Valorant is a 5v5 tactical shooter developed by Riot Games, combining precise gunplay with unique agent abilities. If you're diving into Valorant's ranked mode, you might be wondering how the system works, what ranks exist, and how to climb the ladder.
Whether you're a newcomer aiming to break out of Iron, or a seasoned player pushing for Radiant, understanding the ranking system is key to improving your competitive experience. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the info of Valorant’s Rank System. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
What Are Valorant Ranks?
Valorant’s Rank System is a competitive progression structure that determines a player’s skill level and matches them with similarly skilled opponents.
Players earn Rank Rating (RR) by winning games, and there are nine rank tiers. Each (except for Radiant) is divided into three sub-ranks (e.g., Gold 1, Gold 2, Gold 3). At the end of an Act, players receive an Act Rank, which reflects their highest-ranked wins during that period.
Ranks Order: Lowest to Highest
Iron (Iron 1 → Iron 2 → Iron 3)
Bronze (Bronze 1 → Bronze 2 → Bronze 3)
Silver (Silver 1 → Silver 2 → Silver 3)
Gold (Gold 1 → Gold 2 → Gold 3)
Platinum (Platinum 1 → Platinum 2 → Platinum 3)
Diamond (Diamond 1 → Diamond 2 → Diamond 3)
Ascendant (Ascendant 1 → Ascendant 2 → Ascendant 3)
Immortal (Immortal 1 → Immortal 2 → Immortal 3)
Radiant (Highest rank, no sub-tiers)
Iron 1 is the starting rank for most new players, while Radiant is reserved for the top-tier players in each region.
How Do Ranks Work?
Players climb the ranks by winning matches and earning Rank Rating (RR). The amount of RR gained or lost depends on factors like match outcome, individual performance, and round differential. Lower ranks rely more on wins and losses, while higher ranks, especially Immortal and Radiant, require consistently strong performance.
Valorant Rank Distribution
Rank distribution refers to the percentage of players in each competitive rank of a game, such as Valorant. It provides insight into how the player base is spread across different skill levels.
In Valorant, ranks range from Iron (lowest) to Radiant (highest). The distribution shows how many players are in each rank, helping to understand factors like:
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Skill Curve: How difficult it is to climb ranks.
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Competitive Balance: Whether matchmaking is fair across skill levels.
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Elite Player Percentage: How rare top-tier players (e.g., Immortal/Radiant) are.
Rank Distribution for V25 - Act 1 (Last Updated: 2025/3/7):
Iron: 6.84%
Bronze: 19.87%
Silver: 24.59%
Gold: 21.54%
Platinum: 13.66%
Diamond: 8.18%
Ascendant: 4.35%
Immortal: 0.92%
Radiant: 0.04%
Essentially, rank distribution is a statistical breakdown of player rankings in a competitive system.
How is Act Rank displayed in-game?
What Is Act Rank？
An Act is a defined competitive period within an Episode, with each Episode consisting of three Acts. Throughout an Act, your performance is tracked, and your Act Rank serves as a reflection of your overall skill progression during that time.
Instead of simply showing your final rank, it highlights the highest-ranked win you achieved, a concept known as your proven skill. This allows players to showcase the peak of their competitive success in each Act, rather than just their ending rank.
How does Act Rank Work？
At the start of a new Episode, all players must complete 5 placement matches to determine their initial rank, with Ascendant 1 being the highest possible starting point. However, if you’re entering Act 2 or Act 3, only one placement match is required. Once your rank is set, your Act Rank will adjust based on your wins and losses throughout the Act.
Each triangle in the pyramid stands for a ranked match win, and the top triangle shows your best win—your proven skill and Act Rank. The highest rank you reach after a win is what counts. So, if you win and move up to Diamond 2, your pyramid will have a Diamond 2 triangle at the top.
Each triangle's color and size represent the rank you were in when you won that match. As you achieve higher-ranked wins, lower-ranked ones will gradually be replaced, giving a clearer visual of your progress.
