How the Valorant rank system and competitive mode works

Pic credit: Riot Games

Valorant’s new ranking system is out. Players with access to the closed beta can now avail the game's competitive ranked mode and set themselves apart from the rest of the player base.

However, just like in League of Legends where you need to be Level 30 to access ranked match-making, in Valorant too you will be required to play a certain number of unranked games to unlock the game's ranked mode.

The rank that players would receive in Valorant will be a reflection of their current skill level. In the game's competitive play, they will be ranked with players of similar ranks. Sounds rather simple, doesn’t it?

But there is a lot more to the ranking system of Valorant that is not very clear from the get-go. So if you’re a bit curious about what more the Valorant ranking system holds, let us help you get into the nitty-gritty of it.

How many Valorant games do you need to play to unlock the ranked mode?

Valorant
Valorant

In the Valorant closed beta, you are required to complete at least 20 unranked / unrated matches to unlock the game's ranked mode, which is called ‘Competitive Mode.’

One great feature about the unranked mode in Valorant is that, like in League, your victories and losses in the unranked matches will in no way affect your competitive standings in the game.

Are there placement matches in Valorant?

Yes! Before you are assigned your rank in Valorant, you first need to complete a set of five placement matches in the competitive mode.

How you perform, along with your wins and losses, will determine your first ever Valorant rank. That is where your ladder climb and grinding in the game would actually start.

Valorant Ranks and Tiers

Valorant
Valorant

Valorant has eight ranks in total. Each of these ranks have three tiers except the final rank of Valorant.

Hence, there are a total of 22 possible ranked tiers in Valorant, and each of them has its own skill badge. Here are all the Ranked tiers in Valorant:

All the ranks in Valorant (pic credit sportskeeda.com)
All the ranks in Valorant (pic credit sportskeeda.com)
  • Iron 1
  • Iron 2
  • Iron 3
  • Bronze 1
  • Bronze 2
  • Bronze 3
  • Silver 1
  • Silver 2
  • Silver 3
  • Gold 1
  • Gold 2
  • Gold 3
  • Platinum 1
  • Platinum 2
  • Platinum 3
  • Diamond 1
  • Diamond 2
  • Diamond 3
  • Immortal 1
  • Immortal 2
  • Immortal 3
  • Valorant

What is the Valorant ranking system and how does it work?

Your wins and in-game performance will have a huge impact on your matchmaking and ranked climb. (pic credit: RealSports101)
Your wins and in-game performance will have a huge impact on your matchmaking and ranked climb. (pic credit: RealSports101)

Much like with any competitive game with a ranking system, you can only climb the ranks in Valorant by winning games.

However, your performances will play a key role in how quickly you will receive a rank. If your performance in games is really good, and you're securing a lot of frags and clutch plays for your team, you will be able to rank up significantly faster.

On the contrary, if you’re not playing well and costing your team rounds, then climbing up the Valorant ranks will be excruciating.

According to Riot, the way that Valorant determines a player’s early rank is a bit complicated, as it puts a lot of emphasis on the said player’s individual performance.

This is quite a unique method that Riot has come up with to reward the good players and penalise the trollers. This will prevent players from trolling their teammates and create a healthy competitive environment.

Match Making and Smurfing in Valorant

Valorant
Valorant

Once you have attained your first rank in Valorant, your subsequent competitive games will be with players who are within two ranks of you.

Smurfing and rank boosting is and always has been a major issue in League of Legends. I this regard, Riot promises that their new ranked system will be able to curb the said issue in Valorant. The Valorant developers want to create a balanced competitive environment, and make the competitive mode more fun and engaging for newer players.

However, do keep in mind that the Competitive mode and the ranking system have just come out, and the closed beta is only a month old. So there is bound to be a lot of changes in the future as Riot is constantly gathering player data and community feedback.

Closed Beta ranks in Valorant will not carry over

Valorant
Valorant

This may be a bummer for a lot of players who have been grinding the closed beta to climb through the Valorant ranks.

Riot has decided that once the beta period is over and the game launches officially, they will reset all the competitive ranks.

However, this too may be subject to change in the upcoming development blogs. But we will not be keeping our fingers crossed for this one.