What is the Highest Rank in Valorant? Ranking System Guide.

The first-person tactical shooter baby made by Riot Games, Valorant has quickly become one of the top FPS games. 

Pitting players against each other in a 5v5, Ranked Valorant is where you truly put your skills to the test. 

If you become good enough and grind away, you may acquire the highest rank in Valorant, the Radiant rank.

Representing only the best of the best, it will take thousands of hours to reach the higher echelon of Valorant.

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about playing Ranked and how to begin your climb to the top! 

Valorant Ranking System Basics

While Valorant does share many similarities with other competitive FPS games, there are some unique traits to it. 

After all, Riot Games doesn’t just make it easy for anyone to jump into their games’ Ranked modes. 

Since Chapter 4, Valorant players must reach account level 20 before participating in the ranked competitive mode. 

This lets players understand the game, mechanics, maps, and everything else they need to succeed in Valorant. 

Next, you must complete ten unranked matches.

And finally, you have to complete five placement games. These five more ranked matches will help the game decide where you belong.

So your rank is based on the last 15 total games.

Don’t worry if you lose your placement matches. Valorant ranks you based on your individual performance and skills, not just whether you win.

Your Rank Rating (RR) and Matchmaking Rating (MMR) are re-evaluated when a new Act/Episode is released. You can read more about RR and MMR further down in the article.

During the early days of Valorant, you only had to play 20 games, which allowed smurfs and trolls to swarm Ranked.

So it’s nice to see Riot making these necessary tweaks to the ranked system.

Ranks in Order

When first starting in Valorant Ranked, most players will be placed at the bottom in Iron. 

Depending on your placement matches, you may be placed as high as Bronze 2. 

There are nine main ranks in Valorant, with all but Radiant having three sub-tiers that you must level up through. 

It’s a daunting and giant ladder, especially when your first rank is probably among the lower ranks. – That is, unless you’re a smurf. But you’re not a smurf, are you?!

But the Valorant competitive system favors skills over grinding, so if you’re good, you should soon start to compete with the top players.

Playing Ranked as a Group

Playing Ranked Valorant with friends works slightly differently than other competitive games. 

Groups in ranked matches must fit within a certain grouping to be eligible for competition, which does not always guarantee a five-stack will not queue up. 

If players within the five-stack do not match the rank grouping, then they will receive an RR penalty in each match.

The penalty is 25%, though if any player is Radiant, there is an automatic 75% RR reduction. 

Acts and Your Rankings

Whenever a new Act comes out, you must go through another placement match to earn back your previous rank or even rank up or down. 

If the new Act is part of a new Episode, you must complete five placement matches, putting you roughly several tiers lower than the previous Episode. 

These placements only apply to players below Immortal and Radiant, though. If you find yourself in Immortal, your RR will be reduced by 90% for each new episode. 

For Radiant players, though, your RR gains will be reduced and demoted to the Immortal rank. 

So each new episode means those coveted higher ranks spots are up for grabs, so get to the top of your game and earn a top spot.

Understanding Rank Decay

If you hate how some competitive games make you log in regularly to prevent your rank from decaying, Valorant doesn’t do that. 

You can take a break from playing Valorant and return without your rank suffering from your hiatus. 

However, if you take a long break, you may need to play a placement match or two so the system knows if you are still at your previous rank’s level. 

Riot Games does this so you can play matches around your skill level. Plus, you are probably rusty if you have been gone for a while. 

The last thing you want is to return to the competitive playing field and lose some games because you lost a bit of skill. 

MMR and RR

Regarding Valorant, you receive two different scores that decide in what rank you get placed. 

These are matchmaking rating (MMR) and Rank Rating (RR), with the MMR dictating your ranking and RR determining your performance ranking. 

If that sounds confusing, don’t worry, I will explain how both work. 

What is MMR?

MMR is the main rank determinant in deciding where you are placed in Valorant. Since one’s rank is often called a ladder, imagine your MMR as your current rung. 

No two players can possess the same rung, so your MMR decides after each game whether or not you move up that ladder or are pushed down by others. 

That is how the game decides what level of players to pit you against and, ultimately, what fancy title you get attached to your profile. 

What is RR?

Rank Rating, or RR as it is known, is represented by several points you receive after each ranked match. 

The amount of RR points you earn is based on your number of wins, your personal performance, and your match history (you get RR even if you lose).

To advance to the next rank tier, it will take 100 RR points, which luckily don’t take forever to gather. 

While this is not an exact representation of the RR points earned per match, here is a rough estimate. 

• Wins: 10 – 50 RR
• Losses: Minus 0 – 30 RR
• Draws: 20 RR

The numbers look slightly different for Diamond rank or higher players. 

• Wins: 5+ RR 
• Losses: Minus 50 RR max
• Draws: None after Diamond rank

When you get demoted due to dropping in RR, you will not drop below 80 RR in the tier you were demoted to. 

How MMR and RR Work Together

Like other competitive games, Riot Games only has an “idea” of how well you will perform in any given match of Valorant. 

That “idea” is MMR and represents your current place on the massive ladder that is Valorant Ranked. 

Considering your RR, the system normally places players at the lower end of the ladder, where they are tested throughout their matches. 

If you successfully pass those performance tests and win your games, you will be placed higher in the metaphorical ranking ladder.

This, of course, will pit you against players that are stronger and closer to your level, so be prepared to have your skills tested.

The end goal of this system is for your RR and MMR to match together for your complete performance level eventually. 

Your RR will represent your actual performance skill level, and the MMR will prove that you deserve that ranking. 

It will likely take you a while to achieve this, but once you reach that point, you will be constantly and consistently challenged when you play. 

Game of Quality, not Quantity

At its core, Valorant is a game of skill, not grinding, unlike many other competitive FPS games on the market. 

Valorant’s ranking system looks at how many games you have won or lost and how you won or lost those games. 

Let’s say you play amazingly in a game, like the top of your league, but you still, unfortunately, lose the game. 

Unlike League of Legends, which cares more about how many wins you get, even with a loss, you may still move up in rank even with a loss. 

So if you want to move up in Valorant Ranked, it is important to focus on your skills, not just grinding out many games. 

Conclusion

Unlocking Valorant Ranked takes quite some time, but once you step onto the competitive ladder, you begin showing off your skills.

If you’re good enough, you eventually reach the highest tier on the ranked ladder, i.e., the coveted Radiant!

If you found this article helpful, check out the price of Oni Phantom and how to get your hands on this sick skin. Until next time, happy gaming!

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FAQ

Do You Get Any Rewards at the End of an Episode?

At the end of every Valorant episode, players will receive a gun buddy representing the highest Act rank they received. 

What is the Best Way to Level Up Quickly?

When looking to level up quickly in Valorant, there are several tips to keep in mind to help the process go smoothly. 

Make sure you are playing every day, take on daily and weekly missions, and focus on a single champion as your main.