How to rank up fast in Valorant

A lot has been said about Valorant's rank system with many feeling that it doesn't accurately represent their skill level. Hearing that someone is "hard stuck" is all too common and it wouldn't be a massive surprise if it saw further changes in the near future.

That being said though, there are things you can do to help you rank up quicker in the current system and in this guide we will explore what and why these will help you get to where you deserve to be.

Warm-up

It may go without saying but if you come in cold to your ranked match you may be down and out before the game has really begun. 

Warming up beforehand is key to success, the professionals do it and so should you. There is a couple of ways you can go about this, either hop into the shooting range and pop some heads or jump into a Deathmatch or Spike Rush game, anything to get you moving. You could also use an aim trainer like Kovaaks or Aim Lab, used by many pros to not warm up but also improve their aim.

You can get custom maps for Aimlab that accurately recreates Valorants movement and settings. (Picture: Vax)

Once you begin tapping those heads you know it is time for the real thing.

Solo queue or five-stack?

If you are a lower rank, getting some friends together, e.g Bronze, Silver or Gold, then getting some friends of a similar level and queueing together should improve your win rate. Take note though, you will be going up against similar size stacks, who are usually more coordinated than any random five players.

If you are a pure-fragger, regularly topping the leaderboards, then solo queueing could be the way to go. Those less coordinated teams we spoke of, can be easy pickings and you could quickly climb the ranks by playing a selfish game.

Pick the right Agent

Now, this can mean two things; the right Agent for you and the right Agent for your team. Both may not always be the same thing and learning a variety of Agents is a great way to improve your game and your ability to help your team win.

Valorant, at its core, is a team game, and being the guy who insta-locks Reyna and then asks someone to pick Sage is not the way you want to play the game.

Insta-lock Reyna or play as a team there are no other options. (Picture: Riot Games)

Be different, be smarter, and wait for your teammates to pick an Agent, even better try and engage your team in the Agent selection team and find out who wants to play what. If you lack smokes, pick your Agent with smokes you perform best with. Lack Flashes? Pick up Pheonix, or Breach, or Reyna etc.

Don't be toxic

This goes without saying even if you aren't looking to rank up quickly.

But for those in the back... DON'T. BE. TOXIC. If you are at all confused why, let me explain.

A toxic teammate is an unhelpful one, bad players will generally play worse once the shouting starts, and your good players may find you an irritant, affecting their performance too.

Worse yet if you get into a 'toxic off' with some other member of your team, you can almost guarantee you are going to lose. As you both do whatever you can including teamkilling to ruin the other's game.

• Read more: Valorant's ranked explainer: MMR, Rank Rating, how to climb, more

If your teammates are letting you down, remember, a supportive word rather than an angry scolding will always work better in the long term.

Always play to win

This is another that may go without saying but if you give up a game that looks like it's lost, it definitely will be.

Comebacks happen, and playing each round with the belief you can win the game will help you get in the position to actually win the game, even if you don't you may win a few rounds and make the defeat narrower and thus you won't take as big a Ranked Rating hit.

Improving your performance, when your team is losing, is an important aspect in ranking up. (Picture: Riot Games)

On a similar note, early rounds or when you are winning should also be treated as must-win rounds, a blow out will increase the RR you receive and you should always respect your opponents' ability to get back into the game.