In Valorant, you will have 3 weapons, a main gun, a side gun, and a knife. These 3 weapons are all helpful and will surely take an enemy’s life if used and aimed right. Guns are usually the ones that are used to kill an enemy but some Valorant players managed to kill using a knife.
Many people, especially the newbies in the game, notice that Valorant players are constantly switching to knife. They are wondering why these Valorant players switch to knife. They find it absurd.
However, did you know that switching to a knife in Valorant can give you an advantage? There is a reason why Valorant players switch knife. There are multiple reasons why! We will talk about the reasons why Valorant players switch to knife in this article.
Why Do Valorant Players Switch To Knife?
When you see a Valorant player that is switching to a knife, you might be wondering what might be the reason. So, below are the 4 reasons why Valorant players switch to knife!
To Move Fast
The very first reason is for Valorant players to move fast. Their movement speed will increase if they switch from gun to knife, whether they are walking or running. Guns are too heavy in Valorant, especially Odin and the Operator.
Moving fast in Valorant is very important. You need to rotate fast to the site to prevent the enemies from planting. Also, if you are on the attacking side, you need to rotate fast and go first to the site before the enemies rotate so that your team will be able to plant the spike and establish your positions to prevent the spike from getting defused.
Valorant players also switch knife when they are using an Operator gun. Do you know why? To move fast as well! You will notice some Valorant players that are using Operator, they switch to the knife after shooting.
Valorant players do this so that they can run or jump and hide after shooting. They will be able to strafe, get out of position, and shoot again quickly. After shooting the shot, Valorant players switch to the knife to assess the situation. If there is no threat, then they will switch to Operator again.
So basically, it is to shoot an Operator and switch to a knife then assess the situation. If no enemies are rushing towards you, you switch to Operator again and try killing an enemy. Valorant players need to develop this pattern to use the Operator effectively.
Flanking an enemy requires speed as well to make it effective. That is why Valorant players who love flanking switch to knife while flanking then switch to guns again when they see an enemy. Flanking can be dangerous but if you know where the enemies are, your teammates give you the right comms, and you move quickly without the enemy hearing you, it will be effective and give your team a huge advantage!
To move fast is the main reason why Valorant players switch to knife. Speed is essential in Valorant. You need to think and move fast to get some advantage.
They Want To Inspect Their Knife Skin
The next reason why Valorant players switch to knife is they just literally want to inspect their knife skin.
There are lots of knife skins in Valorant. Some are good and some are bad. Some knife skins have a cool animation. These knife skins are worth inspecting.
Each Valorant knife has its animation when you press the inspect button but some are just way cooler than the others when you inspect them. Just like the butterfly knife. It has cool animation! Check the video below.
When They Need To Peek
Peeking in Valorant is essential. You need to see if there are enemies nearby or if there are enemies on the site. This is the other reason why Valorant players switch to knife.
Over the years, lots of players have developed different styles of peeking. Right now, you have the jump peeking, the Ferrari, short peeking, and more. There are plenty of variations but one must know how to use it effectively.
All of these types of peeking in Valorant require speed to be used effectively and like I have said, Valorant players switch to knife to move fast. Whether you use jump peek, wide swing peek, or short peeking, you need to move fast.
There are lots of Valorant players that have fast reflexes where once they see an enemy peeking, they will shoot. You need to avoid getting killed while peeking because this will give the enemy team an advantage.
You need to peek very fast to see where the enemies are so that your team can plan what your next move will be. Like for example, there is an Operator on mid. You need to check the location of that enemy that has the Operator to alarm your teammates so that your teammates will not move through that area where the Operator can hit and kill them.
The operator is a long-range gun so peeking at it from long range can be dangerous, which is why you need to switch to knife to move fast when trying to peek at it.
Kill The Enemy
The last reason why Valorant players switch to knife is to kill the enemy. Simple reason, right? But it is hard to execute! You need to be close to the enemy and the enemy should not see you or be detained because the enemy will use a gun to kill you before you even get close.
Some wise Valorant players are very sneaky. They manage to kill an enemy with a knife while the enemy’s back is turned. You need to be very sneaky when trying to kill an enemy with a knife. Sneaky and fast!
Should You Switch To Knife In Valorant?
Switching to a knife in Valorant has some advantages and disadvantages and you must know both so that you will be able to identify when and where to use the knife.
If you need to move fast to rotate and help your teammates defend the site, then you must switch to a knife so that you will move fast and reach the site quickly. Remember, defending the site is much easier than trying to retake it. Why? Because the enemy will establish their positions after the spike is planted which gives them a huge advantage against your team.
When peeking, you need to switch to a knife. Never peek while holding a gun unless you intend to kill an enemy and give your team space. But if your intention is just to gain information, then peeking with a knife is better. I highly suggest that you only peek with your gun after peeking with a knife. Gain information first, switch to a gun, and peek again. By doing this, you will know where to place your crosshair.
Can Enemies Hear If You Switch To Knife?
The quick answer to this is no! Enemies will not hear you if you switch to the knife. That would be pretty game-breaking. However, enemies can hear you if you press right-click and use your knife.
So, you don’t have to worry whether or not the enemy will hear you if you switch to a knife in Valorant. You can switch to a knife while sneaking behind their back and trying to kill them or while flanking.
Final Verdict
To conclude, the main reasons why Valorant players switch to knife is to move fast, inspect their knife skin, peek fast, or kill an enemy. You need to know when and where to switch to a knife because if you don’t, you will not be able to use the knife to your advantage.
