Valorant will finally release the Ranked system with the upcoming patch 1.02. Following the experiences in the beta, the developers want to make several changes to the release of the Ranked mode, including removing restrictions on team composition.
What changes in the Ranked mode at release? On the Riot Games developer blog for Valorant, the developers introduce the planned changes ahead of the release of update 1.02 and the Ranked mode:
- The rank icons are now better designed
- The top rank is no longer called “Valorant”
- The restrictions on team composition are mostly lifted
When will patch 1.02 and Ranked be released? According to game director Joe Ziegler, the update 1.02 is expected this week, between June 22 and June 28, 2020. It will include the Ranked mode, several adjustments, hotfixes, and the long-awaited option to forfeit hopeless rounds.
The upcoming changes in the Ranked mode at release
Why was the name of the top rank changed? In the beta of Valorant, the highest rank—awarded to a player just hours after release—was called Valorant, just like the game. This was confusing and led to misunderstandings. Therefore, the developers changed the name to “Radiant.” This term refers to a powerful agent in the game and fits the theme.
How does team composition work now? An important aspect of the new Ranked system will be a more flexible team composition. Previously, you and your friends could only have a few rank differences in Ranked mode if you wanted to play together. If someone was too high or too low compared to the rest, they couldn’t play.
This was obviously frustrating, so the developers revisited this topic. According to them, you can now almost always play with your friends and largely ignore the ranks of individual team members. Only the most extreme discrepancies will still lead to a team ban. However, the exact new rules have not yet been disclosed by the developers.
In the future, you will likely be able to play with your highly skilled gamer friends even as an average player and be “carried” through matches by them. This was not possible in the beta.
What’s the deal with the acts? The ranked league in Valorant will take place in acts, each lasting 2 months. During this time, you will be able to track your rank progress. In the future, the developers plan to expand this and provide more information accessible.
What else is coming? For the future of the ranked system, the developers envision things like a leaderboard, additional team support features, and the ability to hold tournaments within the client. But first, the ranked system needs to go online and be functional.
The first version of the ranked mode from the beta of Valorant was met with criticism and contradictions. Top streamers and ex-pro gamer shroud pointed out that the ranked mode was actually not good and hindered a career as a professional gamer. According to shroud, no one aspiring to be a pro should pay much attention to the ranked mode.
