RIVALS ruined other Roblox shooters for me. Coming from Phantom Forces, I thought I knew FPS games. Then I loaded into my first RIVALS match and got absolutely destroyed. 2 kills, 14 deaths. Embarrassing.
400+ hours later, I’m consistently hitting Diamond in ranked. The journey from that first 2-14 game to actually being decent taught me that raw aim isn’t what wins in RIVALS. It’s settings, positioning, and game sense. Most players never fix their settings and wonder why they can’t improve.
This guide covers everything I wish someone told me after that humiliating first match.
Grab free keys from codes first. I’ve saved probably 50 bucks in Robux from codes alone.
Settings That Actually Matter
Your settings can make or break your gameplay. I played my first 50 hours on default settings like an idiot. Changed my sensitivity once and immediately felt the difference.
Sensitivity
Finding your sens took me like two weeks of tweaking. Here’s where I landed and how to find yours:
My settings (for reference):
- Roblox Sensitivity: 0.36
- In-game Sensitivity: 1.4
- ADS Multiplier: 1.0
- DPI: 950
Recommended ranges:
- Roblox Sensitivity: 0.3 - 0.5
- In-game Sensitivity: 1.0 - 2.0
- ADS Multiplier: 0.8 - 1.0
- DPI: 800 - 1600
How to find your sens:
- Start at 1.0 in-game sens with 800 DPI
- Can you do a 180 comfortably? If not, increase
- Can you track a moving target smoothly? If not, decrease
- Adjust until both feel natural
Don’t copy my sens exactly. I have a small mousepad so I run higher sens. Someone on the Discord runs 0.5 sens at 400 DPI and he’s cracked. It’s personal.
FOV (Field of View)
Higher FOV = see more, but targets look smaller. I experimented between 90 and 120 for a week.
Where I landed: 103
High enough to catch flankers in my peripheral, low enough that I can still hit heads at range. The sweet spot for me.
Graphics Settings
I used to play on max graphics because it looked pretty. Then I realized I was getting 45 FPS while everyone else had 120+. No wonder I kept losing gunfights.
For competitive (what I use):
- Graphics Quality: 2
- Shadows: Off
- Effects: Low
- Particles: Low
The game looks worse but I went from 45 FPS to 144. Night and day difference in how responsive everything feels.
Keybinds
I rebound melee to my mouse side button after dying too many times trying to reach V. Quick melee access saved me in so many close fights.
Consider:
- Melee on a mouse button (quick access)
- Utility on easy-to-reach keys
- Crouch on a comfortable key (you’ll spam it)
Movement Basics
RIVALS rewards good movement. My first 20 hours I kept sprinting everywhere and dying to people who heard me coming. The moment I started walking more, my K/D went from 0.6 to 1.2.
Strafing
Never stand still while shooting. Move left and right (A-D strafe) to make yourself harder to hit.
I practiced this in casual for like 3 hours straight. Just strafing while keeping my crosshair on a fixed point. Boring but it works. This is the core FPS skill.
Crouch Peeking
Crouch, peek an angle, shoot, uncrouch, retreat. This makes your head harder to hit and lets you take quick shots.
Learned this the hard way after getting one-tapped by AWPers who were holding angles. Now I crouch peek everything.
Jump Peeking
Jump across doorways to spot enemies without committing. Gather info, then decide to push or hold.
I use this constantly on Warehouse. Jump peek the long hallway, see if anyone’s holding, then decide my route.
Slide Canceling
Sliding gives you speed. Cancel it early to maintain momentum while regaining accuracy.
Took me maybe 30 hours to get this consistent. Now it’s muscle memory. The speed boost is worth the practice time.
Aim Fundamentals
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: aim is important but overrated. I’ve seen players with insane aim stuck in Gold because they have zero game sense. Positioning wins more fights than raw mechanics.
Crosshair Placement
Keep your crosshair at head level, pre-aimed at common angles. When an enemy appears, you’re already on target.
This single habit probably added 5 kills per game for me. I used to aim at the ground while walking around. Now my crosshair is always head height.
Practice: Walk through maps with your crosshair at head height. Make it muscle memory. Took me about a week of conscious effort before it became automatic.
Pre-Aiming
Before peeking, aim where enemies are likely to be. Don’t peek and then find your target. Peek already aimed.
I died so many times peeking corners and then trying to find the enemy. Now I pre-aim the common spots before I even see them.
Tracking vs Flicking
- Tracking: Following a moving target smoothly
- Flicking: Snapping to a target quickly
RIVALS is mostly tracking. The TTK (time to kill) is long enough that you need to stay on target. Practice following moving targets more than flick shots.
