Published , by Donovan Erskine
Published , by Donovan Erskine
Valorant was designed from the ground up by Riot Games to be a premiere competitive experience. With a strong emphasis on gunplay and tactical strategy, the ceiling for skill is quite high in this FPS. Shortly after release, Riot Games activated competitive mode in Valorant, allowing players to compete in order to climb the ranks, with the ultimate goal of reaching radiant. However, it’s a long road from placements to radiant, so we’ve put together a guide to help you rank up fast in Valorant as quickly as possible.
Valorant’s ranked system is composed of 8 tiers. Iron, bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, immortal, and radiant (in order) are the different ranks that players can be categorized in. Each tier has three levels to it (Ex. Iron 1, Iron 2, and Iron 3) that players will need to climb through in order to reach the next tier. This is different for radiant however. Among graduating from immortal 3, players will reach radiant, Valorant’s most prestigious rank and a tier of its own.
When first jumping into Valorant’s competitive mode, you’ll have to complete 5 placement matches in order to receive a starting rank. Riot Games actually uses an Elo rating system, taking data from your unrated matches to decide who to put you up against when playing for placement. This is calculated using your KDA, as well as rounds won. Early on in competitive, kills, along with assisting allies and using abilities tactically will have a significant role in determining a player's rating.
The more you play, this will become less important, and winning or losing rounds will be the ultimate decider in a player’s rank. With Valorant being a 5v5 team-based shooter, it makes sense that everything will come down to winning or losing. Communicating and strategizing with teammates will be your key to success.
Early on in your competitive career, you’re going to want to keep a close eye on your average combat score. This pretty much rates your efficiency over the course of a game. Using factors such as kills (depending on how many enemy players are left), multi-kill rounds, and damage dealt, your combat score will have a big impact on your placement. We’re not saying that you should play selfishly, but try to keep your individual performance numbers up.
Nobody likes a player that’s only in it for themselves, which is why Riot Games has made losing and winning rounds the supreme decider for rank progression. Once you’ve been placed, you’ll truly need to prioritize cooperation and strategy in order to quickly climb ranks. It doesn’t matter how skilled or talented you are if you’re constantly pulling off 26-5 performances and losing the game 13-4. Winning by large margins will also boost your rate of competitive growth. For example, a 13-3 win will give a much larger increase towards rank than a 13-12 win. Certainly something to consider when deciding when to buy, save, play aggressive, or be passive.
The bottom line is, there's no "shortcut" to easily jump through Valorant's ranks. You're going to have to put the work in to see success. We recommend consulting our guide to Valorant's agents to figure out which one best suits your playstyle. Now that you know the quickest way to rank up in Valorant, you’re ready to jump into competitive mode and give it all you’ve got. There’s a lot of variables in competitive mode and factors that go into determining your rank, but don’t let it overwhelm you. Simply play to the best of your ability, and work with your teammates and you’ll be as good as gold, or, should I say, radiant.