Riot Games has given players a look at what the Valorant ranked system will look like ahead of its full release, including the new name for top-ranked players.
In an announcement post by Valorant’s senior producer Ian ‘Brighteyz’ Fielding, fans get a look at the updated icon designs for the 22 ranks in the game, which have been remodelled for better clarity to distinguish ranks more easily. Then there is the renaming of the highest rank, which used to have the extremely confusing name of ‘Valorant.’ Now the game’s top players will be looking to reach ‘Radiant’ rank instead, the name seemingly taking inspiration from Radianite, the in-game currency used to buy and upgrade cosmetic items like weapon skins.
Other changes in the post include improvements to matchmaking for ranked play, which also sees friends being able to play alongside each other in placement matches even if they’re not of a similar rank. Tweaks to matchmaking at the top end in Immortal and Radiant ranks have also been made.
Players will also be able to track their progression in ranked Acts. While they won’t be able to visibly see the progress straight away (visuals will be coming in a later update) Riot will be tracking stats and progress behind the scenes ready for when that update comes.
It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for… Senior Producer Brighteyz updates you on what Ranked and Competitive mode will look like for launch. https://t.co/ZDrFC1Gwtr
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) June 22, 2020
Fielding also promises fans that Riot is looking into other aspects of competitive play like in-client tournaments and leaderboards, but these are some way down the line and will likely not appear in Valorants first competitive Act.
There was no definite date given in regards to when competitive play will be launched, however it was suggested by game director Joe Ziegler that it would be coming this week. And with Valorant patches usually falling on Tuesday, tomorrow (June 23) is seeming like a likely candidate.