Recoil Control
Every gun has a recoil pattern. AK-47 pulls up and right. Burst Rifle kicks up hard on the third shot.
I spent an hour in a private server just spraying walls with the AK. Learned the pattern, then practiced pulling down to compensate. Now I can full-spray at medium range and actually hit shots.
Weapon Selection
See our RIVALS Weapons Tier List for full rankings.
Starter Loadout
If you’re new:
- Primary: AK-47 (reliable, learnable)
- Secondary: Handgun (fast draw)
- Melee: Knife (default is fine)
- Utility: Smoke Grenade (essential)
When to Switch Weapons
- Close range: Shotgun, SMG
- Mid range: AK-47, Burst Rifle, M4A1
- Long range: AWP, Sniper, Bow
Don’t force a shotgun fight at long range. Reposition or switch weapons.
Map Knowledge
Knowing maps wins games. Learn these for every map:
Callouts
Learn the names of locations so you can communicate with teammates. “Enemy at A site” is better than “enemy over there.”
Common Angles
Every map has spots where enemies hold. Learn them, pre-aim them, check them.
Flanking Routes
Know the side paths. Sometimes going around is better than going through.
Spawn Points
Know where enemies spawn. This tells you where they’ll be in the first 10 seconds.
Game Sense
The stuff that separates good players from great players.
Sound Cues
Footsteps tell you where enemies are. Play with headphones. Listen for:
- Running footsteps (enemy pushing)
- Reloading sounds (enemy vulnerable)
- Ability sounds (enemy using utility)
Economy Management
Keys unlock weapons. Don’t waste them on meme guns. Prioritize:
- Good primary (AK, Burst Rifle)
- Good secondary (Revolver)
- Good melee (Katana)
- Utility (Smoke)
Timing
Learn how long it takes to rotate between sites. Know when to push, when to hold, when to rotate.
Trading
If a teammate dies, trade the kill immediately. Don’t let enemies get free kills.
Ranked Tips
Warm Up First
Don’t jump straight into ranked. Play 2-3 casual games to warm up your aim.
Communicate
Call out enemy positions, your plans, and when you need help. Silent teammates lose games.
Don’t Tilt
Losing streaks happen. If you lose 3 in a row, take a break. Tilted play is bad play.
Review Deaths
When you die, ask: “What could I have done differently?” Bad positioning? Wrong weapon? Missed shots? Learn from every death.
Play Your Role
If you’re AWPing, hold angles. If you’re entry fragging, go in first. Don’t do someone else’s job.
Common Mistakes
These are all things I did wrong for way too long.
Sprinting everywhere. Sprinting makes noise and you can’t shoot. I used to sprint around corners and die to people who heard me coming. Now I walk when enemies might be near.
Reloading in the open. Got caught mid-reload so many times. Now I always duck behind cover first. The extra second is worth not dying.
Peeking the same angle twice. If they saw you once, they’re pre-aimed. I learned this after getting one-tapped by the same AWPer three times in a row. Same angle. Same result. Peek somewhere else.
Ignoring utility. I didn’t use smoke grenades for my first 100 hours. Thought they were useless. Then I watched a Diamond player use smokes to clutch a 1v3. Now I always carry them.
Chasing kills. Getting one kill then dying to their teammate is a bad trade. I used to chase every kill and end up trading 1-for-1 constantly. Now I play for survival first.
Not using melee. Katana deflects bullets. I didn’t believe it until someone blocked my entire AK spray and killed me. Now I always have Katana equipped.
Practice Routine
Daily (15-20 min)
- Aim trainer or practice range (5 min)
- Recoil control practice (5 min)
- Casual game warm-up (10 min)
Weekly
- Watch your own gameplay, find mistakes
- Learn one new map angle or callout
- Try a weapon you don’t usually use
Quick Reference
Best starter primary: AK-47 Best aggressive primary: Shotgun or M4A1 Best long-range primary: AWP or Sniper Best secondary: Revolver Best melee: Katana (deflect) or Scythe (dash) Best utility: Smoke Grenade
Recommended sensitivity: Start at 1.0 in-game, 800 DPI Recommended FOV: 90-110
Related RIVALS Content
- RIVALS Codes - Free keys and cosmetics
- RIVALS Weapons Tier List - All weapons ranked
- RIVALS Maps Guide - Callouts and strategies for every map
- RIVALS Ranked Guide - How to climb from Bronze to Diamond
- RIVALS Movement Guide - Slide canceling and advanced techniques
- Blind Shot Codes - Another FPS game
- Knife Arena Guide - Melee combat tips
