That’s the premise of the latest video from the Aimlabs YouTube channel, which goes beyond repeating the basics and gets into the specific habits that override them, why they’re so hard to break, and what it actually takes to fix them. If you’ve ever caught yourself doing something wrong mid-fight and been completely unable to stop it in the moment, the video has a framework for exactly that.

The Skill Awareness Ladder

There’s a well-known model in learning and coaching called the four stages of competence. The video applies it directly to VALORANT gunfight habits, and it’s worth understanding because it explains why knowing something isn’t the same as being able to execute it under pressure.

The first stage is unconscious incompetence. You’re doing something wrong and you don’t even know it. You can’t fix what you can’t see. The second stage is conscious incompetence. You’ve started catching the mistake, but you still can’t stop it in the moment. Progress, but frustrating. The third stage is conscious competence. You’re executing correctly, but you have to actively think about it, which means you lose the fight the moment your attention goes elsewhere. The fourth stage is unconscious competence. The skill is automatic. You don’t have to think about it, which frees you up to focus on everything else happening in the round.

Most players who know their fundamentals are stuck somewhere between stages two and three. The goal of deliberate drilling is to close that gap and push toward stage four.

From Awareness to Reflex

The video covers some of the most common habits that keep VALORANT players at stages two and three, from movement error and spray reliance to crosshair placement mistakes and diagonal peeking. For each one it identifies the habit, explains why it costs you gunfights, and gives you a specific drill to address it.

A couple worth highlighting: for players who struggle with mindless flicking and no micro-adjustments, Adjustshot VALORANT in Aimlabs is recommended specifically because the target size and movement force you to correct after the initial flick rather than just hoping it lands. For crosshair placement in chaotic multi-angle situations, Deepflick Pokeball gets called out as a high-rep drill for building reliable snap aim without the noise of a full deathmatch.

The throughline across all of it is that awareness has to come before training, and training has to come before reflex. Jumping straight to deathmatch without knowing what habit you’re trying to break is just reinforcing whatever you’re already doing.

The full breakdown, including every habit and drill covered, is in the video. It’s worth a watch if you want the complete picture.

The post Why You’re Still Losing VALORANT Aim Duels You Should Be Winning appeared first on Aimlabs.com Articles.

We’ve also introduced more control over the tasks, such as FOV lock, the ability to disable cosmetics or override health bar size, and changes to the floating start position!

If you’re curious to see how some of these changes might apply as a player, check out our New Creator Studio Features Showcase playlist!

Here is the full list of whats new:

Bot Movement Related Changes:

Velocity Controls and Transitions

This is comprised of two important additions, “Velocity Controls” for bot movements, and “Transitions,” referring to the act of either going from one bot profile to another, or from one movement behavior to another.

Velocity Controls – Three new settings have been added to control “velocity” (meaing acceleration and deceleration.) The current Dir Change Speed value was kept to maintain backwards compatibility but we added a specific value for acceleration rate and deceleration rate (both expressed in m/s^2) and a max terminal velocity. These settings allow for a much better control of how targets can move when changing directions and is a significant step up from the current “dir change speed.”

Both options are shown and there is a new system in place to choose which one is prioritized, so they don’t clash. By default, it uses the old “dir change speed,” with the new settings being at a default value of “0,” if you change these values, then the new system takes over.

Transitions – Regarding “bot switch condition,” which is a spawner modifier that allows you to go from one bot profile to another based on a specific condition chosen by the creator (ie time, bot health, etc,) the addition here is the new inherit speed option which goes from 0% to 100% and determines how much of the previous bot’s speed gets translated to the new bot based on it’s acceleration parameters. This makes the changing of bots way more seamless since the new bot basically carries the momentum of the previous one, making it less obvious that it’s actually 2 (or more) different bots, and making it seem like it’s actually just one.

Juking and Fakeouts

This is a feature that allows bots to “pretend” they are changing directions to throw off players. This is useful for more complex movement patterns and to better replicate movement techniques found in real games. In practice in a task, the bot slows down or will do a small stutter motion to simulate a direction change, but instead of turning to the opposite direction it keeps going in its original direction.

This works by first giving the scenario creator the ability to choose a specific likelihood of this happening with the Fakeout Chance (%) option, and then being able to select how long the duration of the fakeout should be between a min/max value in seconds. The min speed of the fakeout in % and also a cooldown for this happening, which is also in min/max seconds to prevent the juking to happen too often if desired.

On Spawn Behaviors

This is comprised of two features that share that they happen, or they affect something when the target first spawns. They are “Spawn At Full Speed” and “First Direction Change Interval.”

