Did you take a long break from Valorant and are wondering if your rank will be affected? We got the answer for you right here.
Sometimes life gets in the way, or maybe you are growing tired of the constant issues plaguing the Valorant competitive queue that include smurfing, toxicity, and more.
In any case, if you haven't touched the game in a while you might be wondering - is there rank decay in Valorant? A simple yet tough to get a definitive answer question. After all, it makes sense that there would be, but is that really the case?
So, we'll tell you everything there is to know about rank decay in Valorant.
Do You Lose Ranks If You Stop Playing Valorant?
To answer immediately, you'll be surprised to hear that no, shockingly so, there is no rank decay in Valorant. However, other systems are in place to measure your level of play after you've taken a break from the game and are coming back to it.
According to Valorant Combat Designer EvrMoar, while there is no rank decay, if you stop playing for a while and come back to it your MMR will be lowered and it will be more variable.
Ranked Fact Friday!!!!!Decay!!!!! Yes, we have decay, and it does two things. When you are gone from VALORANT for an extended period of we do lower your MMR.. We also increase your "Variance".
— EvrMoar (@RiotEvrMoar) December 9, 2022
Variance Of MMR In Valorant
EvrMoar also gives a little insight into what that variance in MMR actually means:
Variance is how confident we are in your MMR. The higher your Variance the further you may match up with players, and gain/lose MMR as well. It's how we tell the range at which you play. If you have high Variance we are probably less sure about where you belong.
So in essence, while your actual rank might not be lowered, the first few ranked matches after you return from an extended period of time away from the game will have wild swings in the level of opponents you might face as Valorant will try to accommodate you in case your skill has gone down... or maybe up.
The end goal is that eventually, your rank will adjust naturally to your current MMR after you've played enough matches. So for instance, if you were Ascendant and haven't played for months, you'll play against Diamond or even Plat players.
If you start losing a lot, you might lower your MMR and thus your rank might be eventually affected, but if you have good enough skill, you'll retain that MMR and play against fellow Ascendants.
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