Sound as a Weapon

Players who hear well often win fights before they start. Footsteps, reloads, door sounds and vehicle engines tell you where enemies are, how many there are and what they are doing.

Hardware

Use wired or low-latency earphones. Cheap Bluetooth adds delay, which means you react to what already happened. Over-ear headphones can feel more spatial, but earphones are easier on a long mobile session. Test a pair by checking whether you can tell front from back.

Game audio settings

• Turn music off or very low. It masks footsteps.
• Keep voice volume comfortable so you hear teammates without losing ambience.
• Try the audio profile presets and pick the one where you can most clearly separate left from right.
• Keep the footstep indicator on if you use it, but do not rely on it alone.

Habits

Play in a quiet space whenever possible, and pause your own movement for a moment before a push so you can listen. Learn the sound of different surfaces, because metal and wood sound very different through a wall. Most of all, speak what you hear. A call like "two footsteps, upstairs, left" is worth far more than silence.