Spawn At Full Speed – Previously, if a bot did not have instant acceleration enabled (meaning it needed to accelerate to reach full speed when changing directions,) it also affected how it behaved on spawn. Newly spawned targets begin almost static and must accelerate up to their desired speed. This created an issue where players can “farm” fresh spawns, since they are significantly easier to eliminate compared to bots that are already in motion.

To address this, a new option called Spawn At Full Speed was added. It’s a toggle that is turned off by default to preserve backwards compatibility. When enabled, newly spawned targets immediately move at their maximum potential speed, making them much harder to eliminate.

First Direction Change Interval – This feature allows you to override the normal strafe timing parameters of movement behaviors (“strafer” for horizontal movement, “vertical” for vertical movement, and “forward/back” for the Z axis) specifically on spawn. It lets the creator control when the very first strafe happens after a target spawns. This first direction change can occur earlier or later than it normally would based on the standard strafe timing settings. Once this initial interval is completed, the target returns to its regular strafing parameters.

In the editor, this is implemented through a new First Direction Change Interval option within the strafing settings. It is set to 0 seconds by default, which effectively disables it. The creator can then choose a specific value in seconds to determine exactly when the first direction change should occur.

In-Behavior Conditions

In-behavior conditions, called Conditional Overrides in the editor, are a new option added to the three main movement behaviors (“strafer” for horizontal movement, “vertical” for vertical movement, and “forward/back” for the Z axis). They allow creators to introduce new behaviors dynamically to a specific bot based on chosen conditions, such as time alive or distance to the player, without relying on bot switch conditions. Unlike bot switch conditions, which are applied at the spawner level and replace the original bot entirely, conditional overrides modify behavior directly on the existing bot.

In the editor, this is handled through an “Overrides” list that is set to 0 by default. The creator can increase this number depending on how many overrides they want to add. For each override, they can drag and drop a behavior into the new Conditional Overrides slot and define the condition that will trigger it.

By default, when the condition is met, the new behavior fully replaces the original one. However, there are additional options available. If the Additive option is enabled, the new behavior will work alongside the original instead of replacing it. There is also a Toggleable option, which allows the behavior to turn off if the condition is no longer met. For example, if a behavior activates when the bot is within 5 meters of the player, it will trigger at that distance and autoically deactive once the bot moves further than 5 meters, reverting to the original behavior.

This feature also includes the Inherit Speed option mentioned in the Transitions section above, and it functions in the same way.

Lookahead and Wall Avoidance

This feature prevents bots from colliding with walls and other objects by giving them a lookahead distance (in meters,) so they can change direction before actually hitting something. This is a very useful behavior that was previously impossible to achieve in Creator Studio. Previously, when a bot ran into something with collision (ie another bot, a wall, a blocking object, the player, etc,) it will collide, bounce off, and then change direction. With Lookahead enabled, the bot is constantly scanning a set range ahead of itself, and if it detects an obstacle, it will strafe in the opposite direction to avoid the collision altogether.

In the editor, this appears as a field where the creator sets the Lookahead value in meters. It is set to “0” by default to preserve current behavior and ensure backwards compatibility.

There are also additional toggles that let the creator decide what the bot should treat as blocking. By default, these are all disabled, meaning the bot only avoids static level geometry such as walls. The creator can optionally enable: Detect bots as blocking so the bot avoids colliding with other bots, Detect player as blocking so it avoids colliding with the player and Detect blocking objects so itavoids special invisible gameplay blockers (such as the “blocking cube”.)

Absolute Strafe Timings

This feature applies to the main movement behaviors (Strafer, Vertical, and Forward/Back) and ensures that bots only change direction based on their defined strafe timings, not upon collision. This was previous impossible in Creator Studio, as bots always bounce back instantly when they collide with something.

The solution was to introduce a Change Dir on Collision option. It is enabled by default to match existing behavior and preserve backwards compatibility. If this option is disabled, the bot will only change direction when its strafe timing dictates it should. It will no longer instantly reverse direction upon collision.

For example, if a bot has a strafe timing of 4 seconds and hits a wall at the 2-second mark with the option turned on, the bot will immediately strafe back, ignoring the remaining 2 seconds of its timing. With the option turned off, the bot will remain against the wall for the remaining 2 seconds and only strafe back once the full 4-second interval has elapsed.

Gravity Controls

This feature allows creators to change and control the gravity of a scenario. Previously, gravity was a fixed value that could not be modified. This is especially useful for bounce scenarios, falling targets, or any setup that relies on vertical movement. In the editor, the new gravity settings are divided into two sections:

Level Gravity – In the Level Settings, we added a new Gravity field set to 9.81 by default to ensure backwards compatibility. This value controls the gravity applied to all physics-based elements, such as the player and physics objects, but not bots. Increasing or decreasing this value will make these elements fall faster or slower. Setting it to 0 disables gravity entirely, meaning everything affected by level gravity will remain static in the air.

