Crack your knuckles, stretch your back, and queue up—it’s time to prove your skills in Valorant’s competitive ranking system.
At its core, Valorant’s competitive mode gives players a way to measure and showcase their skills. But for most players, climbing up the competitive ladder can be nerve-wracking—from the infamous elo hell to seemingly weird matchmaking issues where a Gold player can face someone placed in Iron.
Whether you’re just starting out or striving for Radiant, here’s everything you need to know about Valorant’s ranking system and how to climb the competitive ranks.
Understanding Valorant ranks and MMR
There are two components to Valorant’s ranking system: A visible rank called Rank Rating (RR)—ranging from Iron to Radiant—and a hidden Matchmaking Rating, also known as MMR. While your visible rank reflects your current skill tier, MMR operates behind the scenes to match you with opponents of similar skill levels.
Riot Games compares the MMR system to a ladder. Whenever you win a game, you climb up the ladder and push others down. Alternatively, when you lose, you get pushed down by other players. There’s only one player per exact MMR level, so no two players can ever tie in this system.
Valorant uses MMR to match players with others of a similar skill level, no matter their visible rank. To combat smurfing, Riot introduced detection measures that adjust a player’s MMR if they are consistently outperforming their current rank.
This ensures that high-skill players don’t stay in lower ranks for long, preventing unfair matchmaking and maintaining ranked integrity. It also explains why sometimes a Gold player can end up in the same team as an Iron, leaving both players confused as to why they were matched together.
MMR is the backbone of the matchmaking system, while Rank Rating (RR) fluctuates more visibly with your wins and losses. Your RR moves up and down based on performance, but your MMR shifts more gradually, affecting your long-term matchmaking. This separation helps prevent sudden rank swings while keeping matches balanced.
Many players assume that having a high KDA (Kills/Deaths/Assists) directly impacts their MMR, but that’s not the case. While individual stats matter, Valorant’s ranking system evaluates a broader set of performance metrics, including objective play, utility usage, and overall impact on the match. Ranks are slightly decoupled from MMR to prevent wild swings in ranks or an instant demotion after a promotion.
All Valorant ranks in order
Any player who reaches Account Level 20 can begin their competitive journey by playing five placement games. After these unranked games, Valorant will determine their MMR and RR to place them with players of a similar skill level.
Valorant’s ranking system consists of nine tiers:
- Iron
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
- Diamond
- Ascendant
- Immortal
- Radiant
Radiant is the highest competitive rank, only awarded to the top 500 players in each region. Except for Radiant, each rank has three tiers. The higher the number, the better the rank—so Gold 3 is better than Gold 1.
Where Valorant players are ranked
Now that we’ve covered the ranking system, let’s take a look at where most players actually place.
| Tier | Share of Players |
|---|---|
| Iron | 11.5% |
| Bronze | 24.7% |
| Silver | 25.2% |
| Gold | 18% |
| Platinum | 10.8% |
| Diamond | 6.8% |
| Ascendant | 2.4% |
| Immortal | 0.32% |
| Radiant | 0.02% |
According to Riot Games’ API data, Valorant’s rank distribution resembles a bell curve, with most players being placed between Silver and Gold. Riot occasionally adjusts matchmaking and ranking thresholds in patch updates, which may shift these percentages over time
The vast majority of Valorant players get stuck between Silver and Gold, with newcomers often starting in Iron and climbing their way up the competitive ladder.
However, Riot Games occasionally tweaks matchmaking and rank distributions through patch updates, which can impact how ranks are assigned or how fast players climb. If you notice shifts in rank difficulty, it may be due to these adjustments rather than just your individual performance.
Which ranks can play together?
Since Valorant uses MMR and not the current rank for its matchmaking system, sometimes players from different ranks can end up playing together.
But for those who would like to play with friends, Valorant put some restrictions on which ranks can team up, to prevent Radiant players from completely wrecking Iron games. For parties of two or three, only certain ranks can play together:
| Lowest Rank in Party | Highest Rank in Party |
|---|---|
| Iron & Bronze | Silver |
| Silver | Gold |
| Gold | Platinum |
| Platinum | Diamond |
| Diamond | Ascendant |
| Ascendant | Immortal |
| Immortal | Radiant (only up to Immortal 3) |
For Platinum and above, players can queue only with teammates up to one full rank (three tiers) higher. For example, a Platinum 2 player can queue with up to a Diamond 2 player, but not Diamond 3.
