Premier Launch FAQ

Game Updates25/08/2023

It has begun—Premier has officially launched. Use the information below to get started, or to answer any extra questions.

As always, keep the feedback coming in your favorite VALORANT community space.

Summary of What’s Changed:

WEEKLY FORMAT

Weekly matches will feature the full competitive map pool across seven weeks. Each week will still have one dedicated map and a maximum of two matches on said map.

PLAYOFF TOURNAMENT

Teams will now need a Premier Score of 675 to qualify for Playoffs.

CAREER TRACKING

Performance will now be tracked from Stage to Stage. Participants will receive a Division crest at the end of each Stage.

NEW DIVISIONS

Divisions will be split into five tiers: Open, Intermediate, Advanced, Elite, or Contender.

NEW REWARDS

You’ll receive a Player Card if you play one Premier match and a Division Gun Buddy and title if you win Playoffs.

PREMIER LAUNCH FAQ

GENERAL

How long is Premier Stage 1?

August 29 - October 22
- Enrollment Period: Aug 29 - Sep 7
- Weekly Matches: Sep 7 - Oct 21
- Playoff Tournament: Oct 22

When does Premier launch?

Premier launches on Tuesday, August 29.

Will anything transfer from Ignition to Launch Stage in August?

Yes! Your Team, match history, and Premier MMR will carry over to the Launch Stage.
Premier Score, Division, Zone, and Enrollment will NOT carry over between Stages.

Will anything transfer from the Launch Stage to the next Stage in Episode 7 Act 3?

Yes! Your Team, match history, and Premier MMR will carry over to the next Stage
Your overall Premier performance will carry over in your Premier Crest, found on the Career page at the start of the next STage
Premier Score, Division, Zone, and Enrollment will NOT carry over between Stages

Where do I find Premier in the client?

Homepage navigation has Premier as an entry, second in the list under “Play”
The main top navigation has Premier as an entry
An explanation modal will pop up when you visit the Premier Hub for the first time

ELIGIBILITY & VERIFICATION

How do I become eligible for Premier?

You need to verify two conditions in order to be eligible to create or join a Premier team:
- Verify your identity account verification via SMS verification
- Establish your MMR by completing your ranked placements at any point in your account lifetime
If you’re already eligible, you will automatically skip to the next step and just see the option to “CREATE A TEAM”

Can anyone play in Premier matches?

Aside from the eligibility requirements outlined above, anyone with a VALORANT account in good standing is able to play during the Premier period.
- An account in good standing is one that is not currently banned. This also applies to accounts facing a Ranked queue restriction if the restriction period coincides with the enrollment or play period.
If you have received a Game Ban, Vanguard Intervention, Ranked Restriction or Comms Restriction in the last 30 days you will be ineligible to join a Premier Team and/or queue up for Premier matches.
If you receive a Comms Restriction, Game Ban, or Vanguard Intervention during Premier, you will be disqualified for the rest of the Premier Stage.

How do I verify my phone number?

From the Premier Hub, click Verify
Select your country code from the dropdown
Enter your phone number (area code first) into the second box
You’ll receive a text message with a confirmation code - enter that into the next screen
1. You should only submit this once initially and the confirmation message may be delayed.
You’re verified!

What if I have issues verifying my phone number?

Most issues are solved by waiting ten minutes then trying again.
We’ve seen some cases where the resolution of the client can cause compression with the text box pop up and lead to errors. Try changing to 1920x1080 and verify again.
For any other issues, reach out to Player Support!

What happens if I un-verify my account?

If you un-verify your account, the client will warn you that you will not be able to play in Premier matches until you go through the verification process again.
Only one number is allowed per account, with a 6-month cooldown on used phone numbers. If you unlink a phone number from your account, you're unable to use a different number on the account for 6 months. You can relink the original number at any time with no lock out.
In case you are unverified and are on a team already, you will NOT be kicked from your team, but you will be ineligible to queue.

INVITES & TEAM MANAGEMENT

What is the difference between a party leader and Team Owner?

The Team Owner is able to invite players, customize the team logo, promote another player to owner, delete the team entirely, and is responsible for choosing a Zone and enrolling a team at the start of a Stage. (They can also leave the team - if they do, Team Owner will be passed to the player that's been on the team the longest.)
The party leader gets the team into queue when ready to play a Premier match, and is responsible for locking in choices during map pick and ban in tournaments.
- The Team Owner doesn't have to be present in order for a team to play a Premier match.

Can I join more than one team?

No, only one team per account.

Can I cancel team invites/remove teammates?

Team Owners may cancel team invite requests and remove players from their team.

Are there restrictions on who I can be on a team with?

Nope! Feel free to join a team with your Bronze friend and your Diamond friend—we’ll find the best Division for your team based on the MMR of the top 5 players on your team
- Note that if your team has players who are really far apart in skill, we’ll adjust the division to weigh the best player’s MMR more heavily.
There are restrictions once you enroll your team: You’ll be limited to only inviting other players that would not cause your team to change Divisions.
- If inviting a player would cause your team to change Divisions, the Team Owner will see an error message when attempting to invite: "This player is outside your team's skill range and cannot be invited."
If Enrollment hasn’t ended, you can unenroll your team and are again open to invite anyone you’d like. Just make sure to re-enroll before the cutoff time!