There is also a new Player Gravity toggle in the Level Settings. It is turned on by default to match existing behavior, as there was previously no way to disable player gravity. If this toggle is turned off, only the player will no longer be affected by gravity, meaning the player can remain static in the air while other physics-based elements are still affected.

Bot Gravity – Bots handle gravity differently from level physics, so a separate solution was required. A new behavior called Custom Gravity was added under the Manuevers category. This allows creators to control gravity on a per-bot basis.

To match the default gravity of other elements, this value needs to be set to 19.62. Adjusting it higher or lower will make the bot fall faster or slower, and setting it to 0 will disable gravity entirely for that bot, causing it to remain static in the air.

Misc Additions:

FOV Lock

This feature allows creators to define a specific FOV range that can be used in a scenario. It has been heavily requested and is very important for competitive integrity, as well as for ensuring that tasks actually train the skill intended by the creator. Without this, players can use extreme FOV values to gain an unfair advantage. For example, a task designed around very small, far-away targets can be trivialized by lowering the FOV to effectively turn it into something closer to Gridshot.

In the editor, this is implemented through two fields in the Level Settings that define the minimum and maximum horizontal FOV allowed. If the creator wants to enforce a single specific value, they simply enter the same number in both fields.

In-game, players can still move the FOV slider freely, but the value will always be constrained within the range set by the creator. For example, if the minimum allowed FOV is 80 and the player moves the slider to 20, the game will still render as if 80 is selected, since that is the enforced minimum.

If a player loads into a scenario with an FOV outside the permitted range, their value will automatically adjust to fit within it. An indicator appears in the top right corner to inform the player that their settings were modified.

Cosmetic Features Lock

This consists of two separate additions: disabling cosmetic skins and overriding the health bar size:

Disable Cosmetic Skins – This is a toggle found in the bot settings that prevents certain bots from having skins applied. Bots are not always used as targets, sometimes they serve as triggers or visual indicators, and applying skins can interfere with that purpose. From a competitive standpoint, some skins may also provide a slight advantage.

In the editor, this appears as a toggle called Disable Cosmetic Skins. It is turned off by default to preserve backwards compatibility, meaning skins can be used normally. When enabled, the bot will ignore any target skin selected by the player and will instead appear as the default target shape and size.

Override Health Bar Size – This is useful in scenarios where targets with health bars are not meant to be spotted before the actual target model is visible on screen. If a player uses a large health bar size, they may gain an unfair advantage by seeing the health bar before the bot itself.

For bots with more than 1 HP, a new toggle called Override Health Bar Size is available. It is turned off by default, meaning the player’s own health bar size setting applies as usual. When enabled, a new field called Force Health Bar Size appears. It is set to -1 by default, which means it does not override anything. The creator can then choose a value between 0 and 5 (which is the same range available in normal gameplay settings.) Once set, that specific bot will always use the defined health bar size, regardless of the player’s personal settings.

Floating Start Position

This is the ability to make the player float without needing to place an object under the playerstartposition. This is solved by the Player Gravity setting explained in the Gravity section.

There you have it! We hope you enjoy the new changes and look forward to seeing your creations with it!

The post We Have Updated the Aimlabs Creators Studio! appeared first on Aimlabs.com Articles.

If you want to hit the ground running at launch, now is the time to get your mechanics in order. Below are five tasks you can jump into right now to start building the fundamentals that Marathon is going to demand from you. These are a taste of what’s to come as more Marathon-specific playlists and content arrive down the line, but they’ll give you a solid foundation heading into launch weekend.

VT Floatshot Intermediate – This task features five targets spread across a wide play area, each moving with large horizontal strafes and frequent but gentle vertical movement. Targets go down in a single shot and respawn immediately, keeping you in a constant rhythm of acquisition and firing. For Marathon, this is excellent preparation for the kind of precise, composed flicking you’ll need when you catch an enemy repositioning across a sightline. Getting comfortable picking off targets that aren’t moving in a straight line is exactly the kind of habit that pays off in real engagements.

VT Strafeshot Novice – Six targets occupy a wide play area, each traveling horizontally at varying angles with unpredictable directional changes thrown in to keep you honest. Like Floatshot, a single click is all it takes to destroy a target before it respawns. The unpredictability here is the point… Marathon players are not going to cooperate and move in neat, readable patterns, and this task trains your ability to read and react to targets that change direction without warning. Good first shot discipline is critical in a game with Marathon’s TTK, and this task puts that front and center.

