As of May 2025, the ranked mode in VALORANT is going through rough times: a large number of smurfs, inappropriate player behavior, developer inactivity, and other issues that will be discussed in this material. Here we will also present our ideas and solutions for improving VALORANT’s ranked mode.

Smurfing and boosting

One of the main problems in VALORANT’s ranked mode, especially at lower ranks, is smurfing and boosting. Players massively complain about a large number of players who play better than their rank, ruining the gaming experience for beginners or less experienced players.

The game already has a mobile number verification system, but it is only required for participation in Premier mode. It would be reasonable to introduce it for the ranked mode as well, to significantly reduce the number of smurfs and boosters. However, it is clear that this is economically unprofitable for Riot. Therefore, a good solution would be to automatically detect such players and place them in a separate pool so they play only with each other and do not ruin the experience for others.

Hidden rating

The hidden rating in VALORANT plays a key role, as the system determines a player’s skill level based on it. But the problem is that there is no transparent system of how it works. Some players face situations where their hidden rating is lower than their current rank in the game, causing the system to hold the player back, awarding only 10–15 rating points for a win and deducting 20 or more for a loss. Because of this, even with a 60% win rate, which is a high indicator, the player stays at the same place and loses motivation.

Because of this, another problem arises — at the Radiant rank, usually, the same players remain, as it is very difficult for new players to climb there due to the system harshly deducting rating if the hidden rating does not match the goal. Ideally, the company should reveal how the hidden rating works, but then it would be easy to manipulate it, so the only option is to not punish players so harshly by deducting 20 rating points when awarding no more than 15 for a win.

No motivation

With the introduction of rank rewards, nothing has changed: for several episodes in a row, players receive only a rank badge corresponding to their maximum achievement for the episode. During this time, only the design and the text symbolizing the season have changed. Currently, the only real motivation for players is getting into the professional scene, since from Immortal 3+ rank, the path through Premier mode to Challengers opens.

VALORANT has a large number of cosmetic bundles. Providing exclusive rewards, such as a player card or graffiti for reaching a high rank, would significantly boost motivation. Personally, after a long pause, I lost a few rank points and do not have much motivation to regain them, especially due to the lack of tools for improving gameplay — this is another major problem.

Lack of improvement tools

VALORANT is a competitive shooter, and it’s hard to imagine such a game without a large number of tools for improving one’s skills. Currently, the game only has Deathmatch mode, the Range, and custom games where you can study maps and practice lineups. However, for real progress, it is necessary to analyze your mistakes, and it is impossible to do so properly, as in CS2 or Rainbow Six Siege, because there is still no replay system.

Some players record their games using third-party programs, but this does not have the full effect — you cannot see the whole map at once and fully understand the game situation. Riot Games stated that they are working on a replay system, but much time has passed since then, and there have been no concrete updates or announcements.

In addition, the game lacks pre-fire maps or the ability to place bots in custom games to create your own training maps. In CS2, such possibilities are abundant — for any taste and skill level.

New features

The ranked mode in VALORANT has been stagnant for a long time. Only rank resets and the addition of a new map or agent do not provide players with enough motivation for long-term grinding. Real new features are needed, and the community has long been waiting for some of them.

We are talking about the possibility of map selection or at least a pick and ban system. This would make it easier to improve one’s game because you could immediately practice prepared strategies. It would be a plus for both beginners and experienced players. Furthermore, it would improve the gaming experience, as everyone has maps they hate. For example, I personally do not like Fracture, and when I log in before sleep to play one map and Fracture comes up, my mood immediately worsens. As a result, I either have to dodge the game or resign myself to the situation.

Blacklist

Currently, there are many players in the game who deliberately throw games. At lower ranks, this is less critical — the chance of encountering them again is minimal. But at higher ranks, especially at Radiant, where the player pool is small, it becomes a serious problem. This was complained about by one of the professional players — Shahzeeb "ShahZaM" Khan, who noted that many accounts simply ruin games for fun, and you cannot block them to avoid being matched with them again.

This could be solved by a blacklist system, which would prohibit the system from matching you with certain players on your team. Something similar already exists in the game, but it only blocks any contact, and you can still end up on the same team with them. This would significantly improve the quality of matches at the top level.

Despite all the shortcomings, the ranked mode remains the best place in VALORANT for getting real competitive experience, especially if you play with a team of five friends and can fully control the tactical component. If there are problems we have not mentioned, or if you are missing something in the game — share it in the comments.