A new act is fast approaching, which means Valorant ranks will soon be locked. All players must play one match to be placed in their deserved rank in Episode 5, Act 3. Consistently being inducted into the same or low ranks has led players to express discontent, but the developer has a solid explanation for the placements in Valorant. The recent Ranked Fact Friday settles it once and for all.
Valorant rank and MMR can be confusing for green players, which is why many are seldom happy with their placements. Act rank is determined by the highest-ranked win, also called the ‘proven skill’. Still, the developer tries to place you at the bottom of your MMR to test you upwards, according to Valorant’s senior competitive designer, EvrMoar.
Complaints of a Gold 3 lurking in Platinum 1 lobbies are plenty, which has inspired EverMoar’s weekly Ranked Fact Friday. It turns out, the odd one out in your high-ranked lobby isn’t a result of a system glitch. Instead, MatchMaking is strictly tied to the hidden MMR instead of the rank badge. So, if there’s a low-ranked player in your lobby, it’s likely because they share the same MMR pool with you. Riot has likely placed them at the lower end of the MMR spectrum to test their skill level, EvrMoar explained.
“Placements are only the start of us knowing your skill. It would be bad for everyone if we placed you at a rank and were wrong. It’s better for you and your teammates to start you at the bottom of your MMR and test you upwards,” EvrMoar says.
Why does the developer force you into low ranks, you may ask? To keep the matchmaking fair and clean. Granting a free rank boost at the beginning of each act will likely pollute high ranks and harm deserving players’ progress. Conversely, giving players a chance to earn their rank badge is much safer for everyone involved. This practice also prevents bloating of higher ranks that cause boosting concerns.
So, the next time you notice a low-ranked player in your lobby, it’s probably because they recently got placed. Of course, Riot may reward them with a double boost if they’re truly deserving, but it’d all be for the betterment of competitive Valorant.
Before you get back to the grind, it’s worth taking a quick peek at the working of Valorant ranks order, distribution, ranking system, and the dos and don’ts of Valorant ranked games that can hurt your MMR. If you don’t leave your games early, the only way should be up.