Valorant Rank System in 2024

For most multiplayer games, the main source of magic and excitement lies in facing off against other players to prove who’s the best.

In Valorant, the best place to test your mettle is the ranked queue which hosts the game’s best players and most competitive environment.

However, Valorant’s ranked structure has plenty of nuances and complexities which can be confusing for someone unfamiliar with the game’s ranked system.

How to play ranked in Valorant?

Ranked requirements

Since ranked represents the pinnacle of competitive Valorant play, you have to be well-prepared before you dive into it for the first time.

For your first ranked game, you have to fulfil the requirement that your account is at least level 20.

This measure is set in place to ensure players are familiar enough with the game’s Agents, weapons, and maps to start playing in a competitive environment.

Additionally, it ensures that inexperienced players don’t sabotage their teammates due to their lack of tactical depth and mechanical skills.

Placement games

Before Riot assigns you a visible rank on the Valorant ladder, you first have to complete the 5 initial placement games. For the duration of this process, your account will remain unranked.

The outcome and your performance in these games are extremely important as they’re the main driving force behind your initial ranking in the system.

Furthermore, while not as impactful, your win rate and KDA in casual games you’ve played while levelling up to level 20 also impact your starting rank.

Which ranks are there in Valorant?

Ranked structure breakdown

In Valorant, there are 9 unique ranks, each representing a different level of skill and proficiency within the game.

Here’s the breakdown of the ranks:

Apart from Radiant, which represents the top 500 players on a certain server and doesn't have tiers, the other nine ranks in Valorant are divided into three tiers each.

In this ranked system, Tier III stands as the highest point within a rank, while Tier I is the lowest.

Players who reach Tier III and keep putting in good performances and winning RR have the opportunity of progressing to the subsequent tier in the ranked ladder.

Ranked distribution

In 2024, the majority of Valorant’s player base is ranked between Bronze and Platinum, with Gold I being the most populated ranked tier on the ladder.

As we ascend through the ranks, percentages rapidly dwindle, with the Apex ranks including Immortal and Radiant representing the pinnacle of achievement in Valorant which is reserved for the most skilled and dedicated players.

Valorant Act rank

In Valorant, the ranked season is split into Episodes and Acts that provide the main structure for competitive play.

Episodes last for several months and incorporate several Acts, each introducing gameplay updates and new content into the game and the ranked system itself.

Throughout the duration of a single Act, there is a special form of ranking that is separate from your overall rank, known as the Act rank.

This represents your ranked peak on the ladder you’ve reached during that Act, measured by your highest ranked win.

How to rank up in Valorant?

Climbing and RR

In order to progress through ranks in Valorant (eg. Silver II to Silver III), you need to consistently win matches and perform well.

Whenever you win a match, you are awarded with a certain amount of RR (rank rating) that progresses your position on the ranked ladder.

When you amass 100RR within your ranked division, you will be promoted to the next tier with 10RR to help you avoid a potential instant demotion.

Last but not least, when it comes to RR, completing placements will provide you with a 50RR cushion within the ranked tier you land in.

Demoting in Valorant

Much like promoting, demoting requires you to reach a certain threshold in your ranked division before you end up losing it and de-ranking into the lower ranked tier.

In order for a demotion to take place, you must lose a match of Valorant while already being at 0 RR in your current division.

Once demoted, you’ll continue your ranked journey from the lower division with a 70RR headstart to help you get back into your previous rank.

Ranking up in Apex tiers

In Immortal and Radiant ranks, promotion works a bit differently as all of the players are fighting on a public ladder which means reaching 100RR won’t rank you up.

Instead, Immortal and Radiant players can keep earning RR forever on this ladder, and promotions await at certain thresholds.
 

Rank decay and reset in Valorant

Ranked reset placements

Apart from placement games that are supposed to introduce you to the ranked system, there is another set of placements you’re required to play with every ranked reset.

Your rank can reset in two ways, with new Acts and Episodes.

Whenever a new Episode commences in Valorant, you’re required to re-play the 5 placement games, whereas Act resets force you to play only 1 placement game.

In both scenarios, even though the outcome of the games and your performance are important, your past rank will play a pivotal role in the re-ranking process.

Last but not least, completing placements in any shape or form will always place you in a ranked tier with a 50RR head start.

Rank decaying

In Valorant, your rank cannot decay in any way, which means that once you’ve reached a certain rank, you won’t lose any RR due to inactivity.

The only way your rank can change over time is through rank resets after Acts.

For Apex ranks, this works a bit differently as you can lose places on the ladder, even though you won’t lose RR directly.