good calls.

In the end, one shouldn’t forget that VALORANT is a team game, and while comms are crucial, flaming your teammates or backseat gaming isn’t going to win you the match.