Rank System Updates Coming to VALORANT with Episode Two
The frustratingly unclear up and down arrows in VALORANT will finally be a thing of the past, as Riot has announced several ranked updates for the game’s Episode Two. These changes aim to improve the MMR system and provide more incentives for elite players to climb the ranked ladder.
According to senior producer Ian “Brighteyz” Fielding and competitive designer Jon “EvrMoar” Walker, the goal behind these updates is to demonstrate that they have been listening to player feedback. They want to deliver an easier to understand and fairer rank system, as well as provide more rewarding recognition for players’ accomplishments. Furthermore, they aim to establish a way to identify the best players within the game.
Instead of relying solely on up and down arrows as indicators of ranked progress, VALORANT will introduce a Rank Rating (RR) system. The game will now use a progress bar to show players their proximity to ranking up. However, this feature will only be available for players ranked between Iron and Diamond. Immortal and Radiant players’ ranks will be displayed on the leaderboard.
To ensure a fair gameplay experience, Riot has set limits on the amount of RR that can be gained or lost from each match. The maximum RR gain from a win will be 50, while the maximum loss from a defeat will be 30. The minimum RR gain or loss will be 10. In the event of a draw, players can increase their RR by a maximum of 20 based on individual performance.
When it comes to promotions and demotions, players will need to reach 0 RR to be demoted. Once demoted, they will start at 80 RR in the lower rank. On the other hand, when players get promoted, they will start at 10 RR in their new rank, with a mini-celebration to mark their achievement.
VALORANT’s new leaderboard system will highlight the top 500 Radiant players in each region. Immortal players will make up approximately one percent of the region’s player base and will occupy a single rank, rather than three separate ones as before.
In order to be eligible for the leaderboard, players must have played at least 50 ranked games and need to have completed at least one competitive match within a seven-day period. Banned players will not appear on the leaderboard.
The VALORANT ranked season, along with all the exciting Episode Two content, will kick off tomorrow.