Only a few more days to wait! Three weeks after the official release of Valorant, the Competitive mode will finally be deployed together with Patch 1.02. Some changes are to be expected such as new rank visuals, more balanced matchmaking and better game reporting.
New rank icons
The first change, widely demanded by the players, is a total redesign of the rank visuals in Valorant. The colors are now more contrasted and, as Sean Szopinski announced in an interview, the ultimate rank is now called Radiant instead of the confusing VALORANT.
Matchmaking
Another request from the community was to change the matchmaking, which was often considered unreliable in terms of fairness. As soon as the Competitive mode is released, you'll be able to play with your friends in ranked games, but only if the rank gap isn't too high. Little information has been released yet, but we can expect rules similar to League of Legends. You may not be able to play with a friend if a full division separates you.
Matchmaking has also been improved for the last two ranks, Immortal and Radiant. The publisher is aware that groups of five are at an advantage over single players and is currently working on a fair solution.
Rank Progression
Riot Games also announces the redesign of your rank progression. After Patch 1.02, a visual will be available in the Game History. It will include your maximum rank reached and a win/loss counter.
No date has been announced for the moment, but there is a good chance that the Competitive mode will be deployed in the coming days. Regarding the future of Ranked, the publisher promises to address community needs such as adding a tournament mode or a better comparison between the highest ranks.
Valorant answers your questions! In a post published over the weekend, the development team has put forward some answers to the most requested questions.
