Valorant
Recently Riot Games launched their Premier Beta, a new game mode that will make the "path to pro" easier — or as Jon Walker, a designer on the VALORANT Competitive team described it; "Beyond Radiant".
The new mode allows players to compete in a competitive environment by creating a team of five to seven players and taking on the challenge of weekly matches to eventually qualify for a playoff tournament which will determine a champion.
Valorant Premier launch schedule
- Enrollment period: Apr 25–28
- Weekly Matches: Apr 29–May 20
- Playoff Tournament: May 21
After the beta ends, another phase is slated to start in July with the official release being around August according to Riot Games.
How to play Valorant Premier
Players are required to verify their accounts via SMS, the completion of a ranked placement during any act and finally a team. You can either create or join a team, but these three requirements are essential before you can be eligible to play in Premier.
Creating a Team. Credit: RiotEnrollment
Teams eligible for enrollment must have five to seven players. Once the roster is set, the team owner will be able to invite and remove players as needed, change the team’s logo and eventually select the zone the team belongs to.
The zone will determine what server you’ll play on and also decides your match schedules. Once a zone is selected, only the owner can change it by unenrolling from their current zone before the enrollment cutoff time.
Each team is then seeded into one of 20 divisions, based on the MMR of its top five players. So, be sure to get the right players because after that, it is play time.
Weekly matches
Now the teams are ready, each will play up to two matches per week on a predetermined map. Teams can view the schedule, map rotation and queue up from the Team Hub. Each win will earn points towards their Premier Score; 100 points for winning, 25 for losing and none if the team doesn't play. The Premier Score determines whether or not a team qualifies to the Playoff tournament. Every team with a total score of 375 and above will qualify.
If a match reaches a score of 12-12, it goes into Overtime with some changes. The team that won the twelfth round first gets Overtime Priority and can pick which side they start on for each set of Overtime. Then, two sets of Overtime are played with regular rules. This is to make sure the games don't end on a tie and fit within the schedule.
Playoff tournament
After grinding their way up through the weekly matches and making it to the Playoff tournament, qualifying teams will enter a single-elimination Main tournament bracket alongside other qualified teams from the same division.
The Main bracket typically consists of five to eight teams.Teams eliminated in the first two rounds of the Main bracket will be transferred to a single-elimination Consolation bracket, where they’ll have the opportunity to compete for the third-place position.
Tournament matches are played as BO1s and start with a map pick/ban system similar to pro matches with both teams having the chance to ban specific maps from the active map rotation pool.
Sample Playoff Bracket. Credit: RiotRewards from playing Premier
Every player that completed one match during the Premier global open beta will earn a player card and title, and the winners of the Playoff tournament will get a brighter card in addition to the “Premier Beta Champion” title.
Valorant Premier's Beta Champion Card. Credit: RiotAccording to Leo Faria, Valorant’s Head of Esports, Premier "will be the path to the VCT Challengers leagues," in the future, with Riot Games likely having more plans to make the game’s esport more accessible for everyone.
If you were ever waiting for an opportunity to become a professional player, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss, gather your team and get ready to enter the world of competitive gaming when the new enrollment starts in July!
