Valorant Elite mode beta to start on 25 April

In order to make the Valorant competitive scene accessible to more players, the Riot Games studio has developed Elite mode. After a closed alpha, focused on the Brazilian community, the studio has decided to go to the next level and open its access to everyone. From Monday 25th April, you and your team can embark on a new esports adventure through the open beta. We explain in detail how this new test phase works.

What is the Elite mode?

Elite mode is a competitive team mode, this is the first time that a team has played weekly matches, according to a specific schedule, for a whole season. Winning matches allows teams to earn Elite points in order to stand out. Those who reach a certain threshold will be able to access a final tournament, which crowns the most successful of all.

The Elite mode open beta will broadly follow this pattern, but, as Riot Games reminds us in the FAQ, this is a test version. Changes are to be expected by official release in August, this was shortly after the Valorant Champions.

How beta works

This new test phase includes three main stages : registration, the competition and eventually the tournament for the best teams. Here are the dates to remember if you want to try your luck:

• Registration from 25th to 28th April,
• Weekly matches from 29th April to 20th May,
• Play-off tournament on 21st May.

Number of players and conditions of participation

To participate in the beta, you must build your own team, a team must have a minimum of 5 members and a maximum of 7 players. A team must have a minimum of 5 members and a maximum of 7 players. It is mandatory that all members have completed identity verification via SMS and that everyone has already played placement matches, during one act or another. In order to participate in the competition, you will have to give a name and choose the emblem of your troupe! Of course, you can only join or create one team.

If you are an Immortal, and you want to participate with friends who are not as well ranked as you, don't worry, it is possible! There are no limit to the distance between ranks of the different players. The system divides the teams into the 20 available divisions, based on the average MMR of the top five participants of the group. You will therefore face teams that are generally of the same level as yours.

The team captain will have the difficult task of managing the team, and should initially complete the registration. This step is essential and must be done within the above mentioned period, otherwise the team will not be included in the system and will not be able to participate. In addition, the captain must select the area in which the team plays. This will determine your server, as well as your match schedule.

Match phase and play-off tournament

Once you have completed the registration process, your competitive adventure can begin. Every week from 29th April to 20th May, you will be invited to participate in one or two weekly matches. Information, including maps played and the calendar, will be available directly in the Elite hub or the Team tab.

The more games you win, the more Elite points you will earn (100 points per win), and the higher you will rise in your division's rankings. It seems that the teams who have at least 375 points, at the end of the regular season, will qualify for the Play-off Tournament.

This final stage is scheduled for 21st May. Unlike the regular season, the tournament will operate with a Pick&Ban system for maps and will adopt the double-elimination format. However, only the teams in the top bracket will advance to the Grand Final. The lower, more consolation bracket will determine third place.

Gifts for participants

The teams that win the play-off tournament in their division will receive a single title Premier Beta Winner, a profile card and a gold-look banner. Don't worry, even if you don't win, you'll still be able to wear a beautiful card to show that you've participated in the test phase, as well as Premier's Beta title. To obtain this award, you must have participated in at least one regular season game.

As a reminder, the official launch of Elite Mode is expected to take place in August. Before that happens, it seems that a new test phase is planned for July, we hope that you will be able to play the game in the future, possibly to test any adjustments on a large scale. We wish you good luck with your games!