Gaming has completely evolved throughout the years. With the booming e-sports industry and the amount of money that pro gamers make everybody wants to be the best at it—and win every time! Unfortunately, becoming a gaming pro does not happen overnight. Even the best gamers of this era did not reach international gaming competitions without shedding sweat and some occasional tears. At the end of the day, practice truly makes perfect.
If you’ve been trying your hand at video games, PC games, or even just mobile games, it won’t hurt to want to win despite being a newbie. It always feels the best when you’re the victor. The good thing is that there are surefire techniques that should help you defeat your opponent—even with minimal actual skills involved.
1. First Impressions Count
If you still have premature skills at a certain game, at least make a good impression that you don’t. The way you present yourself—that you’re a pro at a particular game—can instill fear into your opponents. But while you’re at it, be careful not to go overboard. Real pro gamers are confident but don’t shout it to the world.
What you can do instead is to use certain tools provided by the game itself. This may be in the form of badges, titles, medals, or any unlockable within the game. In the world of gaming, the game doesn’t actually start in the game. It starts in the lobby.
2. Don’t Give It Your All—Yet
If you’ve got real skills up your sleeves, avoid showing them early on in the game. Be partially decent at the start of the game so that once you start playing properly, your opponents will be taken aback. This tactic is ideal for fighting games as your opponents will be getting a clear idea of what you can really do.
One way to pull this technique off is to repeatedly use basic, obvious patterns during the first few rounds. This will let your opponent’s think that you’ve only just learned the game and which responses to use. Once they put their guard down, pull out the big guns and smash them to pieces.
3. Switch Up Your Tactics
Don’t use the same one or two tricks over and over again. While you don’t have to be a real pro at a certain game, it’s best to look like you are if you really want to win. You will only need to learn a wide range of a character’s moves and weapons to a passable level. But if you can get it to a competent level, why not? Mix up your moves, and your opponent will find it hard to read your next ones.
4. Know When to Quit
If you suspect a real pro playing his own mind tricks at you, get out of there. Knowing when to quit is a crucial part of gaming. It will preserve your good first impression for as long as possible.
If someone has unmasked you as one who does mind games, it’s best to find another opponent before you start losing. After all, your chances of running into previous victims should be thin in random matching games.
5. Practice with the Right Gear
All pro gamers start from being a noob. But they’ve reached their peak by watching a ton of gameplay and practicing to their wit’s end. Even when you lose, you’re still practicing. Think of it as one more step to actually being good at gaming.
To properly test your skills, make sure to get the right equipment. You might already have a good PC, but a gaming desktop that delivers the right performance for your type of games and lifestyle should be the better investment to make.
Whether you’re playing games as a career or as a hobby, the most important thing is to have fun while doing it. Sometimes, it’s not all about winning but the experience that comes along with it.
