How to reach Ascendant rank in competitive VALORANT

VALORANT Patch 5.0 introduced a huge collection of changes to the competitive experience, including a new map in Pearl, the removal of Split, and the introduction of a new rank in the hierarchy: Ascendant.

Nestled above Diamond and below Immortal, Ascendant was introduced following Riot’s determination that competitive VALORANT had too few players in the lower ranks of Bronze and Silver. But just moving players up out of those ranks would overpopulate Platinum and Diamond, so Ascendant was added to help the distribution while keeping “the prestige of high ranks.”

But how does one go about reaching Ascendant in VALORANT?

How to reach Ascendant in VALORANT

To reach Ascendant, you’ll have to work your way up the ladder of ranks below it: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and then finally Ascendant.

When it comes to ranking up in competitive VALORANT, it’s not just about winning games. It’s about winning games decisively and putting on strong individual performances. When you play matches, the game calculates your MMR or match-making rating. When your individual match performance reflects your MMR, you gain or lose a little rank rating based on the result. But if you surpass what your MMR is expecting and win, you’ll gain significantly more rank rating.

This is all determined based on how well you play in matches. Your individual performance is more than just getting kills, though. It includes your assists, your ability to survive and trade, and how you and your team handle specific situations. Losing a round where your team is broke will have a less negative effect on your performance than losing to a thrifty, for example.

Here are some basic tips for playing competitive VALORANT and ranking up:

• Practice in DM or the Training Range or on AimLabs before you queue, or use whatever warm-up procedure works best for you, but warm up.
• Communicate effectively. Use your mic, use pings, and use text chat in a clear and respectful way. This should be done during agent select too to ensure an efficient composition. When players on both sides are similarly ranked, the team that communicates better is likely to win.
• Coordinate buys and saves. Nothing halts momentum like teammates on the wrong page when it comes to buying and saving.
• Have fun. It’s a game at the end of the day, and trying to queue when you’re in a sour mood will only harm your chances.