Valorant Competitive Mode Guide: Strategy, Mechanics & Winning Tips

Valorant Competitive Mode Guide: Strategy, Mechanics & Winning Tips

Valorant, a tactical first-person shooter developed by Riot Games, has impressed the gaming world with its innovation and unique game characters, each with their own story and charisma. A key aspect of the game that keeps players engaged and striving for improvement is the Competitive mode. The bo3 editorial team has prepared a detailed guide on Competitive mode in Valorant, where we will unravel how it works, what players can expect as they climb the ranks on their path to glory, and other useful information that will come in handy for both beginners and experienced players.

Competitive Mode in Valorant

Valorant leaderboards
Valorant leaderboards

Competitive mode plays a crucial role in the game, ensuring fair and exciting gameplay. Ten players of closely matched skill levels are paired in a match; continue reading this material to learn how Valorant Competitive works. Moreover, this mode serves as a strong motivator for most players to return to the game and improve their skills. Here you can track your progress, raising your rating and climbing to the top of the leaderboard, which is displayed in the game and can be viewed by any player.

How to Unlock Competitive Mode in Valorant

Competitive mode unlock
Competitive mode unlock

To play Competitive in Valorant, you need to unlock this mode. To access it, players must reach level 20 of their game account. This stage allows the game to assess your current gaming skills and fairly determine your rank for more equitable opponent matching.

How Competitive Mode Works

Valorant competitive ranks
Valorant competitive ranks

Let's examine all the details of Competitive mode in Valorant, from unlocking it to receiving rewards, to highlight the specifics and understand how this mode functions.

  • Rating Determination. It all starts with players needing to play a sufficient number of games in other modes to unlock the possibility of participating in Competitive. After that, they need to play five more matches in this mode, and based on these games, their rank will be determined. You can find out more about Valorant Competitive rating system in our other article below.
  • Fair Opponent Matching. During your first match and after receiving a rating, the matchmaking system will select teammates and opponents considering your skill level. This approach makes the game Valorant more exciting and encourages players to develop their skills.
  • Match. The rules of Competitive mode in Valorant slightly differ from the Unrated mode. The game continues until one team wins 13 rounds. In case of a 12:12 score, the game goes into extra rounds until a winner is determined, or players agree on a draw. The maps for the matches are the same as in Unrated, but the map pool is slightly different; you can find the current map list by continuing to read this material.
  • Rating Distribution after the Game. The specifics of Competitive mode in Valorant are defined by the fact that the match result affects your rating, which motivates players to be more focused and motivated to win. After a win, players receive from 10 to 45 points, depending on their performance during the match. The average usually ranges between 23-25. Rating is deducted for a loss.
  • Rewards. By play ranked in Valorant, players can earn pleasant rewards for their collection. The competitive mode is divided into episodes. Each episode consists of three acts, and during the first two acts, players receive a keychain with the symbol of the highest rank in that act. At the end of the episode, players receive a keychain with the highest rank for the entire episode.

To climb up the ranks, you need to understand the various ranks that exist. For this, another article where we detailed all the ranks in Valorant will come in handy.

How to Win Competitive Matches?

Valorant mvp
Valorant mvp

Winning Competitive matches in Valorant requires not only excellent shooting and reaction skills, but also strategic thinking, teamwork, and knowledge of agents and maps. Below are some tips for Competitive in Valorant that will help increase your chances of victory.

  • Communication: Use a microphone or chat to communicate with your team, convey important information, and propose strategies. Remember, negative and toxic players are disliked, and such individuals receive bans.
  • Map Knowledge: Thoroughly study each map in the active pool, which will help you better understand game events and provide more detailed information. It also expands your understanding of how to effectively use various abilities.
  • Team Collaboration: Playing as a team is a key element for developing your matchmaking strategy in Valorant. Learn to interact with your team, assist each other, and maintain a positive and competitive spirit.
  • Perform Your Role: You don't have to take on all the responsibilities at once. Choose your role and agent in advance, and perform the tasks required of you.
  • Effective Use of Abilities: Masterfully use your character's unique abilities. Their effective use can bring you several victories.

Practicing these tips will help you climb the ranks and enjoy not just the game but also your achievements in Valorant.

Valorant Competitive Map Pool

Valorant competitive maps
Valorant competitive maps

Riot Games continually strive to maintain 7 maps in the active pool, replacing one or two when a new or improved map is released. Recently, one of the latest rotations resulted in Haven being replaced by Icebox. Below, you can familiarize yourself with the active map pool Competitive in Valorant.

  • Ascent
  • Bind
  • Breeze
  • Icebox
  • Lotus
  • Split
  • Sunset

How long is a Valorant comp game?

Before starting a match, it's important to understand how long the game might take to avoid misunderstandings when you need to do other things but are still in the game. A competitive match in Valorant can last from 20 to 80 minutes, with an average duration of 44 to 52 minutes.

What Happens to Your Rank in Valorant if You Don't Play Competitive for a Long Time?

 
 

If you don't play a Valorant comp match for two weeks, your rank will be hidden. To restore it, you just need to play one match. After the game, you will be assigned a rank with minimal difference compared to your previous rank. The difference depends on the result of this match - win or loss.

Considering the main principles and explained Valorant ranking mechanics, it can be determined that this is the best mode in the game, deservedly popular because it motivates players to develop and return to the game to achieve the highest possible heights. We hope that after reading this material, you have found answers to all your questions.

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