When Does Valorant Ranked Come Out?

Update: Ranked play is now live in some regions after a slight delay involving a bug. The launch follows a day after the latest Valorant patch 1.02.

Original story follows...

If you got the chance to play Valorant during its closed beta period, you may have gotten some time in with an early version of its ranked system and Competitive mode. But the only game modes available to play now are its default Unrated mode and Spike Rush, which was added at launch--no Competitive mode or ranking system in sight. According to new updates and teases from Riot, Valorant's ranked mode will get a global launch with the arrival of patch 1.02. While we don't have an exact release date for the new update, we know it's coming this week.

Valorant Ranked Mode Release Date Coming Soon

Riot doesn't offer an official Valorant ranked release date, but its game director took to Twitter to say that it will "likely" arrive this week.

This morning, Riot also posted a new blog update confirming that Competitive mode is headed to Valorant in the upcoming patch 1.02, as well as outlining some new details about how ranked mode will work and revealing the new name of Valorant's top rank.

Why Is Ranked Competitive Disabled In Valorant?

Riot removed Competitive mode and ranks from Valorant at launch to further improve on the system, but also to give players who didn't get into the beta a chance to learn the basics.

Read Riot's full statement below, part of its Valorant's update 1.0 patch notes:

"Similar to our closed beta launch, our initial focus is making sure our service is stable before activating competitive matchmaking. This is also a way to give new players the same courtesy that closed beta players had to learn the game ahead of turning on Competitive. We’ll also make some adjustments to Competitive based on remaining closed beta player feedback. Our plan is to turn on Competitive a few patches into our launch."

How Will Ranked Competitive Mode Work In Valorant?

If you're curious about how Valorant's ranked system will work in Valorant, we have a ranked system and Competitive Mode guide that breaks down how it worked during its brief early access period in the Valorant closed beta. This information is subject to change, but may provide a good look into Riot's initial approach. We also list all the competitive ranks and tiers, but are still waiting to learn what Valorant's new best rank (formerly "Valorant") will be renamed.

For more on Valorant, check out the recent news, announcements, and guides below.