How does Valorant Ranked work?

Valorant is a 5v5 Aim-Based Tactical hero shooter, and like any multiplayer shooter, Valorant would not have been complete without its own ranked game mode. Introduced to Valorant as the "Competitive" game mode on June 24, Valorant ranked has since been part of the community. 

[twitter url="https://twitter.com/PlayVALORANT/status/1275863156640722944"]

The whole system has undergone significant changes and is one of the most played game modes in Valorant. It is the mode where players usually showcase their abilities and play to win the game and grind to become the best player in the region. 

 

Valorant Ranks and Leaderboard

As of Valorant Patch 5.10, there are nine ranks in the game, viz. Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Ascendant, Immortal and Radiant. Each of the ranks except Radiant has three tiers, and the higher the number, the better you are. You go up in rank by accumulating 100 RR in each rank. A Rank Rating is a visual track of the progress. A player earns RR for a win and losses RR for a loss.

Every new episode is a hard rank reset, and you might be placed in a different rank when episodes change. For ranks below Ascendant, You need to win five games every new episode and only one game every new Act to get a rank.

For ascendant and above, all the players are placed in Ascendant I at the start of every Act/Episode, and the players must win games and rank up through Ascendant and Immortal every Act. The top 500 players in terms of RR in Valorant ranked are Radiants. The Radiant/Immortal leaderboards are regional and reset every Act. The rank threshold for Immortal and Radiant is also different for different regions. Unlike other ranks, the rank threshold for going from Immortal 1 to Immortal 2 is not 100 RR but is dependent on region.

How is one ranked in Valorant?

Valorant is unique as it uses a visual RR system and a Hidden MMR (matchmaking rating) system to rank players. The Hidden MMR is used extensively for matching players with similarly skilled players in modes other than "Competitive".

When a player first starts Valorant, a hidden MMR value is assigned during the tutorial, and when one plays any other game mode, the hidden MMR rating is used to match a player with other players. This rating is updated based on your performance in every match. The constant adjusting helps the system to match the players with similarly skilled players.

The competitive game mode is initially locked, and players are encouraged to play unrated, deathmatch etc., so the hidden MMR can be refined. As of patch 5.10, players must reach level 20 to unlock competitive game mode.

Once you fulfill the requirement, you are assigned a hidden approximate rank based on your Hidden MMR. Your rank is revealed after you play five such ranked games against the ranked players. Each rank game adjusts the rank, so the players are placed as accurately as possible.

Once the rank is revealed, every rank is 100 RR, and players can visually track their progress. For Ranked matchmaking, RR and the Hidden MMR are used. In the lower-level Episode/Act rank reset, the Act rank of the player will be used along with hidden MMR for the placement matches. The Act Rank is the player's rank throughout the Act.

How do you rank up in Valorant?

Once ranked, players can track their ranks using the RR. Each rank until Immortal has a threshold of 100 RR. One must earn the 100 RR to rank up from one rank to another. Losing 100 RR will rank down a player. Winning matches earns RR, and Losing matches lose RR. The amount of RR one earns or losses is based on performance. There is a performance bonus if you play exceptionally well.

An excellent way to rank up is by playing as a duo, trio or 5-stacking. Valorant does not allow four-person parties. In Immortal and above, only Solo, Duo and 5-stacking are permitted. While duo and trio queueing, there are rank parity restrictions. Irons and Bronzes can only play with silvers, Silvers with Golds, and Golds with platinums. One can only play one tier higher for Platinums, Diamonds, Ascendant, Immortal and Radiant.

5-stacking has no rank restrictions, but there is a %RR reduction.

 

Tips for Valorant Ranked:

Ranked can be draining, and only sometimes can one get a team ready to communicate and play. But one can ensure maximum winning chances in Valorant ranked by following the tips below.

• Warming Up before a ranked match to get to your maximum potential.
• Playing with a friend or a party ensures players are ready to communicate.
• Playing multiple agents, at least two roles, helps you fill and improve your chances to win.
• Avoiding ranked if one is tilted and resetting by playing a game in another mode.
• Taking regular breaks to ensure fatigue doesn't kick in.
• Reviewing one's games to understand the mistakes made and improving yourself.

While every ranked game is an RNG, one can only ensure playing their best to get the maximum out of the ranked matches. Since even one loses, a good performance reduces the amount of RR lost.

The tricky waters of Valorant Ranked are hard to deal with. One can only improve oneself and grind to reach higher ranks and become Radiant #1.

Credits: Riot Games