VALORANT Stinger weapon guide for patch 6.02

With the recent jump in Stinger usage in VALORANT, even after the recent nerf, here is a weapon guide for the Stinger. One of the cheapest primary weapons in the game, the Stinger takes some time to get used to. But, if you can get it right, you can win a lot of rounds when you can’t spend a lot.

After a few weeks of tracking, were upping the cost of the Stinger and adjusting the damage fall-off in time for Patch 6.02.

We feel the Stinger is over-performing at its price point, especially in the early rounds, and lacks the right economic tradeoffs. 🧵

— VALORANT (@VALORANT) February 4, 2023

Stinger details

To start this guide, let’s go over all the details for the VALORANT submachine gun that is the Stinger. This is slightly updated, as the most recent VALORANT patch nerfed the Stinger after it grew too powerful.

First off, the Stinger costs 1100 credits. This makes it the third-cheapest primary weapon, only ahead of the sniper rifle Marshal and shotgun Bucky. It has two firing modes, one for hip-firing and the other while aiming down the sights. The hip-fire version shoots very fast, an automatic fire good at close range. The ADS (aiming down the sights) version is semi-automatic, with a four-round burst, but a slower fire rate than the hip fire mode.

It has 20 bullets per magazine, with 16 rounds per second base fire rate. This means you can burn through ammo quickly, using the whole clip in just over a second. It has a significant damage falloff though, dropping after 15 meters. Every shot does a base 27 damage per bullet but drops to 23 once enemies are 15 or more feet away. Plus, the Stinger’s ADS fire has the same damage falloff.

Tips and tricks for the Stinger

To end this guide, here are some great ways to get value from the Stinger in VALORANT.

First off, depending on how you play, the Stinger could get more value than other similarly priced guns. Thanks to its design, at a close range, the Stinger can obliterate enemies in duels. For mid-range duels, the ADS fire is the best option, but try and get angles where the enemies will be as close to you as possible.

As for things to avoid, never fight a long-range duel with a Stinger. You’ll probably have a better chance of hitting shots with your secondary weapon. Another thing the Stinger isn’t great at is shooting multiple enemies at once. If you want a weapon that can handle fighting multiple enemies at once, the Spectre is the better submachine gun. Due to its high fire rate and low magazine, you’ll probably get one kill before needing to reload. Make sure to back up or take angles where you can force one on one duels if you get a first pick.

Last but not least, hip firing with the Stinger is a very risky game. If you’re close to your enemy, you can surprise them and get a kill while avoiding their shots. But this should be a last resort option, as it can lead to missed shots and a waste of ammo.