Most people searching for VALORANT keybinds want three answers: what the defaults are, which keys are actually worth moving, and whether each agent can have its own layout. The answer to the last one is yes.
Patch 3.12, released in December 2021, added agent specific keybinds, so the same ability slot can sit on a different key depending on who you lock in, and it started showing you what else a key is bound to whenever two bindings collide.
Patch 13.09, posted on October 27, 2026, went further and redesigned the ability tooltip so it now shows the agent, their role and their keybinds at a glance.
This guide uses Riot's own support articles and patch notes to walk through the default keys, the principles we would use before moving any of them, how to build an agent profile step by step, and where to put a recording app's clip key so it never fights your game binds.
It sticks to the keyboard side of your setup, so sensitivity and crosshair settings are out of scope here. Everything is current as of November 10, 2026, and menu names can differ slightly depending on your client language and version.
The short answer: keep the defaults and move only what collides or what one agent makes awkward
There is no single best VALORANT keybind layout. Hand size, how many side buttons your mouse has and which agents you play all change what feels natural, so instead of copying one pro's binds wholesale, we suggest five rules. First, leave WASD, left click to fire and right click for alt fire alone.
They are the keys your hands know best, and moving them costs more than it gains. Second, treat walk (Left Shift) as part of your sound discipline.
Riot's own support article points out that allies and enemies can hear you run, and that walking or crouching around a corner helps you approach unnoticed. Decide whether walk should be held or toggled, then keep it where your pinky can rest on it all round.
Third, judge ability keys (C, Q and E, plus X for your ultimate) by one question: can you reach them without lifting a finger off WASD?
Published pro settings show players putting abilities on mouse side buttons, jump on mouse wheel down and Use Object on E, but every move means relocating whatever used that key before.
Fourth, if only one agent ties your fingers in knots, build a profile for that agent instead of changing your global binds. Kits with lots of recast inputs, like Hush, added in Patch 13.09, who throws utility and then steers it toward the crosshair, are the classic case (see our Hush abilities guide).
Fifth, never stack two actions on one key. Patch 13.01 in July 2026 even fixed a bug where Jett's Cloudburst could fire during Updraft and Tailwind animations when several abilities were bound to the same key, which shows how easily stacked binds create inputs you did not mean.
Apply the same rule to your recording app and give its clip key a spot VALORANT does not use. Your keyboard layout also changes how far your fingers reach, so if you are shopping for one, our gaming keyboard buying guide is a good next read.
How to change VALORANT keybinds, from movement to agent profiles
- 1Open Settings, then ControlsPress Esc during a match, or click the gear icon at the top right of the main menu, then open the Controls tab. Inside Controls you will find Actions (movement and abilities), Communication (pings) and Interface (screen elements such as the combat report). Take a screenshot of your current layout first so you can put it back if a change does not work out.
- 2Decide how walk and crouch behaveUnder Controls, Actions, Movement you can set Default Movement Mode, Toggle Walk and Toggle Crouch. With Run as the default, you hold Left Shift to walk; switch the default to Walk and the same key becomes your run key. With the toggles off you only walk or crouch while the key is held, and with them on each press flips the state. For crouch, which you often need to cancel instantly in a fight, start with hold.
- 3Rebind and read the conflict warningClick the action you want to change and press the new key. Since Patch 3.12, a conflicting bind shows which other item already uses that key, so move that item too until nothing overlaps. If you move jump to mouse wheel down, make sure it is not still sharing the wheel with next and previous weapon.
- 4Create an agent keybind profileUnder Settings, Controls, Actions, pick an agent and create a profile. According to the 3.12 patch notes, each agent can have only one profile, you can create, remove and look up profiles, and you can copy your default keybindings to a single profile or to all of them at once. Copy the defaults first, then change only the ability keys that agent needs, so switching agents does not scramble your hands. You can revert changes one at a time, and reverting returns a key to what it was when the profile was created.
