October 5, 2023
When people start gaming, they often think that the most important part of competing is getting the most kills or scoring the most points. An overlooked aspect of success in gaming, however, is knowing your strengths, your role, and executing it appropriately. This applies to essentially any team-based esport out there. From Rocket League to Valorant to League of Legends, each game has its nuances, but one thing stands true no matter which you are playing.
Whether you are a casual gamer, a competitive player looking to improve, or even an esports pro, being a team player is one of the most important aspects of team-based gaming. Here are some tips to help you help your team be the best they can be.
Don’t play with your ego
As gamers, it’s easy to be kill-hungry, score-hungry, or simply to want to seem like you are the best gamer out there. We can sometimes get caught up in wanting to be the MVP of the game, or become so obsessed with ranking up that we forget to play our role. No matter what the situation, it’s important to stay level-headed and remember not to play with your ego. You may think you are better than one of your teammates (and you may be) but it does you no good to step outside of whatever your role is supposed to be.
Sure, there are times when your teammates may need extra support, but you shouldn’t use struggling teammates as an excuse to try to take over your match ultimately. While it may work sometimes, and you may pull out a win this way every once in a while, you usually have a better chance of excelling with your team if you know which part you are supposed to be playing and play it well.
We have all seen the far too zealous support or healer that thinks their teammates are mediocre and uses this as an excuse to take over. Instead of working out, this often results in a reverse snowball where the player (and their team) falls further and further behind instead of making a comeback. You are more likely to pull out a win by sticking to your plan, strategizing with your teammates, and playing your role effectively.
Understand the game
You can’t be a good team player if you don’t know what you are supposed to be doing. This is not to say that you have to spend every waking moment consuming content related to the game you are playing, but you should at least get yourself up to speed on what you should be doing.
In Valorant, this means understanding the maps and how your agent can be used. In League of Legends, you need to know how the roles work and have a general understanding of items and champions. In Rocket League, knowing how boosts work is a good place to start. Every game has its equivalent knowledge base needed to be a good teammate. If you know what is going on in the game and what your character or role excels at, you will naturally be a better team player. This doesn’t mean you have to be extremely skilled in the game. It’s more about educating yourself on the basics before diving into the deep end of competitive play.
Don’t let your emotions take over
We all know how prevalent toxicity and cyberbullying can be in the gaming community. Similarly, rage quitting is widespread, and nearly every gamer has personally experienced it themself or been on a team where someone chose to quit mid-game. No matter what happens in a game, it’s never worth being unkind to your teammates or leaving before a match ends.
Not only is it hurtful to yourself and others if you let your frustration get the better of you, but it will also likely significantly decrease your chance of playing well or of your teammates doing so.
Be a good listener
Most professional and collegiate teams have one or two shot-callers who call the shots. If this is your case, you should understand how important it’s to listen to these players. For the rest of us, it’s important to listen before speaking. It doesn’t do a team any good to be yelling and talking over each other with everyone trying to assert their ideas.
Instead, you should wait to see if anyone emerges as a shot-caller or if the group falls into a different rhythm. This usually happens quickly. If no one else is taking the lead (or if no one is communicating at all), then the floor is yours.
Lift up your teammates
No one wants to play with a Debby-downer, so don’t be one! Every gamer has experienced the joy of having a super positive, friendly, optimistic teammate that gives the group a family-like feel. We can all agree that ten times out of ten, this situation is more enjoyable than having a teammate that brings everyone down. I guarantee that the person who is helping everyone else have a good time is also having a good time themselves. So why not be that person?
Lift your teammates up instead of bringing them down. Go out of your way to be the cheerleader and compliment someone when they have done something well. It will make a huge difference not only in the outcomes of your games but also in how much enjoyment you get out of gaming.
Whatever game you are playing and at whichever level you are playing it, being a good teammate will significantly increase your chances of winning. While much of this has to do with how you play the game, even more of it’s a mental game and your success depends on how you interact with your teammates.