For those who would rather play as a full group, also known as 5-stacks, there is no rank restriction. However, if any members of a five-stack party of Iron to Ascendant players are ranked outside the normal party restriction, the entire party will receive ranked rating penalties.
This means that a five-stack composed entirely of Silver and Gold players will not face any RR penalties, whereas a five-stack including Silver, Gold, and Ascendant players will be subject to an RR penalty.
The penalty ranges from a 25% RR reduction for groups with a player up to Immortal 3, and a 75% RR reduction for those playing with a Radiant player. This system is made to ensure fair matchmaking and avoid having a high-skilled player boosting their friends through the ranks.
Four-player groups are not allowed in Valorant. Riot Games states that parties of four would leave the solo queue player in an awkward situation, leading to a worse experience for them than for the pre-made group.
How to rank up fast in Valorant
To climb up the competitive ladder, you must prove that you are better than players with a higher MMR than yours. If your MMR is higher than your rank, you’ll gain more RR on wins than you lose on losses. The opposite is also true: If your MMR is lower than your rank, you’ll gain less RR on wins and lose more on losses.
Additionally, if you win against lower-MMR opponents, you may gain less RR, as the system expects you to win. Conversely, defeating higher-MMR players results in larger RR gains, as the game recognizes it as a bigger achievement.
Here are a few tips to help you get better and increase your Valorant rank:
- Warm up for at least 10-15 minutes before queueing for a competitive match. Use the practice range, deathmatch, or Aim Lab to sharpen your reflexes and crosshair placement. Focusing on flick shots, tracking, and recoil control will help you perform better under pressure.
- Aim training is crucial, but don’t just focus on raw aim—practice crosshair placement, movement, and peeking techniques. Use Aim Lab or Kovaak’s for muscle memory, but also play Valorant’s deathmatch mode to improve in-game decision-making and crosshair positioning.
- Take breaks between matches, especially after a frustrating loss. Tilt queuing (playing while frustrated) often leads to worse decisions and losing streaks. A short break helps reset your focus and avoid making emotional mistakes.
- Communication is key in Valorant, but keep it concise and useful. Call out enemy positions, ability usage, and your game plan (e.g. “Two A site, one low HP”). Avoid unnecessary chatter—quick, clear info helps your team react better.
- Reviewing your gameplay is one of the fastest ways to improve. While Valorant doesn’t have an official replay system yet, you can record your matches using OBS or software like Medal. Focus on positioning, decision-making, and aim mistakes—small adjustments lead to big improvements.
- Watching pro players or high-ranked streamers helps you learn advanced mechanics, positioning, and strategy. Don’t just watch—analyze how they move, take fights, and use utility. Try to apply those techniques in your own games.
Act Ranks in Valorant
As previously mentioned, your rank represents the overall skill level group you currently belong to, with slight modifications after each of your wins and losses. Besides your current rank, you may have noticed another rank: the Act Rank.
Valorant’s competitive structure revolves around Episodes and Acts. Episodes span roughly six months, and each Episode contains three Acts. The Act Rank represents the peak performance across an entire Act, and is determined by your highest-ranked win.
At the start of each new Act, your Act Rank resets, and you’ll need to play new placement matches to determine your updated standing. However, your previous Act Rank is stored and used for rewards at the end of an Episode. This means your Act Rank serves as a historical record rather than affecting your matchmaking.
During each Act, you’ll get a hollow triangular badge you can fill throughout the Act. Each time you win a game, a miniature triangle representing the rank of that specific game will fill the badge. The topmost triangle represents the highest-ranked win and defines the Act rank.
Once an Episode ends, you’ll get a reward that represents the highest Act Rank badge you received during that Episode. So even if you’re a Gold player, winning a single Platinum-ranked game during an Act will earn you a Platinum reward.
Overall, your rank reflects your current standing and progression within an Episode. Your Act Rank showcases your best performance during the Act but doesn’t affect matchmaking.
Ranking up in Valorant is tough. It requires time, dedication, and a fair share of patience. But if your goal is to climb up the competitive ladder and hopefully one day reach Radiant, the MMR system was made to recognize your worth and place you against opponents of your skill level.
Whether you’re just aiming for Gold or pushing for Radiant, every game is a chance to improve. Stick to the grind, learn from your mistakes, and enjoy the climb!