- 5Sort out voice and ping keysUnder Settings, Controls, Communication you can set hotkeys for the ping wheel itself and for individual pings, and with the wheel open you scroll between the Combat, Social and Strategic sets. Voice keys are under Settings, Audio, Voice Chat via Edit Voice Chat Key Bindings. The defaults are V for team voice and U for party voice; if one clashes with Discord or another app's push to talk key, change it on one side.
- 6Test in the Range and place your clip keyTry the new layout in the Range before a real match. The ability tooltip redesigned in Patch 13.09 shows the agent, their role and their keybinds, and it pops up at relevant moments such as when you test a new agent in the Range. Last, move your recording app's clip key to a key VALORANT does not use. In DOR, outside a match, open Settings, Highlights, Hotkey Setting and press the key you want; the full walkthrough is in our recording hotkey setup guide.
VALORANT PC default keybinds and what to check before changing them (as of November 10, 2026)
| Action | Default key | What to check before moving it |
|---|---|---|
| Move and walk | WASD, walk on Left Shift | Default Movement Mode and Toggle Walk live under Controls, Actions, Movement. Running makes footstep noise, so keep walk where you can hold it all round. |
| Crouch and jump | Crouch on Left Ctrl, jump on Space | Decide on Toggle Crouch first. If you move jump to the mouse wheel, check it does not collide with next and previous weapon on the wheel. |
| Abilities and ultimate | C, Q, E, ultimate on X | The test is whether you can press them without leaving WASD. Put awkward abilities for one agent in that agent's profile. |
| Weapons and Use Object | Primary 1, secondary 2, melee 3, spike 4, mouse wheel for next and previous weapon, Use Object on F | Moving Use Object to E means your E ability has to move too. Look for leftover conflict warnings afterwards. |
| Voice and pings | Team voice V, party voice U, ping Z | The ping wheel is under Controls, Communication and voice keys are under Audio, Voice Chat. Keep them clear of other apps' push to talk keys. |
| Map, shop and combat report | Map M, shop B, combat report N, settings Esc | The combat report key is under Controls, Interface. Map and shop are not mid fight keys, so there is little reason to move them. |
| Recording clip key (DOR) | Save clip F8, screen recording F7 | Use a keyboard key or a Ctrl or Shift combo that VALORANT does not use. While recording, DOR takes the clip key input, so do not share it with a game action. |
What to check after changing your keybinds
- No conflict warnings remain on the keys you moved. When two binds collide the menu names the other item, and you have moved that one too.
- If you put jump or an ability on the mouse wheel or a side button, it no longer overlaps next and previous weapon on the wheel.
- You know each agent gets only one profile, and you copied your defaults before changing just the ability keys that agent needs.
- Team voice (V) and party voice (U) do not clash with push to talk in Discord or any other app.
- Your recording app's clip key does not overlap any VALORANT bind, and you pressed it once in your first match to confirm a clip was saved. If nothing happens, see recording hotkey not working.
Keep the plays from your new layout with DOR
DOR is a free Windows game recorder. When you launch VALORANT it detects the game and records the whole match, and kills are turned into automatic clips, tagged as aces and clutches, in the app's My Clips. POTG, the play of the game, and party clips also work in VALORANT.
For moments that are not kills, like the first smoke lineup or ability combo you land on your new binds, press the clip key (F8 by default) right after and the last 30 seconds are saved as a video.
You can pick 15, 30, 45 or 60 seconds under Settings, Highlights, Highlight length, and change the key under Settings, Highlights, Hotkey Setting to any keyboard key or, on the latest app, a Ctrl or Shift combo.
If your abilities live on mouse side buttons, a spare keyboard key for the clip key keeps the two from ever overlapping. For anything that is not a game, screen recording (F7 by default) captures it.
Back in the app you can trim clips to 16:9, 9:16 or 1:1, and in DOR Studio (dor.gg/studio) you can combine several plays, add text and BGM, then export an mp4 or share a dor.gg link. Our guide to clipping VALORANT covers the clip workflow, and the VALORANT game page lists everything DOR does for the game.
