If you're new to Valorant and just got access to the Valorant closed beta, you'll see that it offers both a ranked Competitive mode and an Unrated mode. The regular Unrated mode is available from the start, while the Competitive ranked mode must first be unlocked by completing enough Unrated matches. Once Competitive mode is unlocked, players can start playing for a competitive rank, which is a reflection of their current skill level and will affect how Valorant's matchmaking system pairs them with other players in future ranked play. But not everything about Valorant's ranked system is clear from the start and you might be wondering how it works. How many Unrated matches do you need to play before ranked mode unlocks and how do you earn your first rank? And what are the Valorant ranks anyway? In this guide we'll break down all your questions about Valorant's ranked system, as explained in Riot's official blog, so you know what to expect when diving into Competitive ranked mode for the first time. A new Valorant launch date trailer just dropped, so with the game launching out of beta soon, now is the perfect time to learn how ranking works--but take note, your rank and all your stats will reset when the beta ends on May 28.

To unlock Valorant's ranked mode, which is officially called Competitive mode, you have to complete 20 Unrated matches. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, you just have to play 20 regular games through to completion. Winning or losing Unrated matches will have no effect on your rank once you do unlock Competitive mode. You are only graded on performance in a Competitive ranked match.

To get your first rank, you have to complete a total of five placement matches in Competitive mode. Your performance during these matches will determine your first Valorant rank. Find the list of possible ranks and skill badges, and a deeper explanation of how Valorant's ranked system works--including ranked tiers--below.

There are a total of eight ranks in Valorant. Each has three ranked tiers except for Valorant, the top rank possible. That makes for a total of 22 possible ranked tiers, each represented by its own skill badge. Riot has provided a handy graphic showing off its ranked system, which you can see below. The competitive ranks and their corresponding ranked tiers are as follows.

According to Riot, "winning games is the most important factor in gaining rank," but your personal performance plays a big part in that too. Performing "exceptionally well" can help you rank up faster, while performing worse than you have in previous matches can hurt your competitive rank. It gets a little more complicated, though. As Riot explains, the way Valorant determines your early rank puts much more scrutiny on your personal performance, but eventually, winning matches becomes the more important determining factor. Once you receive your Valorant competitive rank, you will be matched only with players within two ranks of yourself.

Much of the way ranked mode works, according to Riot, is built to combat smurfing, rank boosting, and ensure balanced matches for all competitive players. But be aware--ranked mode only just went live in late April, when the Valorant beta hadn't even been live for a full month, so the more nuanced ins-and-outs of this system may change as Riot gathers data and feedback.

No. Your rank doesn't reset in Valorant if you haven't played in a while, but if you're inactive for 14 days, it will be temporarily "hidden" until the next time you play a match. That doesn't mean it's disappeared or decayed, just that it won't be displayed for other players until you become an active player again yourself.

"We want to be confident that when others see your rank, it's an accurate reflection of your skill," Riot explains.

No. After the Valorant beta is over on May 28, all competitive ranks will reset, so all players will start fresh on Valorant's June 2 release date. You will have to follow Riot's instructions for achieving a new competitive rank based on the rules at that time. We don't know how the competitive ranked system might change before launch, so we can't say much more than that.

Valorant's new Competitive mode was introduced shortly after patch 0.49 was pushed, and it is currently only available in the EU and NA regions. Gameplay-wise, it is no different than Unrated mode. It is still 5v5 team-based matches, set in the same maps, with the same objectives and win conditions. You can still solo queue or queue up with a full five-person party. The only difference is that Competitive mode has a ranked system, which means after playing a few rounds unranked, you will receive your first ranked badge, and then only be matched with other players of similar ranks. Winning matches can increase your rank, and losing them can decrease your rank. That also means if you queue up with a party, you'll all have to be within two ranks of each other.

Valorant is still in closed beta until May 28, and the balance of its ranked system is likely to change even post-launch. We'll keep you up-to-date on Riot's Valorant updates, including future patches and other adjustments to its ranked system. For now, read up on how to get your Valorant beta key if you haven't already and--if you're ready to dive in--learn some top Valorant tips and tricks.

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