Cloud9 streamer TenZ becomes first Valorant ranked player in NA

Olivia Richman Published 03/05/2020

The Valorant closed beta added a ranked mode just a few days ago, but retired Conter-Strike: Global offensive player Tyson “TenZ” Ngo sprinted his way to becoming the first North American player to reach its highest rank. 

The Cloud9 streamer is one of many competitive CSGO players to turn to Valorant, Riot’s new FPS. They have been dominating the Valorant scene already, finding a variety of tips and tricks with each agents’ abilities. Despite some Overwatch players’ initial suspicions that CSGO players wouldn’t be able to adapt to ability combos and strategies, it seems that CSGO players are thriving in this new title. 

So how did TenZ get there so fast? Well, by being really damn good at the game.

There are eight ranks total, each with three subcategories. The ranks progress similarly to League of Legends, starting with Bronze, Silver and Gold, then moving up to Platinum and Diamond. After that, there’s two new ranks: Immortal and Valorant rank. Valorant rank was not discovered in the intial leak of the game’s ranks by data miners. Riot has revealed that winning matches carries the most weight when it comes to ranking up in Valorant, meaning TenZ must have won a lot of games over a very short amount of time. 

Cloud9’s TenZ dominates Valorant’s new ranked mode

To take part in Valorant’s new ranked mode, players have to compete in 20 matches. Their initial rank is determined by the amount of games won and individual performance during those 20 games. 

Once ranked mode is available, players climb the ladder by winning games. Personal performance will also play a part, as well as the margin of victory or loss in each match. 

While TenZ has definitely proven himself as a great Valorant player and a dominant force in the closed beta scene, many more players will soon join him in Valorant tier. There’s no denying that reaching the summit first is a huge achievement for the young player. 

“Not surprising. Big W. Congrats,” said fellow Cloud9 streamer, Keeoh. 

Former CSGO pro turned Valorant player Lex, called the accomplishment “hype.” Team Liquid streamer POACH gave the classic, “Pog.” 

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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