Valorant game director Joe “Hephastopheles” Ziegler mentioned yesterday that the ranked mode for the title is set to make a return next week.
During the Valorant closed beta, players had the opportunity to try out the game’s ranked mode. Many argued that it’s a very early moment to release a competitive mode considering the game was still in beta. Despite that most players enjoyed it and a lot of the pros who switched to Valorant even managed to hit the highest possible rank, which at the time was called “Valorant”.
Days before the official release of the game Riot released details that the ranked mode won’t be there on launch. A lot of players criticized that decision, as it was essentially removing a feature that was part of the closed beta. Riot Games claimed that their goal is to create a more stable experience for the influx of new players. The company was also reworking the ranked mode with one of the more obvious changes being the name change for the highest rank.Yesterday, Joe “Hephastopheles” Ziegler shared in a tweet that the ranked mode will be making a return next week.
Hey everyone, It's been hectic, so I haven't had a lot of time to post. To answer the biggest question: rated (competitive mode) will likely be out some time next week. We're spending this week putting together that release and making sure it is good. =)
— Ziegler (@RiotZiegler) June 15, 2020
While most players were thrilled to finally hear the news, many also criticized other aspects of the game which need to be addressed. A couple of examples would be the in-game sound and walking accuracy. The latter is often regarded as a bad mechanic that rewards “unskilled” players and the run and gun playstyle, which is not what one would expect from a tactical shooter. Others just complained about high skin prices.
What’ll be new in the new ranked?
For starters, hopefully, leaderboards. Anyone who managed to reach the highest possible rank, found the game to be a dead end and no longer had any incentive to keep playing. Whether Riot addressed that issue remains to be seen. Compared to the closed beta, players going into ranked will now have access to the new map Ascent and the new agent Reyna. Season one of Valorant named Ignition, kicked off as soon as the game launched, so rewards depending on your rank at the season’s end are also an expected feature.
- READ MORE: Valorant Agent Guide: Reyna
Stay tuned for more Valorant news and make sure to check EarlyGame and our Youtube channel.
