Valorant is a 5v5 character based tactical shooter by Riot Games. It has a competitive ranked mode which is perfect for players who want to reach higher ranks and earn bragging rights. In this guide, we will tell you how to get Gold rank in Valorant along with some tips and tricks to help you climb the ranked ladder faster.
Valorant Gold Rank Guide
At the time of writing, these are the Valorant ranks in order:
- Iron
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
- Diamond
- Ascendant
- Immortal
- Radiant
Rank & Act Rank
Every rank (except Radiant) has three tiers and the higher the number of tier, the better your rank.
Your Rank is a way to determine your skill and rank in matches and it is visible to your party, tab menu and the summary scoreboards. This rank has an impact on your Act Rank as well.
Your Act Rank is your rank across the Act and it is calculated based on your highest ranked win which the devs call your proven skill. To increase your MMR, you need to outperform your opponents and win consistently. How you win/lose has an impact on your RR going up or down along with other factors.
Rank Rating (RR)
Rank Rating or RR is a way players can check their progress as they climb ranks and works differently for Iron > Ascendant ranks and for Immortal > Radiant ranks.
After you are placed in a rank, you will start with 50 RR in your placed rank. Then you need 100 RR to move up. After you reach that milestone, you get to your next rank with a minimum 10 RR buffer.
Players need to hit 0 RR and lose again to demote. Then, you will begin at the next lower tier at 70 RR.
Winning and losing games plays a huge role in your RR along with other factors which play a smaller role. How you play, how much you win by and your overall performance all contributes towards your RR.
How much RR you gain or lose is determined by how close your rank is to your MMR (which is the hidden matchmaking rating). Keep in mind that going AFK or dodging queue in competitive games for a long time will affect your RR in a bad way.
Here’s how MMR & RR changes are explained by the devs in simple terms:
- If your MMR is higher than your rank, you’ll gain more RR on wins than you lose on losses
- If your MMR is even with your rank, you’ll gain and lose closer amounts of RR for wins and losses
- If your MMR is lower than your rank, you’ll gain less RR on wins and lose more on losses
- Increase your MMR by outperforming your opponents and winning more consistently!
How to Rank Up & Reach Gold Rank?
The game takes into consideration your KDA, how you win, who you are competing against and your overall individual performance. So, even if you are winning as a team, also focus on how you perform on your own.
Choose a few characters (at least 5) to main and master their skills. With every new major update, players get a new Agent to play as. While that can be fun, picking a few that suit your playstyle and knowing the ins-and-outs of the character abilities. If you have only one main and you don’t get a chance to play as that Agent, it will greatly affect your performance. Try one of every role that will give you an edge in games. While this will take time, it will make you a great asset in your team.
In terms of abilities, though, make sure to know about the powers of every agent. This will help you decide how to counter them when you face off against them in rounds. You don’t want to freeze up when a new agent surprises you with an ability.
Press the TAB button to see the players who are low-performing and have less Credits and target them.
Don’t pick favorites with maps because they will be selected at random. If you are not well-versed with a particular map, your performance in ranked mode will falter thereby leading to a lower rank So make sure to practice on every map, know about every corner’s advantages/disadvantages which will eventually improve your gameplay.
Play with friends whenever possible. That’s because playing in a party with them can lead to better communication which is crucial in Valorant and will help you climb the ranked ladder faster compared to doing it alone.
Practice daily with unrated games and don’t forget to play a few to brush up your skills before jumping into ranked as well.
Know how every gun works and which one works the best for you. As you get to know every weapon (and also how much it costs), it will reflect in your decisions and work towards your benefit in the game. Get an advantage by understanding how the weapon functions and its spray pattern because you never know, you might have to pick one up from another player mid-way.
Only and only practice is going to improve your game sense and strategy which will inevitably help you climb the ladder fast.
If your friends/other players are climbing faster – do not beat yourself up. Every player has their own pros, cons and the speed with which they learn is also different. Among all of this, don’t forget to have fun and rest by taking adequate breaks.
So this is everything we know about ranking up in Valorant and getting the gold rank. For more tips and tricks, check out our Valorant guides.