The border around the pyramid represents your Act Rank Border. Once you win 9, 25, 50, 75, and 100 competitive matches, your Act Rank border will change. The progress bar below the pyramid shows how many more wins you need to reach the next border level.
Your Act Rank badge represents your highest-ranked win. You can view it in the Career tab and on your Player Card, along with your current rank.
How Is Rank Rating (RR) Calculated?
In Valorant, your rank score (or RR) is primarily determined by the following factors:
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Match Outcome: The biggest influence on your RR comes from whether you win or lose the match. Winning grants a base amount of RR, while losing results in a loss of RR.
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Round Differential: More decisive match results affect RR gains or losses. A dominant win (e.g., 13-2) gives more RR, while a close win (e.g., 13-9) results in less. Similarly, losing with a bigger margin (e.g., 3-13) causes a greater RR loss compared to a closer loss (e.g., 11-13).
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Individual Performance: While your individual performance (including damage and assists) can slightly impact your RR, it is less significant than the match outcome and round differential. It plays a smaller role, especially in higher ranks like Immortal and Radiant.
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Rank Convergence: All RR gains or losses are multiplied by a convergence factor that aligns your Matchmaking Rating (MMR) with your rank. Keep in mind that Rank ≠ MMR—your rank reflects your approximate MMR, but your MMR is hidden.
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Others: Episode resets give you a fresh chance to complete rank placements and climb again. If your MMR is significantly higher than your visible rank, you'll be double promoted to match your performance. Additionally, parties of 5 players will face RR penalties ranging from 0% to 90%, depending on their rank.
In summary, winning the match and round differential are the most important factors in calculating your RR, while individual performance has a smaller impact. The overall calculation aligns your MMR with your visible rank through the rank convergence factor.
How to Unlock Competitive Mode?
The requirements to participate in Competitive mode are as follows:
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Starting from Episode 4, Act 1, your account level must be 20 to access Competitive mode.
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If your account level is still below 20, but you have played Competitive matches before Episode 4, you can continue playing in Competitive mode.
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At the start of each new Episode, you need to play five placement matches to set your rank for that Episode.
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For Act 2 and Act 3 within the same Episode, you will need to play one placement match again, as the rank resets for each Act.
Of course, there are also some important Competitive mode rules you need to know.
Will My Rank Decay?
No.
But for Immortal and Radiant players, your rank on the leaderboard might change due to activity, but your actual rank won't decay. Inactive players in these ranks may experience leaderboard fluctuations, but your rank stays the same.
Is It Possible to Play Competitive With Friends?
Yes.
Even if there is a skill gap between you and your friends (but not too big), you can still queue together. If your team consists of 2 or 3 players, you will only be able to play Competitive matches with friends within a specific rank range. No Four-Player Teams Allowed. Players in Immortal 1 and higher can only play solo, duo, or in a 5-player team.
Here's the breakdown:
※ Five-player teams have no restrictions. If any player's rank exceeds the limits, their RR will be adjusted accordingly based on their actual rank.
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If all players in a 5-player team are below Radiant 3 and any player exceeds the rank limits, RR changes will be reduced by 25%.
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If one or more players are between Mythic 1 and Mythic 3, RR changes will be reduced by 25%.
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If one or more players are from Radiant Soul, RR changes will be reduced by 75%. Playing with anyone below Radiant Soul will reduce RR changes by 90%.
If you have more questions about the competitive mode, you can refer to the VALORANT - Competitive Mode FAQ.
Conclusion
Understanding Valorant’s Rank System—from rank order to rank distribution—is key to tracking your progress and making the most of competitive play. Knowing how ranks are structured, how RR is calculated, and how your Act Rank reflects your performance can help you set clear goals and climb more efficiently. Whether you're pushing for Immortal or just trying to break out of Silver, mastering these mechanics will give you an edge.
Stay focused, refine your skills, and keep grinding! And if you’re looking for a smoother climb, check out Valorant top-up in LDShop to keep your game on point.
