A new teaser for Valorant’s upcoming bridge to pro play – Premier – has aired on the popular FPS game’s YouTube channel. According to the new trailer, developer Riot Games is gearing up to bring the Valorant Premier mode open beta to a global audience very soon – Episode 6, Act 3, in fact.
Offering a primer on Premier, game director Andy Ho says that the mode will have players compete in a “series of weekly matches” taking place throughout each Act. Those who win enough matches will then enter a single elimination bracket to decide the top dog in their skill division.
But how does Premier connect standard play to pro, and how does it differ from the more casual Clash mode we see in MOBA cousin League of Legends? According to head of Valorant esports Leo Faria, Premier will eventually replace the open qualifier events currently required to get into the Valorant Champion Tour’s Challenger leagues. Put simply, “it’s five friends and a dream playing from their bedrooms, all the way up to the biggest stage in Valorant.”
Premier was initially revealed back in October 2022. The goal of the mode, which bridges competitive play with pro, was to “present an even higher goal beyond Radiant that provides the most competition-hungry players with a rewarding challenge beyond ranked.” Shortly after its announcement, players in Brazil got the chance to try out the alpha version of Premier, which at the time was roughly 60% finished.
Now, it appears that the final form of the mode is close to fruition, and with the eventual promise of VCT glory for those victorious few, the path to being a Valorant champion has never been clearer for grassroots players.