VALORANT, Riot Games' shiny new FPS, is in a unique position to draw players from a wide variety of gaming backgrounds. Some new to the multiplayer FPS genre entirely have become interested in the game simply due to Riot's pedigree as a company capable of producing a quality gaming experience. That said, they will inevitably have to contend with competing against players who have hundreds of hours of experience in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive or other, similar tactical shooters. One technique players new to the genre can learn to help get an edge up on their competition is bunny hopping.
The bunny hop technique is not new to VALORANT. Rather, it's something that's been used throughout FPS history in games like Quake and Team Fortress, among many others. It can be accomplished by jumping at an angle, and upon landing, jumping again at an opposite angle, all while pointing your camera forward in the direction of your jump. Reddit user Jack_Dice has posted a guide to Reddit showing the technique in practice, as well as explaining some of its in-game applications:
What bunny hopping accomplishes is a movement speed greater than your character's base running speed. Alternating between angled jumps preserves your character's highest possible momentum, with the net effect of a faster movement velocity than would be possible sticking to the ground or repeatedly jumping forward.
This has two major applications in VALORANT. Most importantly, bunny hopping counters Sage's Slow Orb ability, which creates a layer of ice on a section of the ground that slows all players walking through it. Proper bunny hopping can propel a character quickly across even Slow Orb-affected areas. Additionally, bunny hopping can be used in a select situations where a faster movement speed will benefit gameplay. For example, if you're on Point A and your teammate is killed by the last remaining enemy on Point B, you can bunny hop to traverse the map quicker than normal, leaving more time left to dual your final opponent.
Becoming comfortable bunny hoping ultimately relies on muscle memory. It's a good idea to enter Practice Mode to learn what the technique feels like, so that come game time, bunny hopping will become as second nature as moving and firing.