If you’re an esports hopeful, you may be looking for ways to improve atfighting games. Considering they are some of the most technical and demanding games you may play, no one could be blamed for wanting to improve, even casually.
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Luckily, fighting games have had a thriving community for decades now, and they are often quick to share tips with new hopefuls. The good news is that a lot of the tips are simple, wheat is tougher is your own dedication and execution of a training plan. With enough work, anyone can become a force to be reckoned with in their favorite fighting game.
10Put In A Lot Of Hours
This tip may sound like a no-brainer, but pretty much any major player will tell you the same thing. If you want to improve and if you want to be the best, you’re going to need to put in a lot of your time to master a game.
Even when you think you’ve gotten as good as you can through practice, there will be maxed-out computers to play. After that, you can get into some online play or even play in person. At every level of play, there will be new opportunities to be humbled.
9Pick One Series To Excel At
While there are some brave gamers who manage to be solid in multiple fighting games, it will be easiest to improve if youfocus on a single series. Usually, a single series will have a similar feel and mechanics across entries, so even if things do differ slightly with new games, you’ll adapt quickly.
It’s important to make sure that the series you pick is one that you have a lot of fun with, or getting better will just be a chore. For instance, if you love Dragonball and fast-paced action,Dragonball FighterZwill probably be a great game for you to learn and improve at.
8Study Frame Data
If you want to get really into your love for fighting games, you can improve a lot by simply studying the frame data of the characters in your favorite game. You’ll understand how characters move, how long they take to execute attacks, and when attacks can land if you do this.
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Most high-level fighting game players probably have an encyclopedic knowledge of the frame data of each character in their game, so there’s no shame in just basking in all the info. If you enjoy a bit of research, this is a great strategy for improvement.
7Understand Every Mechanic In Depth
Obviously, you’re going to want to know how the mechanics of your favorite fighter work. If you suddenly decide you want to become the nextSuper Smash Bros Ultimatecontender, you’re going to want to know how to properly edge guard.
Evenmechanics that weren’t fully intended by developersare a must to understand because expert-level players will be using unique techniques in just about every fighting game out there. Learn what people are doing in their matches, and attempt to replicate it when you can.
6Learn Advanced Tech
Every single fighting game has some seriously advanced tech that you’ll have to learn if you want to be competitive. If you like playingTekkenbut keep getting obliterated by players online, learning a Korean backdash is probably going to help you at least a little.
This tip applies to advanced combos as well, the kinds of combos that players create rather than the ones that developers have made. Often, players come up with incredible combos that even the developers are shocked by, and they must be learned.
5Know Character Match-Ups
If you want to improve, you should know exactly how to get an advantage over your opponent. Knowingwhich characters are the bestis key, but knowing which characters your chosen main excels against and tends to fall against is just as important.
For some games, you’ll be able to counterpick characters if things aren’t going your way, so knowing which characters are likely to be played will mean you’re able to plan to learn those characters’ weaknesses. At the end of the day, half of the battle is knowledge.
4Use The Training Mode
A surprising amount of people getting into fighting games completely ignore training mode. Some of the best training modes are excellent ways for beginners to begin to introduce themselves to advanced mechanics and combos.
On the other side of things, using a free training mode will let you practice new techniques or even perfect that tricky combo you’re struggling to pull off in action. Many of these modes also show inputs, frame data, and statistics, so it’s key to at least check it out.
3Practice With People
It’s been touched on a bit, but you can only get so good when playing with computers. At some point, you either need to meet up with others of your skill or higher, or find them online. Playing against a person will always be the ultimate learning opportunity.
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Even if you find yourself losing to everyone, you’ll be able to ask yourself why you’re losing and make adjustments from there. Other people will implement other advanced techniques, so you may see something you’ve never even thought of before just by playing.
2Keep Up With The Meta
This tip ties into knowing character match-ups. Knowing the current meta of a competitive gamewill save you some big headaches and a lot of time. If you gravitate to a character that is unviable in competitive play, you’ll only be able to improve so much on your own.
Fighting game communities are bigger than they’ve ever been, so understanding which characters are considered top-tier with each game update is an absolute must. If there are other changing aspects of gameplay, it’s crucial to keep an eye on those as well.
1Know When To Try Something Different
As you begin to improve, you’re going to begin to fall into a lot of intermediate-level traps. You’re going to be predictable to better players because they were in your exact position at one point. You need to know when to throw everything out the window and do something different.
Being able to choose to do something unique at a key moment is likely to throw off your opponent (as long as they’re a real person), and will keep you from being easy to read. At the same time, if your character or strategy just isn’t succeeding, it might be time to try a new plan.
