Hiding behind solid walls is often seen as a great way to avoid incoming fire in Valorant, though a new breakdown reveals how you can still be shot and killed through thick surfaces.
While bullet penetration has always been a given in Riot’s tactical FPS, the true extent of this ‘wallbang’ feature has only just been discovered. Peppering away at targets through thin barriers or wooden doors, for instance, can often be effective, but this is only scratching the surface of what’s possible.
Whether you’re using an automatic weapon or carefully placing your shots with the Operator, firing at solid walls can seem wasteful. However, it’s actually far more effective than you may think, even capable of closing out kills and winning rounds.
If you think an enemy is around a corner, there’s now good reason to shoot and find out before peeking. Here’s how bullets can actually push through ‘impenetrable’ walls in Valorant.
How bullet penetration actually works in Valorant
When it comes to basics in Valorant, knowing the two types of bullet impact is crucial. If you shoot a surface and a distinct bullet hole appears, you can fire through to the other side. If you shoot a surface and a bigger crater appears, this means the surface is impenetrable. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
In reality, it turns out that bullets still push into impenetrable surfaces to some extent. “Originally I thought that this crater meant that the bullet did not go through,” Reddit user ‘quarkez’ said in his explanation. However, “bullets still penetrate,” they just don’t emerge from the opposite side.
This might not sound all that effective on paper. What benefit could this have if bullets stop halfway through a wall? Well if your character model happens to be extremely close to said wall, it means these halfway shots could still kill you.
Regardless of your Agent, if you stand directly next to a wall, parts of your body will clip through. Whether it’s your arms, feet, or even your weapon, there’s a chance that bullets could still travel deep enough to wipe you out.
Perhaps the most powerful aspect of this new discovery is that bullets still deal maximum damage if they connect. Wallbang limitations only seem to apply to bullets that actually emerge out the other side.
There’s no telling if this is an intended feature in Valorant or something that Riot may soon address. Having parts of your body clip into a wall could accidentally cost you a round if you’re not careful, so keep a note of that when you’re deep in the clutch.