Valorant competitive guide: How to overcome lower ranks through performance bonus in Riot's tactical shooter

Valorant's ranked ladder is mysterious and data-driven at the same time. Players often express dismay at receiving more penalties upon losing a match than rewards upon winning one.

Many may believe that securing the highest number of kills in a match is the key to gaining a high rating after every win. However, the concept of Match Making Rating (MMR) and performance bonus begs to differ.

One may not find it easy to be the top-frag in a ranked game of Riot Games' Valorant as it majorly depends on the role a player embraces for the match. For example, a Duelist carries a primary role in securing kills for the team, making it easier for a Reyna or Jett to top-frag in the game. However, one cannot focus on kills as much if they choose to play as a Controller Agent.

Having said that, it is possible to gain a performance bonus in Valorant and a consequent boost in Rank Rating (RR) without being a top fragger.

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How to receive more performance bonuses and rank up faster in Valorant

The basic tip is quite simple: perform better than your usual. The MMR system in Valorant rewards players with a performance bonus that serves as a boost to one's RR at the end of a game. Receiving a performance bonus can help you gain more RR than you typically get.

There are currently nine ranks in Valorant's tier systebm, namely Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Ascendant, Immortal, and Radiant.

Each rank, apart from Radiant, features three sub-tiers, numbered from 1 to 3. Players have to gain 100 RR to get past each sub-rank. Hence, someone who's receiving 15 RR on average upon winning a match will have to win seven games to surpass the sub-rank. Naturally, gaining more RR per win makes it easier.

MMR is a hidden value that Riot assigns to players in order to determine their deserved rank rating. It is divided into two components: win/loss ratio and encounter MMR.

A proven way to receive more RR is to defeat opponents with the same or higher MMR than you. One should also strive to out-perform themselves and this is where the performance bonus comes into play.

For example, if you usually score 15 kills in your ranked matches, try scoring 20 or more kills. Even if you don't top-frag, securing more kills than your average will cause Valorant to offer a performance bonus and you'll also receive more RR, as a result. One doesn't need to be a team or match MVP to secure a performance bonus; a bottom-frag can also receive the exciting RR boost.

There's no particular way to boost one's rank in Riot's popular tactical shooter fast. However, most professional players suggest playing more ranked games and maintaining a win-rate of 50% and above. A lower win-rate may cause the system to offer you less RR upon a win. Thus, you should try securing as many kills as possible as it is a definite way to climb the ranks faster.

Make sure to upskill yourself while climbing the ranks, though. Valorant's rating system keeps a close look at how one performs relative to others featuring the same MMR. If you manage to consistently perform better than others at the same level, the RR system will reward you profoundly.