Stealth, why it's so powerful yet underestimated in online multiplayer

I prefer to use my seek and destroy gameplay tactic, I roam around the map looking for enemies and shoot them on sight. It can be effective but against campers and more sneaky opponents you will often be beaten. Because patrolling around in a certain part of the map doesn't just make you predictable but it's also pretty loud compared to a more sneaky approach. Then there are people that just like to rush in battle and go for the 360 no scope nonsene but the true victors are often the sneaky players. Oh of course also the dipshit camping in the corner but this isn't about those type of players.

Stealth is worth it?

Stealth often means you have to slow down, you can't run and you have to stick to cover or some sort of cover. Running out in the open isn't stealth gameplay but unfortunately sometimes you don't have much of a choice. Camping in the corner isn't stealth by the way, that's just being sad. Stealth means you sneak a lot and go for the silent and quick kills instead of bursting out with shotguns or rockets and just blast away. That can be effective but it also draws in a lot of attention, which is something that can cost you the match. With stealth you invest in silencers, melee weapons and to make certain that enemies won't know you're there until it's too late for them. I must admit that I had my doubts about stealth, why sneak when I can run to my opponent? But then I managed to give it an honest try and end up behind enemies without them realizing that. The joy you have to shoot someone in the head with a silenced pistol or rifle without anyone realizing what happened is just so amazing. They have no idea what happened and you just sneak further into enemy territory. Stealth does require patience so if you're impatient then you really need to try and keep that under control. A small sprint can already give away your location and moving too quickly from you position can be a disaster. Learn patterns of movement, learn the spots where you can stay in the shadows and above all stay crouched so you don't stick out as much as you would while standing up. You also make a lot less noise when you're crouched.

If stealth is so good and so much fun why aren't a lot of people using it?

Because it requires patience and also some skill, you can't expect people to just be dumb and never notice you. You need to learn when to move and when to hold your position, you need to learn the routes and what the safest route is to the objective or to get through hostile territory. If you don't have the patience for stealth then it might not be for you and it might also not be the most interesting thing to watch. I have played matches where I spend most of the time hiding and waiting. If I would be streaming that gameplay then I bet the five people that would watch that would fall asleep. So it's not really interesting for people to watch unless you can mix stealth in with your standard gameplay. The main reason why most people don't use stealth is because they underestimate it, they see silencers as a thing that weakens their shots so they would rather leave them off their weapons. That makes sense but if someone never knows where the shot came from then that is worth ten times more than doing a bit of extra damage. Stealth isn't really for the new players in a game and yet it has gotten me victories in games I just started playing, probably because the other players are also new but it does pay off to be cautious and not rush into battle like an idiot. Of course there is fun in rushing into battle as an idiot but when you get killed ten or twenty times it does start to get old real fast! Stealth isn't a guarantee to win but it can definitely improve your chances. Of course things can go wrong and you can get yourself killed with a mistake, but with some luck things go better next time and you can always learn from your mistakes so hopefully things go better next time. So never underestimate stealth, it might just get you that sweet victory you want so badly!