Valorant RR Explained: How Rank Rating Works (2026)

Rank Rating (RR) is the 0 to 100 progress bar inside each Valorant division. Reach 100 RR and you promote; drop to 0 RR and lose again and you demote. Winning or losing moves RR the most, while margin of victory, standout plays and being the underdog add smaller adjustments.

This guide covers how RR is earned and lost, the hidden MMR that shapes your gains, promotion buffers and rank shields, Act Rank badges, and the uncapped RR ladder for Immortal and Radiant. It is current as of October 2026, during Season 2026, and every rule below comes from Riot Games support articles. For the full tier list, start with our Valorant ranks explained guide.

What is RR in Valorant?

RR stands for Rank Rating. Riot describes it as a visual way to track your progress, and it works one way for Iron through Ascendant and another way for Immortal and Radiant, per the Riot Competitive Mode FAQ. In the lower and middle ranks, every division is a bar from 0 to 100 RR.

• After placements: you start at 50 RR in the rank you were placed into.
• To promote: you need 100 RR.
• After a promotion: you begin the new division with at least 10 RR as a buffer.
• To demote: you must sit at 0 RR and then lose another game.
• After a demotion: the lowest you can start in the division below is 70 RR.

Those numbers come straight from Riot's Iron through Ascendant RR article. Riot does not publish a fixed RR value per win or loss, and we do not estimate one.

How is RR gained and lost?

Riot names a short list of factors. The result of the match matters most by far. Everything else is a smaller nudge on top.

1. Win or loss: the largest impact on RR every game.
2. Margin of victory: a dominant round score can shift the amount.
3. Standout plays: exceptional individual performance can add a little.
4. Underdog bonus: beating a team the system expected to win can help.

Only your own performance counts. Riot states that teammates' results do not change your RR. Prolonged AFK time and queue dodging in Competitive lower your RR, so once you queue, stay in the game. If you lose to a confirmed cheater, Riot restores the lost RR after the ban, up to a limit each act.

Want practical habits that raise your win rate? Our how to rank up in Valorant guide covers them, and the rank goal planner helps you map out a target for the act.

How does hidden MMR affect your RR?

Behind your visible rank sits a hidden matchmaking rating (MMR). Riot calls it a ranked ladder of every player, where no two players share a spot. Your MMR is compared with your visible rank, and the gap changes how much each game is worth.

Riot says the way to raise MMR is to outperform opponents and win consistently. Following Riot policy, RankSurge does not offer MMR calculators or estimates, and we suggest skipping tools that claim to reveal your exact number. In a May 2026 developer update covered by Sheep Esports, Riot acknowledged player frustration that RR losses can feel bigger than gains and said it wants ranks to reflect real skill, but it did not announce new RR numbers.

What are rank shields and how do they work?

Rank shields protect you from dropping out of a tier right after you enter it. Per Riot's RR article:

• When you get them: entering division 1 of any rank, such as Silver 1, by promotion or demotion grants two shields.
• What they do: if you lose at 0 RR, a shield is used up instead and you stay at 0 RR. Shielded losses cost no extra RR.
• What they do not do: shields do not stop a division drop inside a tier, such as Silver 2 to Silver 1.
• When they run out: a loss at 0 RR in division 1 with no shields left drops you a rank.
• Dodges and remakes: these do not use a shield.

How do placements and new acts affect RR?

Valorant now runs on yearly seasons split into six acts. Riot's Act Ranks and Rewards article lists the placement rules:

• Acts 1 and 4: the season start and mid-season each require five placement matches.
• Acts 2, 3, 5 and 6: one placement match updates your rank if you have already placed.

Your rank does not automatically drop when a new act begins, but a poor placement result can lower it. Valorant has no rank decay, so a break from the game will not cost you RR, per Riot's FAQ.

What is Act Rank and how do you earn the badge?

Act Rank is separate from the RR bar. It reflects your highest ranked win in the act, which Riot calls your proven skill. Each win adds a triangle to your rank pyramid, colored by the rank you held when you won.

• Badge requirement: you need at least nine competitive wins in an act to earn the Act Rank badge and qualify for ranked rewards.
• Border upgrades: the pyramid border evolves at 9, 25, 50, 75 and 100 wins.
• When it appears: the badge is awarded once the act ends, so an Act 1 badge shows during Act 2.
• Gun buddies: at mid-season and season end you get a gun buddy for your highest Act Rank badge.

How does RR work in Immortal and Radiant?

The top of the ladder uses a different system. Per Riot's Immortal and Radiant RR article (updated March 2026), you enter Immortal 1 at 10 RR after earning 100 RR in Ascendant 3, and RR keeps stacking with no 100 RR cap. There is no performance bonus at this level. Only wins, losses and round differential move your RR.

Radiant needs both the regional RR threshold and a top 500 spot in your region. You must play at least one Competitive game every seven days to hold your leaderboard position. At the start of a one-placement act, Immortal and Radiant RR is cut by 90 percent, which returns every Radiant player to Immortal. Riot adjusts these thresholds over time, so check the source before planning around them. You can follow the top of each region on our leaderboards page.

Does queuing in a five-stack change RR?

Yes. Five-stacks skip normal party rank limits, but Riot's FAQ lists RR reductions for wide or high-ranked groups:

• Ascendant 3 and below, some players outside normal party ranges: 25 percent less RR.
• One or more Immortal players: 25 percent less RR.
• One or more Radiant players: 75 percent less RR, and non-Radiant members lose 90 percent of potential RR.

Groups of four are not allowed in Competitive, and Immortal 1 and above can only play solo, duo or in a five-stack. For more on what each rank means, browse the ranks hub.