Riot Games is constantly tweaking how Valorant ranks work in its competitive mode. One minute Immortal is divided into three tiers, and the next it's not, and oh look, it's back again. It's a complicated system with a lot of moving parts on top of what's already a stressful time.
I'll break down how Valorant's ranking system works below. I'll also go over the current rank distribution so you know where you stand against the average player—you're most likely doing just fine, don't stress.
All Valorant ranks
In ascending order, the Valorant ranks are:
- Iron 1-3
- Bronze 1-3
- Silver 1-3
- Gold 1-3
- Platinum 1-3
- Diamond 1-3
- Ascendant 1-3
- Immortal 1-3
- Radiant
As you can see, each rank has three different levels within it, except for the pinnacle Radiant rank. So you'll progress through each tier, going from Iron 1 up to Iron 3, for example, then Bronze 1 to Bronze 3.
As a fun bit of trivia, back when the beta first began six years ago, Valorant's ranks had titles like 'soldier' and 'hero', but the current rare metals naming system is easier for most folks to remember. I think the final tier should go back to being called 'Valorant' though.
It's also worth pointing out that there are a few matchmaking restrictions based on your rank. Obviously, you'll be paired with and against players of a similar skill level in this mode. However, if you're playing with friends, then this is also taken into account:
- Groups of five players will always fight another pre-made team of five, and your rank rating could be impacted by reduced gains or losses depending on how wide the skill gap is.
- Groups of four players aren't allowed, so there's not a lone solo player on your team.
- Groups of two or three players must be within rank range limits.
- Iron and Bronze players can team up to Silver 3.
- Silver players can team with Iron 1 to Gold 3.
- Gold players can team with Silver 1 to Platinum 3
- Platinum, Diamond, and Ascendant players can team exactly one tier apart.
- Immortal and Radiant players can team exactly one tier apart, but only in parties of three. You cannot three-stack at this rank.
Act rank
Valorant also has what's called an Act rank, which is basically your highest-achieved rank win during the miniature season. Your rank is reset each Act (excluding Immortal and Radiant players) so you must play a placement game to re-earn your previous rank. Then you'll work towards filling in a hollow triangle badge by winning games. The highest-ranked match that you've won so far in the Act will be placed at the top of this pyramid and will be preserved as your Act rank, dictating what rewards you will earn at the end of the Act.
For example, you could be a Gold player but you managed to bag a win in Platinum 1. Congratulations, your Act rank would be Platinum 1, even if you fell back down into Gold.
Placement matches
Thankfully, players are required to complete at least a few matches before they can play competitively. More specifically, since Episode 4 Act 1, you need to reach level 20 before you can play ranked.
Your journey begins with five placement matches to determine your starting rank. Take note that the highest rank you could possibly earn after your placements is Ascendant 3, so you'll always have a ladder to climb, no matter how good you are.
Valorant rank rewards
What's the point in playing ranked if you're not getting a reward for the pain and suffering? Thankfully Riot knows we all need a carrot on a stick, so that's why, at the end of each season, you'll earn a buddy based on the top Act rank you achieved. You need to win nine matches in the season to qualify for the reward, though that shouldn't be too hard.
Buddies are effectively just weapon charms, and are a cool way to show off your rank. Unfortunately, the rank badges aren't nearly as cool as most other charms you can use, so don't stress too much about it.
Valorant rank distribution
If playing ranked wasn't punishment enough, you're likely curious how you fare compared to the rest of the playerbase. That's where understanding the rank distribution comes into play. Generally speaking, most players are in Gold, followed by Silver and then Platinum. So if you're around this rank, you're near enough an average player—don't shoot the messenger.
Using data from vstats.gg, here is the rank distribution for May 2026:
Rank |
Percentage of Players |
|---|---|
Iron |
4.39% |
Bronze |
13.78% |
Silver |
20.06% |
Gold |
23.03% |
Platinum |
18.76% |
Diamond |
11.67% |
Ascendant |
6.67% |
Immortal |
1.62% |
Radiant |
0.01% |
