Splitgate Tips To Win More Matches In Popular Arena Shooter

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Last night I played a few Splitgate. I found a quiet spot on the map and placed a portal, then ran to the middle of the arena where the enemies could be seen and placed a second portal. Returning to my quiet corner, I stationed myself with a rifle and used my strategically placed portal to kill 11 players in a matter of seconds. It was awesome. But it also continues to happen, and it shows that a lot of people are not making effective use of the nifty portals that are the key feature of Splitgate.

Splitgate is a free-to-play shooter that combines Halo-like gameplay with portals that feel ripped straight from Valve’s Portal games. Splitgate is nothing new, however. It was launched in 2019 on Steam. At the time, the game enjoyed moderate success for a few weeks, but quickly lost players. Then last month, the game arrived on consoles with cross-play support. These new platforms, along with some popular streamers playing the game, helped the Splitgate audience explode. It is now one of the most popular games on Steam.

The point is, many of these new players seem unable or unwilling to use portals, or perhaps just uninterested. It’s strange, considering that Splitgate is built around the portals. The levels are filled with areas that allow you to place portals. You are equipped with an EMP that only destroys portals. You get rewards and medals for using the portals. The game practically screams at you to trust portals. Yet in most of the games I have played recently, few players use them. It is a mistake. For example, if you are using portals, you can do things like this:

I admit that I am a fairly experienced player when it comes to online shooters. But I’m not an esports pro who is always at the top of every rankings. Yet even my average ass ends up winning and leading in many Splitgate matches. When playing, I often feel like an impossible-to-kill god just because I use portals to kill other players, escape combat, or move around the map faster.

I don’t know why so many players don’t seem willing to use the portals. During a match, I followed the members of my team, without shooting or anything. Just by observing. Many of them have never used a single portal. Not only that, they also don’t seem to realize how powerful portals can be. They often walk right past enemy portals without blowing them up with their EMP or shooting at them with their weapon. (Pro tip for a non-pro: shoot at enemy portals. You can’t see through them, but if opponents are there and you hit, you’ll know it.)

All of this leads to times when players are devastated by people like me taking advantage of the portals that Splitgate has to offer. While Googling, I discovered that those players who get destroyed by others using portals seem to be upset by all of this. I saw that some portals suggested that the portals were overpowered. I’ve even seen some even suggest that the game should include modes without portals. But the portals are what sets Splitgate apart from other shooters. Without them, it would lose its distinctive identity.

Instead, I would recommend people to start using their portals. Even if you drop one when you spawn and make one in front of you for a quick exit from a potential fight, you’ll quickly realize how much advantage you gain. Simple moves like this can help you become a difficult to kill Splitgate player.

Unfortunately, I expect the game to continue to grow and as more and more people dedicate more hours to it, there will be an increase in the number of skilled players using the portals. When that happens, old Zack won’t stand a chance. But for now, I’ll continue to rack up kills from people who don’t understand how powerful portals can be.