After weekly matches begin, can I still make roster changes on my team?

Once the weekly matches begin, only changes to roster that will not affect your team’s Division will be permissible.

How many people can be on a team?

A team must have at least 5 players, and can have up to 7

Which players can play in matches?

Any of the 7 players on your roster can play in any given match
The Team Owner does not need to be present for the team to queue up

Can I leave a team at any time?

Yep! Unless your team is actively in queue, you can leave the team at any time from the Premier Hub by clicking on the context (…) menu by your username and click Leave Team
In order to receive a Premier Crest, you must have played two weekly matches or one playoff match with that team.

Do I forfeit participation rewards if I leave my team?

Nope! As long as you’ve played at least one match, you’ll still be eligible for your reward

What happens if I don't want to stay with my team when it carries over to a new Stage?

When a new Stage starts, your team roster will carry over, but you can still choose to leave at any time

DIVISIONS

What Divisions exist?

From highest to lowest:
- Contender
- Elite 1-5
- Advanced 1-5
- Intermediate 1-5
- Open 1-5

How does Division seeding work?

Invite whoever you’d like to fill your roster - we’ll find the best Division for your team based on the MMR of the top 5 players on your team

How do I know what Division my team is in?

When the enrollment phase is over, your team’s division will be displayed on the Premier hub and on your Team page

Can my team change Divisions?

Once a Stage has started, your team cannot change Divisions

ENROLLMENT & ZONES

Do I have to enroll with each Stage?

Yes! When a new Stage starts, the Team Owner will have to enroll their team for that Stage
This is a great time to switch your Zone if you choose, or make changes to your roster that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to make due to your Division seeding

Can I unenroll my entire team?

If the team is enrolled, the Choose Zone button converts to an Unenroll button and your team will be able to opt out.

How do I know which Zone to choose?

During the enrollment process, the Team Owner will select a Zone.
Within the Zone, you’ll be recommended the top 2 pods (example, Central vs. Texas) based on the lowest average latency of the Team Owner.
Players that choose Zones with multiple pods should be matchmade as per our usual matchmaking heuristics (ping-based)

Can I change Zones?

You cannot edit your Zone once your team is enrolled, but you can unenroll and re-enroll and select a new Zone. If the team wants to change Zones, you’ll have to first unenroll your team and redo the team enrollment process.

Where can I see my team enrollment status?

The Premier Hub and Team Tab both show your team's enrollment status.

My team missed enrollment. Can we still play?

No, you will not be able to play if you miss the enrollment period.

Can I add a new player to my team after the weekly matches have started?

Yes! So long as the player being invited would not cause the team to change Divisions.
If a player would cause your team to change Divisions, the Team Owner will see an error message when attempting to invite: "This player is outside your team's skill range and cannot be invited."

Can I play in Premier matches if I am currently part of an active Challengers League or International League roster?

Professional VALORANT players can no longer participate in Premier from October 30, 2023 onward. A pro player is considered to be someone on an active Challengers League and International League team roster.

TEAM HUB & PREMIER SCORE

Where can I view team standings?

From the menu, navigate to > PREMIER > STANDINGS
Sectioned by if teams made the qualification cut-off
Standings are updated when Premier matches are completed

How are ties in Standings broken?

Teams are listed on the Standings by Score first, with ties broken by match W/L, then rounds W/L

Where can I view my team’s match history?

The match history tab shows team-level match history where individual game participation still appears in player-level match history
Team Match History contains a way to view past tournament match brackets and final tournament standings

What is the Premier Score?

Each match you play earns points towards your Premier Score which will determine if your team qualifies for the Playoff Tournament at the end of Stage 1?!

How do I accumulate points?

Teams earn 100 points for a weekly match win, and 25 points for a loss.
Tournament matches do not award points

QUEUEING UP

Where can I queue for Premier matches?

Click the “Play” button under the Premier Hub or under the general client Navigation. Both will take you to the lobby.
When the queue window is open, you'll be able to queue up when you have your party together.
We highly encourage you to queue as early in the weekly window as possible, as doing so at the last minute may result in not being able to find a match.

When can I queue for my Premier matches?

The schedule on the Premier Hub shows the queue window for your Zone. You can only queue during these windows.
You can queue up anytime within that one hour window and we’ll try to find you a match. We highly encourage you to queue as early in the window as possible, as doing so at the last minute may result in not being able to find a match.
The complete schedule will appear in your Team Hub when Premier launches in client, but expect to typically see at least two evenings per week in your local time zone for weekly matches.

When are the queue windows?

Queue windows are unique to each Zone, and are on match days or tournament days in the evening for your local time zone.
Most weekly matches are held around 7pm local time, but this can vary per Zone anywhere between 7-9 pm local time. Check your Team Hub for exact queue windows.

What if a player in my party is displayed as ineligible to queue?

