Valorant Ranked System Explained: Order & Distribution

Valorant is one of the most popular FPS games out there, and just like any other shooter game, it caters to both casuals and competitive players. If you are hooked on Valorant and want to experience the competitive side of things, it is time to jump into the ranked mode. It might seem daunting at first, but we are here to help you learn all about the Valorant rank system. We have detailed the ranking system, along with all the rules, an explanation for MMR, and the current distribution in Valorant. On that note, let’s jump right in.

How to Unlock Rank Mode in Valorant

There are some criteria that you need to fulfill before you can join a ranked match, also known as competitive mode, in Valorant. To unlock rank mode, you need to reach account level 20 in the game. Valorant will recommend you play more games to reach 20 levels. But here are some quick tips to gain XP fast in Valorant (AP or account points) to level up faster. For every 5,000 AP, you gain one account level.

Valorant Ranks in Chronological Order

The Valorant ranking system is split into nine different tiers, starting with Iron (lowest rank) and ending with Radiant (highest rank). Further, the nine rank tiers are each divided into three segments, except Radiant. The rank order in Valorant looks like this:

1. Iron – Iron 1, Iron 2, Iron 3
2. Bronze – Bronze 1, Bronze 2, Bronze 3
3. Silver – Silver 1, Silver 2, Silver 3
4. Gold – Gold 1, Gold 2, Gold 3
5. Platinum – Platinum 1, Platinum 2, Platinum 3
6. Diamond – Diamond 1, Diamond 2, Diamond 3
7. Ascendant – Ascendant 1, Ascendant 2, Ascendant 3
8. Immortal – Immortal 1, Immortal 2, Immortal 3
9. Radiant

Valorant Ranking System Explained

Basic Rank Games Rules

Once you unlock competitive game mode in Valorant, you can start playing and climbing the ranks. You will start with “Unranked” as your rank badge (with a question mark) in Valorant. You will have to play five games, called placement matches, to determine your first rank in Valorant. Remember you can only reach a maximum of Ascendant rank through placement games. Here are some other important rules in Valorant’s ranking system:

• You can queue solo in a rank game, but there are restrictions for party queue. You cannot queue as a group of four in any rank level. This rule exists particularly to protect solo queue players against stacked parties.

• Apart from that you can queue as a duo or trio within a rank range. If the lowest rank in a group is Iron or Bronze, you can queue no higher than Silver rank. If the lowest rank is Silver, you can only queue with a maximum of Gold rank. If the minimum rank is Gold, the highest can be a Platinum rank in the party.

• The same ranked disparity rules apply to ranks Platinum and above as well. If you are Platinum 2, you can queue with anyone within exactly one tier above you. An Ascendant 2 can queue up to Immortal 2.

• Finally, there is no restriction for a party with five teammates. You can play as a 5-man party in any rank level. But there is an RR-related (rank rating) disparity involved. If a party has one or more Radiant rank players, then the team will receive 75% less RR after winning. This means if they were to get 25 RR, they would receive 7 RR.

• If a party contains one or more players from Immortal 1-3 or Ascendant 1-3, all players will receive a deduction of 25% RR.

• Finally, your rank in Valorant will be reset at the end of each episode, which includes three acts and usually lasts 6 months.

Rank Rating in Valorant

Rank rating, also known as RR in Valorant, is the parameter to look at while you are climbing the ladder in the competitive mode. To move from one rank level to another, you must get 100 RR. For example, if you want to go from Iron 1 to Iron 2, you’ll need 100 RR. After getting 100 RR from Iron 3, you will be promoted to Bronze 1. This rank rating rule applies till the Ascendant 3 rank in Valorant.

After that, you start with 10 RR in Immortal 1 and start competing for RR depending on your regional ratings which update frequently. The minimum RR you need to reach the Radiant rank in the Europe region is 550 RR. You also have to reach the top 500 players in your region to get the Radiant rank. You do not lose RR if you don’t play the game, as mentioned in detail below. Remember that you can lose RR if you lose a game, but how much you gain or lose depends on your hidden MMR.

Valorant Hidden MMR

Speaking of hidden MMR, it is not the same as your rank rating. According to Riot Games, the MMR given to individual players cannot be the same at a time. Based on this MMR, your RR gain or loss is decided in a competitive game. MMR also determines the teammates and opponents you get each game. There is no way to find out your hidden MMR.

Valorant Rank Leaderboard

If you are a highly competitive individual, Valorant also has a ranked leaderboard in the game. The leaderboard is regional and is based on your account’s regional location. This leaderboard lists the top 500 players from every region. To stay on the leaderboard, a Valorant player must play at least one rank competitive game in a week. Otherwise, the player’s name gets removed from the leaderboard.

Act Rank in Valorant

Every episode in Valorant consists of three acts (or seasons). Whenever an act ends, the game assigns your act rank. You can check your act rank on the career page. This rank is specifically based on your wins in rank games. Whenever you win in a particular rank level, it adds to your act rank triangle.

Before ending the act, whichever rank level had your highest win in will be your act rank. It keeps on adding before the act ends. Remember that act rank doesn’t help you with your next season’s placement rank. Whenever your act rank is reset your MMR is accounted for the next act’s placement rank.

Performance Bonus

When you are looking for a good chunk of RR to level up your rank, a performance bonus can help you reach your goals faster in Valorant’s ranking system. Depending on your and your enemy’s MMR, your performance can give you an additional rank rating.

After a match, if you see a yellow star right next to your RR, it means you’ve received a performance bonus. The performance boost is not a fixed amount and depends on the overall enemy rank and your performance ratio. The performance bonus is not guaranteed in each ranked game.

Is There Rank Decay in Valorant?

To maintain their rank, some multiplayer games require players to log in and play the competitive game mode to protect their rank from deteriorating. This mechanic in online multiplayer games is called ranked decay.

And now, for those wondering, Valorant does not have a rank decay system in place. So, you won’t lose your highest rank even if you don’t play the game regularly. However, if you haven’t played the game in a few months, you will need to play a placement match to prove your skills are up to par with the rank you achieved before taking a break.

Distribution of Ranks in Valorant (Updated June 2023)

A crucial part of rank games is understanding how rank level is distributed between all the players in Valorant. As per Riot Games, till late December of 2022, the number of players below Immortal was relatively higher. However, it changed in 2023 since the number of players reaching higher ranks increased. After the Ascendant rank was introduced, the high-rank competition and skill level has grown. As of June 2023, the current rank distribution order in Valorant is as under:

Note: The rank resets every act and with Episode 7 the statistics will change, we will keep it updated with the latest data.

Frequently Asked Questions