Stats show Valorant Episode 5 ranked is easier, silvers rank up

Overhauled ranks have had quite an impact so far, as an updated Valorant rank distribution in 2022 shows. Most players are still lingering in Silver, but the ascension has become smoother.

The nine rank badges in Valorant aren’t easy to unlock. Each level challenges players to hone their skills in order to hop up to the next one. Players must continue to improve in order to rank up the ladder consistently, but most were stuck in Silver and Bronze ELO, which players sometimes refer to as “ELO hell.” Riot Games was well aware and rolled out a shiny new Ascendant badge to sift skilled players out of the field. 

The Valorant rank distribution in 2022 shows a slight but positive shift upwards. According to esports tales, only 0.03% of players have managed to grab a Radiant badge after the update, which is less than last year’s count. Most are still in Silver, but increased progress has been observed.

Valorant has a progress problem. The ranked pipeline gets clogged as soon as players entered Silver. Ascendant was expected to create more movement for players stuck on the ladder and improve the ranked distribution. New numbers confirm it has done just that, revealing more players in Gold, Platinum, and Diamond as compared to last year when Iron, Bronze, and Silver accommodated the majority of Valorant players. 

In August 2022, about 24.6% players are in Silver while 8.8% in Diamond. Comparing this to last year, when 35.5% were in Silver and 5.9% in Diamond, it’s evident that ranking up has become smoother. While the top two ranks still have fewer players, ranks up through Ascendant have become more populated. Whereas in 2021, overcrowded Silver made ranking up a menace. 

Stats show improved Valorant rank distribution in 2022

The game’s ever-growing player base also influences the new stats, but the balanced Valorant rank distribution in 2022 is still hard to overlook. Players have also reported a positive shift in the skill level of enemies they match up with. However, it’s worth noting that Ascendant is still a new rank, and the difficulty of ranking up may change over the next few acts. Players under Ascendant were expected to rank up post-update as Riot moved the rank MMR targets that determine rank down. Immortal players and above saw MMR cap go up, which is evident in new stats. 

“Next time we reset ranks, it will probably push you down more than this Episode’s reset. Please remember that the “less harsh” reset is unique to this Episode because of the introduction of Ascendant,” Riot Games said. 

Despite the MMR cap, the games below Immortal have undoubtedly become more entertaining and competitive. Those who play Valorant for fun would feel a healthy change in competition even after Riot cranks up the difficulty.