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Valorant gets competitive ranked mode in update 1.02

Valorant patch 1.02 will feature a reworked ranked game mode.

Donovan Erskine

June 22, 2020 2:15 PM

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With Valorant having such a strong emphasis on competitive play, it only makes sense that players are clamoring for an official ranked mode to hit the game. Riot Games’ 5v5 FPS saw a ranked matchmaking mode during its closed beta in the weeks leading up to launch. Riot has confirmed that Ranked mode will arrive in Valorant alongside the 1.02 update scheduled to release soon. In addition, the developer has detailed the changes that players can expect to see when they jump in.

Riot has taken the feedback received during Valorant’s beta and used it to fine tune the ranked experience for the full release. The full list of tweaks and changes can be found on the game’s official website. One of the changes highlighted is the change of name in the top rank. During the beta, the highest achievable rank in competitive play was titled “Valorant.” In the full release, this is being changed to “Radiant” in order to clear up confusion between the game and the ranking itself. Riot has also made some small changes and polishes to the icons used for each ranking. 

The new and improved Valorant ranked mode also features changes to placement and progression. In order to allow players to queue up with friends, Riot is widening the skill gap allowed between people jumping into competitive matchmaking together. However, there will still be somerestricitons if the gap between two players is large enough.

Valorant’s online play is broken up into “acts” which are similar to seasons in other popular online titles. These acts will last roughly 2 months according to the developer. Players will be able to track their ranked progression over an act, seeing where they peaked, and what they achieved during the stiny. This kicks off with Act 1: Ignition once Ranked mode arrives.

It won’t be long until Valorant players can jump into ranked mode and start that grind for Radiant. Valorant update 1.02 is set to launch soon, and ranked mode will follow right behind it. For more on Riot’s FPS, be sure to visit our Valorant home page.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_