Valorant players have observed that winning games has become more challenging since the ranked reset for Episode 9, causing many to feel demotivated in their attempts to climb the ranks. However, the explanation for this occurrence is fairly straightforward.
After the ranked reset, all players have been moved down a few tiers based on their performance in placement games, from the top of the ladder to the bottom. As a result, those who were ranked Immortal or Ascendant in Episode 8 are now competing in Platinum lobbies.
A Reddit post shared by a Valorant player highlighted the community’s frustration, as they shared their experience of struggling to rank up after the reset.
The speaker shared a photo of their recent ranked matchup, commenting that the lobby was significantly more challenging compared to their usual games before the episodic reset. They noted that this trend was consistent in high platinum and low diamond ranks, with encounters of more immortals than ever before when they were at the Ascendant level.
The reason why games feels so hard now byu/theSkareqro inVALORANT
According to data on rank distribution from Esports Tales, the phenomenon is evident. When comparing player ranks in July (after the reset) and June (before the reset), it is apparent that there has been a significant increase in the number of players at the lower tiers of the ranked ladder.
Graph of Valorant players distributed by ranked placement in June 2024 by Esports Tales.
During the month of June, the most frequently held rank among Valorant players was Gold 1, with 8.1% of the player population belonging to this tier.
Graph of Valorant players distributed by ranked placement in July 2024.
Due to the reset in July, all players were pushed down an entire division and even further. Currently, Silver 1 is the most frequent rank among Valorant players, with 10.1% of the player base struggling on that particular ladder tier.
Despite this, players have observed an increase in the number of high-ranked players in their games, all striving to reclaim their original placement. Despite the shared struggle, the system remains demotivating for many.
“Some players are still dissatisfied with the overall system. One player expressed frustration with spending the entire first act of the new episode barely making progress towards their former rank, calling it a waste of time.”
Despite the disappointment and frustration of Valorant players in the past due to ranked resets, some of which have been particularly severe, it is expected that as the game gains more popularity, reaching the highest ranks will become even more demanding.
According to one Reddit user in the thread, individuals are generally improving.
Valorant players should prepare themselves for the ongoing reset grind, as Riot Games has not expressed any intention to modify the ranked system in the foreseeable future.
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