5 tips to counter Operator in Valorant

Riot Games’ FPS (first-person shooter) tactical shooter title, Valorant, features various weapons in its arsenal. Each weapon falls under different classes such as Rifles and Sniper Rifles, SMGs, and more. Among all the Sniper Rifles is one of the fan-favorite classes, the Operator, a powerful bolt-action rifle with one-shot capabilities.

With that being said, this guide goes over how to efficiently counter Operator in Valorant.

Note: Some aspects of this article are subjective and solely reflect the author’s opinion.

---

What are the efficient ways to counter Operator in Valorant?

1) Use Utilities

Smokes are useful against Operators (Image via Riot Games)

When peeking at an Operator player, it is best not to dry peek them as your chance of dying is relatively higher. You can simply utilize your teammates’ flashes to discourage the opposition and gain an advantage. Another strategy is to use smoke grenades to block off common spots where Operator players tend to stay, disrupting their plans and allowing for easier access to the site.

In a game like Valorant, there are numerous ways to utilize utilities effectively. However, the most impactful approach is to deploy them when pushing toward a site. Therefore, it's best to use utilities before entering a site, considering that most abilities do not replenish over time.

---

2) Co-ordinated pushes

Coordinated pushes can take down Operators (Image via Riot Games)

Apart from using utilities, another effective way to counter an Operator player or Operator is to make a coordinated push with your teammates. A coordinated push allows you to easily catch enemies as well as the Operator off guard and secure the round win. While this strategy may work for you, it's advisable not to rely on it exclusively, as opponents can quickly adapt to your play style if it becomes too predictable.

For example, if the Operator is in B-site Snowman, some of your teammates should push towards their spawn from mid, and kitchen. While the Operator is busy watching B-main, the player in the kitchen can easily eliminate them.

---

3) Jump peeks

Jump-peeking around a corner is highly effective (Image via Riot Games)

An essential method to master when you are trying to peek at an Operator is Jump peeking. Mastering jump peeking is fairly simple as it requires you to jump and strafe back to the cover again. As Valorant allows players to strafe while jumping, Jump Peek has become an important method in high-rank lobbies. It allows you to gather significant amounts of information just by jumping around a corner.

If done correctly, Jump Peeking makes you a hard target to kill as the opponent can only see a part of your body for a few frames. Hence, it is extremely difficult to eliminate a jump-peeking player.

---

4) Wide swings

Wide swings can catch Operators off-guard (Image via Riot Games)

While dry-peeking an Operator is not advisable, wide-swinging can be an exception. Since most Operator players tend to hold tight angles, wide swings can catch them off guard. However, it's important to note that wide-swinging isn't recommended in every situation but can be effective when dealing with an Operator.

While peeking, ensure you're engaging with the Operator player, as rifle players often hold wide angles to minimize their movement during combat. Before wide-swinging, you can also jump-peek to gain an advantage in the fight.

---

5) Force them to play a retake

Retaking the A-site on Icebox (Image via Riot Games)

If nothing is working against the Operator, the most useful thing to do is force them to play a retake. The Operator is mostly used by the Defenders as it can easily stop enemy advancements onto the site. Therefore, if you can spot the Operator at the start of the round, you can force them to play retake.

This method is particularly effective as there is a movement speed penalty while wielding an Operator. Hence, if you play the strategy perfectly, the Operator will take ages to rotate to the other site.

---

For more Valorant-related articles, check out the following section:

• Everything we know about the Holomoku bundle
• VCT Masters Shanghai schedule, all participating teams, and more
• How to get the VCT Masters Shanghai drops on Twitch and YouTube