VT Waveswitch Centered Novice – A target switching scenario featuring five targets at various depths across a wide play area, each moving gently but evasively in multiple directions. The depth variance is particularly relevant here, as Marathon’s maps are going to put you in situations where you’re switching between threats that aren’t all sitting on the same plane, and training to handle that naturally is something this task does well. Clean, composed switching without panic is one of those skills that separates players who survive messy multi-target situations from those who don’t.

rA Strafetrack Easy – A reactive tracking scenario built around a pill-shaped target that strafes evasively in the horizontal plane. This is where the Apex side of Marathon’s mechanical demands comes in, when you’re up against a Vandal doing speed bursts or a Thief swinging in on a grapple, you are not going to be flicking to a static target. You need your tracking to hold up on something that is actively trying to not be where your crosshair is. This task builds that reactive foundation in a focused, low-noise environment where you can actually feel yourself improving.

Close Long Strafes Invincible – The final task on the list features a pill-shaped target strafing evasively at short to mid range around the player. The target can’t be destroyed, which removes the temptation to rush your shots and lets you focus purely on the quality of your tracking. Marathon’s close range encounters, especially against the more mobile runners, are going to test whether your aim holds up when a target is right in your face moving unpredictably. This is the task to run when you want to dial in that smooth, sustained control before things get chaotic.

Good luck out there on your raids this weekend!

The post 5 Tasks in Aimlabs to Warm Up for Marathon Before Launch appeared first on Aimlabs.com Articles.

If you want to get better in those scenarios, you need to introduce pressure based training to your regimen. Training under pressure means adding urgency, tighter time windows, and that bit of stress that you feel as you’re in those 1vsX situations with players bearing down on your bombsite or your position. The goal is not only to hit difficult shots, but to stay composed while you do it. When you combine mechanical strain with mental strain, you can develop aim that holds up when it counts.

Below are four tasks in Aimlabs that help recreate that feeling. Each one pushes your mechanical abilities while keeping intensity high. Work these into your routine when you want to sharpen your mechanics and build confidence for clutch situations.

The Tasks:

Stellar S2 – Swarmclick
From Stellar Aiming’s Benchmarks, this task features a number of targets swarming the center of the play space, despawning when they reach the middle. While you will not lose points when the targets despawn, missed shots will deduct points from your score, so take care to aim and don’t try to cheat the task by spamming shots carelessly!

Spreadclick
From our Fourth Ranked Season, this task features targets that spread to different locations every three seconds, or until you clear them. Earn points for clean shots, and lose points for missing the targets. Work on prioritizing fast flicks, while paying attention to target selection as you’re flicking, to ensure that you’re maximizing your points. Avoid spam clicking or panicking, as those will demolish your score.

Cycleclick
This task is from our Third Ranked season, and while it’s similar to Spreadclick in the sense that the task features timed phases, Cycleclick’s features three different phases with the targets shrinking in size each phase. The score is fixed, with points being awarded per target kill, and deducted per miss. Work on those fast click, and maintain your composure!

Sideclick
Our final task of the list was originally featured in our Second Ranked Season, and trains your aim under-pressure by spawning four targets that alternate between two side-by-side walls. The targets will only stay on each side for two seconds or when you’ve cleared all four targets. This task combines shorter range flicks with wide flicks, and trust us when we say that the timer will keep you on edge! Points are awarded for hit targets, and deducted for missed shots.

The post Four Tasks on Aimlabs to Train Your Aim Under Pressure appeared first on Aimlabs.com Articles.

This new video is the next step: what to actually do with those results.

If Benchmarks are the test, they’re not the training plan. Just like you wouldn’t walk into a gym, max out every lift, and call it a workout, you shouldn’t just spam Benchmarks and hope your scores magically rise. The video breaks down three key training principles: isolation, specificity, and progressive overload, and shows how they apply directly to aim training. Instead of grinding everything equally, you’ll learn how to identify your weakest subskill and build your sessions around fixing that exact problem.

From there, it gets practical. Each section of the Benchmarks: Tap, Track, and Switch, is broken down with a clear explanation of what it’s actually testing. Low score in Tap Time? You’re probably mistiming shots on strafing targets. Weak in Track Reactive? Direction changes are throwing you off. Struggling with Switch Acquisition? You’re hesitating before your mouse even moves. The video pairs each weakness with specific task suggestions, so you’re not guessing what to queue up next.

It also tackles something a lot of players overlook: structure. How long should you train? How often? Should you do everything in one day or split it up? The recommended approach, a simple rotating Tap/Track/Switch split with focused 15-minute sessions, keeps things consistent without burning you out. It’s not about marathon grind sessions. It’s about deliberate reps, spaced over time, with difficulty adjusted just enough to force improvement.

