RIVALS is a competitive FPS on Roblox where you challenge other players to duels ranging from 1v1 to 5v5. First to 5 wins takes the match. The game uses a unique Duel Pad system instead of traditional matchmaking menus. You physically walk onto colored pads in the lobby to challenge opponents.
The skill ceiling is higher than most Roblox shooters. Movement matters as much as aim. Slide canceling, wall riding, and explosive jumping separate new players from experienced ones.
This guide covers your first hour. What loadout to start with, how duel pads work, basic movement, and the mistakes that cost beginners their first 20 matches.
What Makes RIVALS Different
Most Roblox FPS games are spray-and-pray. RIVALS rewards movement skill and loadout knowledge.
The Duel Pad System
Instead of clicking Play and getting matched randomly, you walk onto physical pads in the lobby. Each pad represents a different game mode and player count.
Green pads = 1v1
Blue pads = 2v2
Red pads = 5v5
Yellow pads = Daily rotating modes
When you step on a pad, the game searches for opponents wanting that same mode. The lobby is the matchmaking screen. Other players walking around are also waiting for matches.
This creates a different vibe than menu-based games. You see your competition before fighting them. Some players emote on pads while waiting. Others inspect each other's skins.
No Self-Damage
Explosives don't hurt you. RPGs, Grenades, Flare Guns can all be fired at your feet without taking damage.
This enables rocket jumping and grenade boosting. Launch yourself across maps or up to high ground by exploding near yourself. It's a core movement mechanic, not a gimmick.
Weapon Roles Beyond Damage
Melee weapons aren't for killing. They're movement tools.
Daggers give +30% run speed. Fists give double jump. Scythe gives a forward dash. Battle Axe gives horizontal dash. Players constantly swap between guns and melee to move faster.
I didn't know this for my first dozen matches. I kept my Assault Rifle equipped while running between cover. Enemy players with Daggers equipped outran me to every power position. Once I learned to swap to melee for movement, my winrate went up.
Your First Loadout
The default loadout is functional but not optimal. Change it before your first match.
Recommended Starter Loadout
| Slot | Weapon | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Assault Rifle | Well-rounded, works at all ranges |
| Secondary | Exogun | Better than Handgun, no recoil |
| Melee | Daggers | Speed boost for repositioning |
| Utility | Medkit | Self-heal between engagements |
Assault Rifle and Exogun cover short, medium, and long range. Daggers make you faster. Medkit keeps you alive.
You unlock weapons by playing matches and earning progression
. The starter weapons are free and competitive until you unlock better options.
Weapons to Avoid Early
Sniper Rifle: Requires precise aim and map knowledge. Miss one shot and you're defenseless for 2 seconds during bolt cycle.
Flamethrower: Only works close range. Easy to counter with any gun that outranges it.
Chainsaw: Melee primary that's worse than just using Daggers and a real gun.
Stick with hitscan weapons (Assault Rifle, Exogun) until you learn the maps. Projectile weapons like Paintball Gun and Crossbow require leading shots, which is harder for beginners.
How Duel Pads Work
Walk onto any colored pad in the lobby. The game shows a matchmaking counter at the top of the screen.
If someone else is already on that pad or joins quickly, you'll match with them. If nobody joins after 10-15 seconds, the search times out and you step off.
Choosing Your Mode
1v1 Green Pads: Fastest matches, pure skill check. You can't blame teammates. Good for practicing aim and movement.
2v2 Blue Pads: Balanced. Having a partner makes positioning more forgiving. Less frustrating than solo.
5v5 Red Pads: Chaotic. More like traditional FPS. You can contribute even if your aim isn't perfect by playing support roles.
Yellow Pads: Daily rotating modes like "Bunny Sniping" (only snipers, higher jump), "Mirror Matchup" (everyone has same loadout), or "Juggernaut" (one super-powered player vs everyone else).
Start with 2v2. It's the sweet spot between skill expression and team support.
Understanding the Lobby Flow
The lobby is a social space. Players waiting for matches will:
- Test weapons on the shooting range
- Show off skins by emoting near other players
- Form groups by standing together before stepping on pads
If you see a group of 5 players step on a Red pad together, they're a premade team. Don't step on that pad solo or you'll face a coordinated stack.
Basic Controls and Movement
RIVALS uses standard FPS controls with advanced movement options.
| Input | Action |
|---|---|
| WASD | Move |
| Mouse | Aim |
| Left Click | Shoot |
| Right Click | Aim Down Sights (ADS) |
| R | Reload |
| Q | Swap weapon |
| Space | Jump |
| Shift | Sprint |
| Ctrl | Slide |
| Numbers (1-4) | Weapon hotkeys |
The game doesn't explain advanced movement. You have to discover it or read guides.
Slide Canceling
Press Ctrl to slide, then immediately press Space to jump. This maintains your sprint speed while resetting the slide cooldown.
Slide → Jump → Slide → Jump creates faster movement than just sprinting. The jump cancels the slide's slow-down animation.
I didn't know about slide canceling until someone killed me, then slid past my corpse at double my speed. Looked it up, learned the tech, now I use it constantly.
Wall Sliding
Sprint toward a wall at an angle and hold Ctrl. You'll slide along the wall while maintaining speed. Useful for navigating tight corners without losing momentum.
Combined with slide canceling, you can move through maps faster than players just holding W.
