The testing phases are over, and now players can dive into VALORANT Premier’s full launch with a focus on ascending to the pro scene.
VALORANT Premier has gone through its various testing phases, and now as promised, officially launches after Champions 2023. You can expect the full version of Premier to arrive on August 29. This is when the first season's enrollment period begins.
Along with it are a handful of new features. There are new divisions to slot players into, a career-tracking feature, and new rewards. Many of you will also be excited to hear that timeouts and map practice sessions are eventually on their way.
When does VALORANT Premier officially launch?
As previously stated, VALORANT Premier's full official launch is on August 29. Known as the Launch Stage, you'll be able to enroll your teams for a short period just as you were able to in the testing phases. Once enrollment is closed, the schedule of games begin.
This time around, the schedule consists of every map in the current competitive map pool. Games take place starting on September 7. As before, you have weekly matches to play and can qualify for the season-ending tournament. Get ready, because by the end of 2024, Premier and Challengers will both be on a year-long schedule.
All VALORANT Premier divisions
The global open beta and Ignition test phases used numbers to separate the divisions in Premier. With the mode's official launch, the 1-20 division placement is no longer. Instead, you'll find the following named divisions:
- Open
- Intermediate
- Advanced
- Elite
- Contender
Contender is the top tier of VALORANT Premier. The best teams end up here, with a chance to fight their way into the VCT. A spot in Challengers is an absolute possibility now with the path to pro Riot Games has intended.
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A path from Contender to Challengers
The final goal after VALORANT Premier launches is to make it the place where teams thrive with a goal to go pro. In early 2024, playing in the Contender division is now the requirement for anyone competing in open qualifiers for Challengers. This replaces the original requirement of being Immortal rank or higher.
In Q2 of 2024, it is confirmed that the top Contender teams will face off against Challengers teams in a relegation tournament. They'll fight for a spot in the Challengers league, which we all know is how teams can make Ascension with hopes of reaching the main VCT.
Lastly, anyone player who is active on a Challengers or International league roster will not be able to play in Premier. This is to ensure the mode stays as the path to pro that was envisioned, giving opportunities to up and coming talent.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more esports news and VALORANT coverage.