If you’ve already run Benchmarks and have your results sitting there, this is the piece that turns numbers into action. Instead of random grinding, you’ll walk away with a clear, repeatable routine built around your weaknesses. Give the video a watch, then take another look at your scores… you’ll probably see your training a little differently.

Watch the Video on YouTube!

The post How to Build an Aim Training Routine from Your Aimlabs Benchmarks appeared first on Aimlabs.com Articles.

While it is early yet, and our Deadlock Aim Basics Routine is still baking in the oven, we wanted to put together a quick list of tasks and playlists that you can use to train or warm-up for Deadlock specifically!

Something to note, Deadlock features a well balanced combination of the different aiming sub categories based on the different heroes’ kits, gameplay situations, and overall mechanics that are featured throughout Deadlock. For example, some heroes feature ults that are going to rely on flicking accuracy, like Vindicta and Venator, and you may need your flicks on point to land a dagger with Haze, but other heroes like Bebop, Seven, McGinnis, or Graves, will rely more heavily on tracking and switching.

That’s all to say that a well rounded training routine will benefit you in Deadlock, especially as you still feel out what heroes will make up your specific pool of characters, after which, you can focus on a more specified training routine.

Let’s jump into the resources now!

Deadlock Tasks:

Deadlock – VT Soulsteal
This task emulates the process of tracking your crosshair over a minion or creep on the lane, before it spawns an orb you need to confirm (or deny from your opponents) overhead. The task combines a bit of tracking over a short, pill shaped target before flicking to an orb. This is the bread and butter of laning phase in Deadlock.

VT Soultrack Reflex
This task features a long corridor with semi-evasive orb shaped targets at varying depths, which you must track. It’s another take on the soul confirming / denying mechanic as the previous task, though this one is more fitting for if you’re playing a hero that has a beam based weapon or a full auto gun.

Deadlock Playlists:

Voltaic Deadlock Fundamentals
This playlist is the most comprehensive Deadlock playlist currently, compiled by CARTOON, who quickly emerged as an elite Deadlock player throughout 2025. If you were a Deadlock fan, you woul have seen CARTOON in and out of the top 10 leaderboard since the public learned about the game.

ottrs Deadlock Routines
This playlist has been curated by Overwatch and Apex Legends veteran player and streamer ottr, from mostly core tasks in Aimlabs, such as Motiontrack, Spidershot, Microshot, and others, with repetitions outlined to provide a solid foundation for training and warming up.

Deadlock Self Improvement by Symphoneers
YouTuber Symponeers Gaming put this playlist together, featuring a mix of core tasks and some creator made tasks, with the goal of providing a quick warm-up to help with acquisition speed on moving targets.

Keep an eye out for more Deadlock content on Aimlabs in the near future!

The post 5 Training Resources to Get Better at Deadlock appeared first on Aimlabs.com Articles.

The guide cuts through the noise and tells you which tasks are worth your time. With Aimlabs offering thousands of tasks and playlist, it’s easy to waste hours on routines that don’t improve key skills like flicking, tracking, and micro‑adjustments. The video zeroes in on the most impactful exercises you can start with today, helping you refine your aim with purpose, instead of going through the motions.

This video can be especially helpful if you’re new to Aimlabs, as it’s been put together to ease you into the training process without overwhelming you with options. You can also apply what you learn from this breakdown, such as how certain tasks apply to in-game situations, and use that to seek out other tasks that have similar names or terminology. It’s also broken down with meticulous time stamps so you can jump through to the key parts that apply to what you’re working on.

If you’re serious about improving, you’ll want to check this video out. It’s packed with practical tips that you can apply to your entire aim training journey, and it can help you take your VALORANT gameplay to the next level.

Click Here to Check Out the Best Aimlabs Tasks for VALORANT in 2026!

The post New Aimlabs Video Outlines the Most Effective Training for VALORANT Players appeared first on Aimlabs.com Articles.

The Tasks:

#1 – VCT NA – yay

#2 – VCT LATAM – kiNgg

#3 – VALORANT Small Flicks

#4 – Micro Gridshot

#5 – VCT NA – TenZ

#8 – VT Miniphase VALORANT

#7 – VT Adjustshot VALORANT

#8 – VT DotTS VALORANT Easy

#9 – VT Microshot VALORANT

#10 – VT berryTS VALORANT

Looking for more? Check out the Top 10 Playlists from November 2025!

The post The 10 Most Popular Aimlabs Tasks in November appeared first on Aimlabs.com Articles.