Riot plans competitive matchmaking changes for Valorant Act 3

Fariha Bhatti Published 06/10/2020

Riot’s tactical shooter Valorant will soon be getting some significant updates to its competitive matchmaking. The changes will be implemented in Act 3, which begins on October 27.

Riot announced upcoming changes in competitive mode in the new episode of developer diaries. Game director Joe Ziegler and systems design lead David Cole talked about the issues in matchmaking and discussed future updates that fans should expect from Act 3.

Matchmaking mode in Valorant had several loopholes that were fixed with various patch updates. However, the ping issue remains a problem for many. Upoming updates in Valorant will allow players to enjoy a game at a lower ping.

Act 3 will provide an option to choose a preferred server in order to play at a more stable ping. However, due to the update in matchmaking tiers, always getting game on the selected server is not guaranteed.

“We are also adding the ability to select your preferred server. We can’t fully guarantee that you will always get the server you want due to matchmaking reasons, but this feature will notably increase the chance to get your preferred server,” systems design lead David Cole said.

When you select a server of your choice, for example, US West, there are higher chances that you’ll get a matchup in the chosen server if players in the similar tier are available to play.

Restricted disparity in Valorant better ensures a fair game

Another major update in Act 3 focuses on the competitive integrity of the game. Valorant players have been continuously complaining about matchmaking in competitive. The wide disparity of the game’s six tiers often squeezes the fun out of a game.

Developers have heard this and have made a few changes in competitive matchmaking. Players will now be able to compete against teams who are within three tiers of their current rank. The disparity has decreased from earlier six tiers, which would often result in frustration for lower ranked players.

“We’re going to tighten restrictions on rank disparities for the competitive queue, reducing it from a 6 to a 3-rank difference,” David Cole said

With the restrictions on rank disparities, players will get to play a fair competitive game, but they won’t be able to play with their lower ranked friends. Many expressed their frustration regarding the issue.

In developer diaries, David Cole made it clear that the primary purpose of matchmaking is winning and they aim to make it fair. They are, however, working to find an alternative for players who’d like to play with their friends who are at a lower rank.

Act 2 is coming to an end on October 13 and fans will have much to look forward after. Developers promised that more changes are in the pipeline to be released with Act 3.

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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