Ranked matches are the highlight of Valorant. It lets players test their skills against others and show who is better.
Valorant has a system that matches players with each other based on their ranking, keeping the overall skill level the same so that players don’t have to play against players much better than them and basically get bullied the entire game.
However, the ranking system of Valorant is not clear for most players. Many have trouble with how it ranks and matchmakes.
Here I have provided a complete guide on how Valorant Ranking system works. So, read this guide and learn how ranking actually works in Valorant.
How Valorant Ranks New Players?
The ranking system of Valorant doesn’t even start for the new players until they fulfill certain criteria. New players must win 10 unrated matches and reach level 20 to even play ranked or competitive matches.
This a great way to ensure even new players have some semblance of experience in Valorant before playing the ranked matches.
After the new player has fulfilled the essential criteria to play ranked matches and finally cues up for it, they will need to play 5 ranked matches before they get a starter rank.
The first 5 matches will check how well you play by pitting you against different ranked players and based on the performance it will decide your placement rank.
Even if you lose all 5 matches or win them, your placement will be based on your performance.
Also, if it’s a new act, then it will only take 1 match for the placement instead of 5 to renew your ranking.
So, your performance in all the unranked matches and the first 5 ranked matches will lead to your initial rank on Valorant.
How Valorant Players Change Rank In Valorant?
Valorant like most competitive shooters uses MMR or matchmaking ratings system.
This system basically assigns a number to the player and the number changes after each game based on the player’s performance.
Riot uses MMR to create lobbies with similar ranked players so that the skill set stays stable.
The MMR is not revealed to the player, but it is an addition to the ranking tiers revealed to players and works with it in the background.
The Ranking tier system on Valorant classifies the players in 8 broad groups, Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Immortal and Radiant.
Each of these broad groups have sub groups. For example, Iron has 3 sub groups, Iron 1, Iron 2, and Iron 3. After Iron 3 players move to Bronze 1 (or more).
Every time a player wins or loses a ranked match, they get or lose points. These Ranked Rating or RR points are used to determine or change the rankings of players over the time.
Each sub rank has 100 points. Once a player earns 100 points in Iron 1, they get promoted to Iron 2.
Now Ranking Rating Points and MMR are not the same thing. The MMR of a player decides how much the Player gets or loses RRs in every match.
If a player has a high rank but low MMR, then they will lose more RR points after a loss and get less RR points after a win.
Similarly, if a player has high MMR and a low rank, then they will get more RR points after a win and less RR points gets deducted after a loss.
This is a way to keep the same MMR players in the same group, which is why pushing ranks is particularly hard if you don’t have the skillset for it.
Once a player is promoted to a new rank, they start with 10 RR points and when they are demoted, they are not placed beneath 80 RR points in the demoted rank.
Does Valorant Have Ranking Decay?
No, Valorant doesn’t have ranking decay. You won’t lose your rank if you don’t play any matches.
However, each new acts resets the rank and you will have to play one match and will get your rank based on that performance.
Wrapping Up
So, there you have it. Now you know how Valorant Ranking system works. If you have any questions regarding this topic, then ask us in the comment section.
