The Silent Carry: How to Lurk Like a Pro in VALORANT

In VALORANT, attackers must head to any one of the designated sites to plant the Spike, and the defenders must hold off the area to prevent the other team from planting the bomb. There is a strategy that can help improve the odds of winning a match, and it is commonly referred to as "lurking."

This article will go over what lurking is and how you can execute this simple yet effective strategy. Keep reading until the end, as we will go over the tips that you should follow if you're a lurker.

Let's get started!

What Is Lurking in VALORANT?

In most matches, the defenders might split their members between the different sites to prevent the attackers from planting the Spike.

On the other hand, the attackers might group together and push a single Spike site. This is a common strategy many teams use, as it is one of the easiest ways to plant the Spike.

However, while the attackers rush to one of the designated sites to plant the Spike, one member of the team may push the other site to catch their enemies (defenders) off guard.

This strategy allows the lurker an opportunity to eliminate as many defenders as they can to increase their odds of winning.

By lurking and effectively taking out as many players as possible, your team will have a site without any enemies, making it easy to plant the Spike.

You can lurk with any character you want. However, it's best for a team to send a Sentinel or a Controller to lurk, as they have abilities that are better suited for the task. Here is our guide to help you unlock an agent based on your gameplay style.

How to Lurk in VALORANT?

Although lurking might seem like a good strategy, it is extremely risky. You're baiting your entire team by abandoning them at a designated site while you wander off to the other side of the map to eliminate the enemies.

By lurking, you're essentially leaving your team members to fend off for themselves. This player disadvantage can affect their chances of survival. However, lurking can also help your team win the match if you pull it off properly.

The best way to lurk is to mask your movements with the sounds your team members make when they push one of the sites on the map. This way, you can easily catch one or two of the enemies off guard as they quickly rotate after receiving signals from their team members.

Once you've captured the other side of the map, you can call your team members to rotate so that they can plant the Spike.

Since you have complete control of that site, it'll be much easier to set the bomb and defend it rather than push into an area with the remaining enemies.

Tips for Lurking

Below are some tips to help you with lurking:

1. Cypher, Killjoy, and Omen (Sentinel and Controller agents) are the best agents to execute the lurking strategy. Killjoy and Cypher can place traps around the map to catch the enemies off guard, and Omen can use his smoke abilities to support the rest of his team.
2. When lurking, it is essential to look out for traps. Stepping into one of them can put a dent in your lurking strategy.
3. It's best to mix up your lurking strategy. Avoid taking the same path, and make sure you don't lurk in every round. This makes your moves more predictable, allowing the enemy team to prepare to take you out.
4. You must know how your opponents play. Figure out the pattern and take the decision accordingly. Keep note of where the enemies are at every round before you decide to lurk. This intel will allow you to get close to the enemy and take them out one by one.
5. Cypher's cage or Omen's smoke can deactivate the traps if properly executed. Communicate with your team members and let them know of your strategy so that they can assist you where possible.
6. Using intel is crucial to increasing your odds of winning in VALORANT. If your team members know what to expect, they can be better equipped to face it. When you're lurking, keep the lines of communication open. Let your team members know what you're seeing so that they can prepare themselves accordingly.

Final Thoughts

Lurking is an effective strategy, as you can eliminate the enemy by catching them off guard. However, it's also extremely risky, which is why it's crucial to gather and share intel among your team members.

During Masters Berlin, Gambit's star player focused on playing slowly. Their players would gather intel at the start of the round and execute their strategy at the end. This caused a lot of frustration among the enemies, allowing Gambit to bag the victory.

You can also consider getting coaching from the experts to learn more about the different strategies to use.