Splitgateis a completely unique multiplayer experience that hascome back to lifein recent months. Players can utilize weapons, portals, and boosters to outplay opponents. Because ofSplitgate’s pace and the learning curve for beginners, it is inevitable that gamers will make a number of common mistakes.
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Most of these beginner mistakes are easy to avoid if people understand how to playSplitgate. Everyone has made at least one of these mistakes while playing. The chaos in beginner-level games is hard to watch, andnew players will wantto have a leg up on the competition.Here are some of the most common things players do wrong inSplitgateand explain the best ways of preventing them.
Update July 15, 2025 by Christine Angelica Mendoza:No one’s an expert at a game when they first pick it up and that’s what tutorials are for. However, even after learning the ins and outs of a game, actually being on the field is a completely different experience from trying things out in the practice room. Splitgate is a prime example of this phenomenon, with players discovering new strategies all the time. Newcomers and seasoned players alike are always susceptible to making the occasional flub. Since more and more people are jumping into this multiplayer game, thisbeginners tipsguide has been expanded to include a few morecommon mistakes Splitgateplayers should avoid.
16Throwing Grenades At Opposing Players
Grenades do not inflict damage inSplitgate, even on direct impact. The grenades are actually EMP blasts that destroy enemy portals. Throw one near an opposing player’s portal and it will collapse.
However, these grenades will not destroy friendly portals. Only the user or opposing player can take down that person’s portals. Everyone should ensure to throw their grenades to control strategic points on the map and cut off the enemy team.
15Taking The Portal Bait
Experienced players willbait opponents by placing portalsright next to them. This is often a trap to get the player to focus on the portal. Opposing teams will then take out the distracted player while they stare aimlessly at the portal.
Make sure to check the portal, but turn to ensure it wasn’t just a bluff. Notably, bullets will travel through portals. If there is an enemy on the other side of a portal, the hip-fire reticle will appear red.
14Staying On Foot
Beginners always make the mistake of using their portals sparingly.Splitgateis a movement-based game. All of the power weapons are in contested areas, and the opposing team will be porting to them immediately. People need to push weapon locations by sending portals to distant pads as soon as they spawn.
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The faster gamers move around the map, the better chance they have of surviving.Using portals to block objectives or power weaponsis another underutilized tactic that will force the other team to stay on foot.
13Depending On Jetpack For Mobility
While the player’s kit includes a jetpack, it’s not made to be the main means of transportation in a match.The portals inSplitgateare the primary means of mobility and the jetpack shouldn’t be used in place of them. When in a situation when trying to get from point A to point B, nine times out of ten, it’s much easier (and safer) to portal over instead of taking the risk and use the jetpack boosters to close the distance.
Many of theSplitgatemaps include holes or pits that lead to a quick and avoidable death. It’s best to play it safe and only use the jetpack to jump smaller distances or getting up to a small ledge rather than depending on it when crossing large gaps.
Weapon swap speed is almost instant inSplitgate. One of the recurring mistakes players make is reloading their weapons in a tight gunfight instead of swapping to their secondary. It is possible to swap weapons and kill an enemy before the reload animation finishes.
Always swap when the clip is low to finish off kills. Similarly, it is faster to use a secondary after getting a hit with the sniper than waiting for the next bullet to exit the chamber.
11Sticking To Default Weapons
The default weapons aren’t weak by any means and are definitely capable of getting kills. However, it’s a waste of potential to just ignore therest of the weapon roster. Every player is different and can have different preferences or strengths; grab a sniper if long distance is the way to go or remember to pick up the shotgun if close range is preferred.
Don’t be afraid to explore other options; try picking up every gun at least once on a map. After finding which one is the best fit, take things to the next level by memorizing that weapon’s spawn location on each map.
10Hip Firing With The Sniper
When hip firing the sniper, the actual size of the bullet box is much smaller than while aiming down sight.No scoping is not a good way to get kills inSplitgate. Instead, gamers can practice quick scoping or flicking while hard scoping.
The chances of connecting with a target are much higher when aiming down sight. Far too many players with FPS experience refuse to ADS and get killed as a result.
9Being Too Predictable
To become a skilled player inSplitgate, learning to become unpredictable is essential. Portals are the key to creating uncertainty and making opponents guess. People should belooking for alternative routes and anglesthat the other team will not expect.
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Intelligently using the portal will often result in easy kills due to exposed enemies. Get creative to catch enemy players off guard and control the contested areas of each map.
8Not Crouching
Contrary to popular belief,crouching is worth the efforteven outside of the Teabag Confirmed mode. Incasual matches, the radar can be a huge help, especially to newer players. It’s always important to take note of the red dots that appear and which level they’re on (indicated by the small arrow either above or below the dot).
However, it’s equally as important to ensure to conceal one’s own location on enemy radars as well.Crouching isn’t just for Teabag Confirmed, it can be used to disappear off of enemy radars to throw them off for the perfect sneak attack.
7Failing To Strategically Occupy Portal Space
When camping out to protect a fellow teammate or defending an objective, there are few places to call safe as enemies can portal in from almost any direction. Make sure to keep portal spaces occupied (even if they’re not needed) asthis effectively blocks the enemy team from being able to shoot a portal of their own to ambush the team.
Although the enemy team can use EMP grenades, only a few of them are given to a player upon each respawn. Portal blocking is most effective when the entire team does their part, somake sure to play nice.
