In Valorant, your visible rank shows your position on the ranked ladder, RR tracks your progress, and hidden MMR helps the game match you with opponents. These measures are connected, but they are not interchangeable.
All Valorant ranks in order
Rank | Tiers |
|---|---|
Iron | 1, 2, 3 |
Bronze | 1, 2, 3 |
Silver | 1, 2, 3 |
Gold | 1, 2, 3 |
Platinum | 1, 2, 3 |
Diamond | 1, 2, 3 |
Ascendant | 1, 2, 3 |
Immortal | 1, 2, 3 |
Radiant | No separate tiers |
That makes 25 tiers in total. Riot lists the order in its Competitive Mode FAQ. The percentage of players at each rank changes, so a fixed distribution table soon becomes outdated.
How to unlock Competitive
For a new account, the basic requirement is Account Level 20. Account level is separate from your rank and placement results. Riot makes an exception for older accounts that played ranked matches before Episode 4.
How many Valorant placement matches do you need?
At the start of the Season in Act 1 and at Mid-Season in Act 4, you need five placement matches. In Acts 2, 3, 5 and 6, players who have completed their initial placements need one match to update their rank. Five placement matches means five games played, not five required wins.
For help with these matches, see our Valorant placements service.
How promotion, RR and Rank Shields work
From Iron through Ascendant, reaching 100 RR promotes you. An empty progress bar does not immediately demote you: you first reach 0 RR, then lose again. Tier 1 has additional protection.
Entering a rank’s first tier, such as Gold 1, through promotion or demotion grants two Rank Shields. A loss at 0 RR consumes a shield instead of dropping you into the rank below. Shields do not protect movement between tiers in the same rank, such as Silver 2 to Silver 1. See Riot’s Iron–Ascendant RR guide.
Immortal and Radiant use regional RR thresholds. Radiant requires both the regional threshold and a place in that region’s top 500. The usual “another 100 RR means another promotion” rule does not apply here.
What is the difference between MMR and RR?
You can see RR in the game. MMR is hidden, and the system compares it with your visible rank.
- MMR above your rank generally means larger RR gains from wins than losses from defeats.
- When MMR and rank are close, gains and losses become more similar.
- MMR below your rank means smaller gains and larger losses.
Match results have the greatest influence; round difference and individual performance also matter. There is no fixed RR reward for every win. Riot’s RR calculation guide also explains that a loss cannot earn RR, but an exceptional performance can improve MMR even in a lost match.
What is Act Rank?
Act Rank reflects your highest ranked win during an Act. The badge records that period’s achievement; it is not your current RR. An old Diamond badge, for example, does not mean your current rank is Diamond.
When does Valorant reset ranks?
Since 2025, a year-long Season with six Acts has replaced Episodes. The major resets happen at the start and middle of the Season, followed by five placements. The other Acts use the placement rules explained above. Riot announced this change in patch 10.00.
Do not expect a compulsory drop of exactly three or four ranks: there is no universal rule of that kind. A visible rank reset also does not make your account new or erase all of its matchmaking history.
Does your rank decay if you stop playing?
Riot does not automatically lower your rank for inactivity. Immortal and Radiant leaderboard positions can change, and keeping a place on the leaderboard requires at least one Competitive match every seven days. This is a separate leaderboard rule.
Working toward your next rank
Look at results across several matches rather than only your kill count. Review lost rounds, coordinate with teammates and watch for repeated mistakes. MMR changes with results and performance; you do not need a new account to “fix” it.
To compare options for help with your climb, see Valorant rank boosting. Placements establish a starting rank after the relevant reset, while a rank boost targets your selected next rank.