Confirm the player is verified via SMS.
Confirm all players are on the same Premier team.
Confirm player accounts are not restricted for disruptive behavior

What if my party is unable to queue?

For any match:
- Confirm the queue windows are open
- Confirm the party has 5 eligible players
- Confirm the roster is currently enrolled
For weekly matches:
- Confirm your weekly match limit has not been reached
For the Tournament:
- Confirm your roster has enough points to qualify for the tournament
- Confirm the tournament limit has not been reached

WEEKLY MATCHES

How many matches can I play each week?

Premier teams can play two matches on each map per week, reset on Tuesday.

Can I play both of my weekly matches in one day?

Yes! If you queue up early in the window, finish your match, and the queue window for your Zone hasn’t closed yet, you can queue up again. (Note: Queuing up near the end of a window may result in not being able to find a match.)
If you play two matches during a weekly match window on a map, you won’t be able to play in the other match window(s) on that same map. (Ex. If you play two matches on Thursday on Bind, you won’t be able to play on Saturday. The weekly match window resets on Tuesday.)

How do I know what map I am playing each match?

The featured map for each weekly match is listed on the schedule in the Premier Hub to give you enough time to prepare.

MATCHMAKING

How fair is matchmaking in Premier?

You will only play against teams within your Division, which means they are within a consistent range of team MMR thresholds.
We do our best to find matches against teams within the same Division that are close in performance when teams queue.

How long can you expect for queues?

We expect most weekly matches to be made within 8 minutes at maximum. If you end up waiting longer, please stay in queue as leaving and re-queuing will only increase the total time your team will wait in queue.
We expect tournament brackets to be made within 20 minutes at maximum. If you end up waiting longer, please stay in queue as leaving and re-queuing will only increase the total time your team will wait in queue.

I’ve been waiting in queue a long time. Will my match still be fair?

You may end up playing against teams with a better performance in your respective Division when waiting in queues longer. But you will always be playing teams in your Division, so you should always have a fair chance at winning.

My team was queued and a match was never found. What gives?

While it is highly unlikely that your team never finds a match, there may be rare instances where your team is literally the only team in the queue. However, even if you exceed the max expected wait time (8 minutes), please stay in the queue as you should get matched against the next team that joins.
Also, as we said above, we highly encourage you to queue as early in the weekly window as possible, as doing so at the last minute may result in not being able to find a match.

LIVE MATCHES

Are the rules different from standard Competitive?

Overtime rules are different and are as follows:
- The first team to win 12 rounds gains Overtime Priority
- Team with Overtime Priority chooses Starting Side for Overtime by voting, using a simple majority of the 5 players
- Teams must win by 2. Every round, teams swap sides.
- If 3 sets of Overtime have been played, play one final round of Sudden Death
- Sudden Death side choice is whatever the team with Overtime Priority chose during Overtime Starting Side Choice Phase

Are weekly matches Best of 1?

Yes.

TOURNAMENTS

What Premier Score qualifies for the Playoff tournament?

Teams must earn 675 points to qualify for for the Playoff Tournament

How are ties for qualification resolved?

Qualification for Playoffs is based on your team’s Premier Score, not position on the Standings. As long as you’ve hit the qualifying Premier Score and queue up at the right time, you’ll be eligible to be placed into a bracket.

Is there more than one winning team per Division?

Yes! All teams within a Division that qualify for the Tournament are matched into a bracket of up to 8 teams. Each bracket results in one winning team.

What if my team misses the tournament queue window?

You will not be able to participate in the tournament.

How many teams are in a playoff bracket?

A Tournament bracket can have up to 8 teams in it, and may start with as few as 5.

What happens if I lose?

If your team loses in a tournament, you’re eliminated.

What is the map pick-and-ban system?

During map pick and bans, teams take turns banning maps. All members on the team can vote on which map to ban, and the party leader locks in the team's choice.

The process alternates between teams until a map is chosen. The team that did not choose the map then gets to choose if they'd like to attack or defend.
Map pick and ban is only available in Tournament matches.

Can you pause a match (timeout) and strategize?

We do not currently support pauses during Premier matches.

Can I substitute a player in between matches?

We do not currently support subs during tournaments.
The 5 players that queue up for the first match of the tournament will be locked in for the rest of the matches in that tournament.

How much time do I have between tournament matches?

Teams will have at least a 5 minute rest period between tournament matches.
You may end up waiting longer if your match is complete and you’re waiting on your upcoming opponent’s match to finish.
The current score of matches in progress will be displayed on the bracket, which can help you estimate how much time you may have before your next match starts.

Do we play all tournament matches in one day?

Yes - matches will be played consecutively until your team is eliminated or you reach the finals.

Will I know in advance what teams are in my tournament bracket?

No - tournament brackets are decided based on who queues up at the designated time

REWARDS + CREST

When will I get my rewards?

Rewards for participating and for winning the Playoff tournament will be distributed on October 23 - the day after Launch Stage ends.
Rewards include a unique Gun Buddy and Title for winning, and a Player Card for playing at least one match.
Visit your collection to equip!