Explosive Jumping
Equip RPG or Grenade. Aim at the ground near your feet. Shoot. Jump during the explosion.
The blast launches you up or forward depending on the angle. No self-damage means you can do this infinitely.
Experienced players use explosive jumps to reach rooftops and high ground that beginners don't know exist. Learning these spots wins matches.
Winning Your First Matches
Movement is half the fight. Aim is the other half. You need both.
Positioning Over Aim
High ground wins gunfights. Same skill level, the player above almost always wins because they see you before you see them.
Spend your first few matches learning where high ground spots are. Then figure out how to reach them fast using explosive jumps or regular movement.
Maps have obvious high ground (rooftops, platforms) and hidden spots (ledges, window sills). The hidden spots are better because enemies don't expect you there.
When to Use ADS
Right-click to aim down sights. This reduces recoil and tightens bullet spread but slows your movement.
Use ADS at medium-long range. Don't use ADS close range. Hip-fire is faster and you need movement speed in close fights.
I died constantly close-range because I'd ADS reflexively. Enemy would slide past me while I stood still aiming. Now I only ADS if the enemy is 20+ studs away.
Knowing When You're Losing a Fight
If you take damage first, you're already at a disadvantage. Don't keep fighting. Disengage.
Use Shift to sprint away while switching to Daggers for the speed boost. Get behind cover. Heal with Medkit if equipped. Re-engage when you have health advantage.
Beginners stay in losing fights and die. Better players reset and try again from a better position.
Common Beginner Mistakes
These killed me repeatedly in my first 30 matches.
Reloading in the Open
Don't reload while standing in a lane. Every time you reload, you're defenseless for 2-3 seconds.
Get behind cover first. Then reload. If you're in the open and need to reload, swap to your Secondary instead. Exogun or Handgun finishes kills faster than waiting for Assault Rifle to reload.
Ignoring Your Secondary
New players use Primary until it's empty, then reload. This gets you killed.
If your Primary is below 10 bullets and an enemy appears, swap to Secondary. Swapping is faster than reloading. Kill them with Secondary, then reload Primary when safe.
I used to treat Secondaries as backup weapons for when Primary runs dry. Now I actively swap between them mid-fight.
Standing Still While Shooting
Moving makes you harder to hit. Strafing left-right while shooting should be automatic.
Stand still and you're an easy target. Strafe and jump, and enemy shots miss more often even if their aim is good.
Watch killcams after you die. If you were standing still, that's why you lost.
Forgetting About Melee Movement
Running with your gun out is slow. Swap to Daggers when repositioning. Swap back to gun when you expect enemies.
The weapon-swap time is 0.3 seconds. That's faster than the extra time you'd spend running slowly with a gun equipped.
Not Using Utility
Medkit heals 50 HP over 2 seconds. That's half your health bar. Use it between fights or after disengaging.
I'd forget I had Medkit equipped and fight at 25 HP when I could have healed to 75 HP in 2 seconds behind cover.
What to Do After Your First Hour
Once you've won a few duels, these are your next goals.
Unlock Better Weapons
Play matches to earn progression. Early unlocks include:
- Exogun (better Secondary)
- Scythe (dash melee)
- Riot Shield (defensive utility)
Exogun is the first major upgrade. It has no recoil and faster fire rate than Handgun. Get it ASAP.
Learn One Map
Pick whichever map you play most often. Learn every high ground spot, cover position, and flank route.
Knowing one map well beats knowing all maps poorly. You'll win more fights on your main map than evenly spreading knowledge across all maps.
Try Different Loadouts
Once you have 5-6 weapons unlocked, test combinations.
Aggressive: SMG + Exogun + Scythe (all close range)
Defensive: Burst Rifle + Revolver + Riot Shield (hold angles)
Mobile: Assault Rifle + Exogun + Daggers (balanced with speed)
No single loadout is best. It depends on your playstyle and the map.
Practice Movement in Empty Servers
Use the lobby shooting range area to practice slide canceling, wall sliding, and explosive jumps without enemies shooting at you.
Muscle memory for movement comes from repetition. Spend 10 minutes practicing between match sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What game mode should beginners play?
Start with 2v2 Blue Pads. It balances skill expression with team support. 1v1 is too punishing when learning, and 5v5 is too chaotic to understand what you're doing wrong.
Which loadout is best for beginners?
Assault Rifle + Exogun + Daggers + Medkit. This covers all ranges, gives movement speed, and lets you heal between fights. Don't use Sniper or Shotgun until you know the maps.
How long does it take to unlock Exogun?
About 10-15 matches. Exogun is the first major unlock and worth grinding for. It has zero recoil and better stats than the default Handgun in every way.
Why do I keep losing close-range fights?
You're probably using ADS close range or standing still while shooting. Hip-fire at close range and strafe constantly. Also swap to melee (Daggers) when repositioning to move faster.
Should I follow the meta loadouts?
Not immediately. Use the beginner loadout (AR + Exogun + Daggers) for your first 20-30 matches. Once you understand the game, experiment with different weapons to find your playstyle.
Related RIVALS Guides
- All Working Codes for free Keys and weapon skins
- Weapons Tier List ranks every weapon from S to F tier
- Best Weapons Guide explains meta loadouts per mode
- Movement Guide covers advanced movement tech frame-by-frame
- Skins Guide shows how to unlock specific skins
