VALORANT: How To Become A Duelist Like Zekken

Duelists don’t just seek battles; they force them. Expected to take space and secure kills for the team, becoming a duelist requires mastering specific abilities suited to such aggressive playstyle. Zachary “Zekken” Patrone is among the best Duelists in professional VALORANT, and is a great player to follow for those wanting to learn the role.

Mastering the Basics

The role of a Duelist is the most aggressive one in VALORANT. Whether you want to stick to this role and excel in it or seek versatility and fit into more than one class, mastering the basics is crucial for a solid foundation.

Practice Your Aim

It goes without saying that every Duelist must have a sharp aim. Your damage output is highly based on your accuracy, so it’s important to constantly hit headshots and flick shots. Keep your crosshair at head level and pre-aim at the spots enemies commonly come out from. You can also improve by spending time in the practice range and using aim trainers.

Learn Map Layouts

You don’t need to memorize each map, but studying the common angles, choke points will give you an advantage. Know which spots will be helpful for you, as it will help to make the most out of the terrain. This knowledge is useful in strategizing, timing, and doing rotations. 

Master Agent Abilities

VALORANT’s Duelist agents have unique abilities that will improve your gameplay. If you main or are playing Jett, for example, her Tailwind Dash will make you almost impossible to target or avoid. Choose an agent that suits your style to quickly master them. Prioritize getting good at one or two agents first, especially if you are new to the game. 

Understanding The Duelist Role

Zekken excels at creating space for his team, entry fragging, utility management, and strategic kills; all expected from a Duelist role. Play for your team and prioritize making openings for them, even when it sometimes requires you to sacrifice frags or take risky steps. Utilities and escape abilities are there to be your safety net, anyway!

To do your role effectively and still go on killing sprees, learn how to:

• Play Aggressively: Scout for enemies and info, seek kills, organize team strategies, and push into sites and control the map. Zekken and other pro Duelists take advantage of positions and map layout to effectively do this. Remember that your priority is to get a lot of first kills and claim sites.
• Think Quicker: Zekken is known for his rapid decision-making. He can even make intuitive split-second kills. Trying to predict where the enemy is hiding and where they can come out from can help you make more calculated plays. Anticipate what they are planning to do next and move accordingly, and take decisive actions so you can stay ahead and secure kills. 
• Make Good Entry Frags: Duelists lead the charge in taking or reclaiming sites. Coordinate with teammates when initiating a push and ask for utilities like smokes or flashes. Use agent abilities as well, like Raze’s Paint Shells and Jett’s Updraft, to disrupt enemy setups. Unpredictability and chaos will help create openings for you and your team.

Playing Like Zekken

Two things that set Zekken apart even from other pro Duelists are his incredible discipline and exceptional micro-communications. He plays for his life and does not overheat, so he is able to make rational decisions for himself and the rest of the team.

 

Disciplined Aggression

Despite the aggressive playstyle, a Duelist like Zekken would have patience. First think of the chance of winning a duel before engaging in it. Avoid unnecessary risks and rushing into fights—value your life over frags or trade kills. When under pressure or being overwhelmed by opponents, try not to overheat.

Clear Micro-Comms

Aim to excel in micro-comms to connect with your teammates more effectively. Practice talking while playing to get used to making callouts without distracting you from gameplay. It’s important to share your intentions and give short but clear callouts to your teammates. With these, they can support you more quickly or correctly execute the strategies you want to pull off.

Ready for Duel

Zekken is widely considered and idolized as one of the best Duelists in pro VALORANT today, with exceptional skills and a quick mind. While the 19-year old competitive gamer’s prowess can be chalked up to him being a prodigy, it would be unfair to discredit his efforts and investment to improve in his profession.

That said, even if you don’t have the “genetics” to be as good as Zekken, you can learn from his gameplay and mindset to also become a good VALORANT Duelist. Consistently practicing these skills and techniques will help you learn or improve being your team’s reliable vanguard.