Valorant, developed by Riot Games, has not only quickly become one of the most popular computer video games but has also rapidly established itself as a leading esports discipline with grand tournaments attracting huge audiences worldwide and offering significant prize money. In this article, we will explore all possible ways for a beginner, amateur, or enthusiast to become a professional Valorant player.
It's important to note that a player is considered professional if they have a contract with an esports club. To achieve this, one needs not only high individual skill and game understanding but also a cohesive team. Most pathways to attract the attention of professional organizations involve participating in tournaments and reaching certain stages in them.
Building or Joining a Team
Breaking into esports with a team is much easier than going solo. Therefore, if you seriously decide to take this step, it is worth focusing on finding a team and working together to achieve your goals.
Creating Your Own Team
Find like-minded individuals among your acquaintances or online communities and create your own team. Joint training, strategy discussions, and coordination will help you achieve better results.
Joining an Existing Team
If you cannot create your own team, try to join an existing one. Many teams are looking for new players, and you can find such a team through forums, social networks, or specialized platforms.
Advancing to the Challengers League
The main pathway for any player who wants to break into the professional Valorant scene is advancing to the Challengers League. Most teams participating in this league are funded by organizations, meaning they have professional contracts and receive salaries. There are several ways to get into this or another league, which we will discuss below.
The Challengers League is designed for Tier 2-3 level teams to identify the best teams each season, giving them a chance to compete in the VCT for the next two years. Challengers exist in almost every region of the world and are divided into sub-regions. For example, in Europe, there are nine such sub-regions: some for individual countries and some for several countries at once. Players are not restricted from participating in a specific league – they can participate in any league they prefer. However, for teams, there are restrictions: their roster must predominantly consist of players from the region they are competing in.
Premier Mode
Premier mode has been present in the game for a long time but was only recently integrated into the competitive Valorant ecosystem quite successfully. After the first split, several teams managed to qualify for the Challengers League. Now players can easily gather a team of friends or acquaintances and start their challenging and long journey to the Challengers League.
It is worth noting that to qualify for the league, you must meet the basic requirements: be at least 16 years old and have achieved a rank of Immortal or higher in recent seasons.
Once you have achieved the status of one of the best teams in your region in Premier mode, you will have the opportunity to compete for league slots against teams that left it due to unfavourable results, as well as other teams that earned the right to participate in this tournament through other competitions.
It's important to note that the above information reflects the most common scenarios, but there are cases where Premier mode teams compete among themselves for a league slot, while other teams do this among themselves.
Amateur Tournaments
For those who do not feel inspired to play in Premier mode, another path is available – amateur tournaments, where slots for events are sometimes played, giving the winners a chance to enter the Challengers League in the next split. It's important to note that such tournaments exist in most regions but not all. For example, after the end of the first split in 2024 in the Spanish league, the tournament was held only among eight invited teams, while the other four competed in another tournament where all participants were from Premier mode.
Entering the Professional Valorant Scene Without a Team
If your gameplay is so high that amateur teams do not pose a challenge for you, but you wish to play at a professional level, there is another option – ranked mode. In this mode, there is a leaderboard, and players at high positions often get opportunities from professional teams. This can happen either at the player's initiative, seeking a team and applying for a trial period, or at the initiative of team scouts who identify potential players and offer them a chance to try themselves at a higher level than ranked mode.
This is indeed a challenging path as it requires not only a high level of play but also the ability to draw attention to yourself. In many cases, simply holding a high position on the leaderboard may not be enough, and the player may need to use personal live streams to attract attention. Additionally, maintaining a top position for an extended period is necessary, as a single successful stint may not suffice.
Tips for Amateurs
If your desire to become a professional Valorant player has only grown after reading this, we have prepared a few tips for you. Some may seem trivial if you have already achieved high results (Immortal+ rank), but you might find something useful.
- Keep Improving: Dedicate as much time as possible to daily practice. Sharpen your shooting skills, study maps in detail, and refine your techniques.
- Play with Better Players: Seek opportunities to play with stronger players. This will help you identify your weaknesses and improve your gameplay.
- Analyze Your Matches: Record your games and review them yourself or seek help from more experienced players to analyze your mistakes and find ways to improve.
- Be Active in the Community: Join forums, social networks, and other platforms where Valorant is discussed. This will help you find a team, get advice, and stay updated with news.
- Follow Esports Closely: Watch professional tournament broadcasts, learn from the pros, and try to apply their strategies in your game.
Conclusion
The path from an amateur to a professional Valorant player requires not only a lot of time but also effort, motivation, and perseverance. A crucial aspect is continuous self-improvement and regular attempts, as few succeed on their first try. Therefore, do not miss any tournaments and stay close to like-minded individuals throughout your challenging journey.
Comments