Every player who plays Valorant competitively is given a rank in-game. This rank helps the matchmaking system to pair up the player alongside similarly skilled players so that everyone gets a fair game.

In this article, we’re taking a deep dive into the Valorant ranking system. We will also be talking about the changes in the ranking system since Episode 2 of the game released. 

What are Valorant ranks?

Valorant has a total of 22 ranks starting from Iron 1 to Radiant. Each rank that comes before Radiant has 3 tiers to it. The higher your tier, the better your rank.

Getting to your first rank is also fairly easy, just takes a bit of grinding. First up, if you haven’t already, you’re going to have to play at least 20 matches to gain access to the competitive mode itself. Then you’re going to have to play five matches (or three if you had a rank in the previous act) to get a rank.

There are also two types of ranks — your match rank and your act rank and they’re exactly what they sound like.

Your match rank is the rank assigned to you currently and can fluctuate depending upon how you’re performing in-game. On the other hand, your act rank gives an accurate representation of how you’re performing all throughout the current act.

Act rank also help you track your proven skill. Proven Skill represents your 9th best-ranked win of an Act. According to Valorant, this represents the rank you can play most consistently.

Also read: How to check your Valorant elo?

Changes in Episode 2

Episode two has changed a bunch of things in the Valorant ranking system. For starters, there’s now a limit to how much elo you can gain from a match victory — 50 points.

On the same note, losing a match can cost you up to 30 elo points and there’s a loss or gain of a minimum of 10 elo points depending upon a win or a loss. However, if you lose on 0 rank rating, you’ll be demoted. 

In case of a draw, depending on your in-game performance you can gain up to 20 elo points. 

There have also been several new restrictions and changes in the competitive match mode. To begin with, if you have an Immortal rank, and fall in the top 500 in your region you’ll be awarded a Radiant act rank.

The Radiant rank is now reserved for the top 500 players in the game. Players with an Immortal rank will consist of the top one per cent of all players.

Also, if you’re above the Immortal rank, you can only play solo or duo matches. This was added to make the matches fairer and pair up the players easily. 

Also read: How to reset your Valorant rank?