Riot Games has confirmed that a global beta for Premier mode, which serves as the competitive path for aspiring professionals in Valorant, will be conducted to evaluate its capabilities. The testing phase is scheduled to begin at some point in 2023.
After testing Premier mode on servers in Brazil, Riot is now planning to expand its testing to a global level. In a video announcement, Andy Ho, the game director of Valorant, provided an update on the team-based competitive mode and its future prospects.
The new mode will require players to form teams and participate in weekly matches on specified maps throughout the Act. If they are successful in winning enough Premier matches, they will advance to a playoff tournament at the end where they can compete to be recognized as one of the top teams in their skill division, as explained by Ho.
The beta release is scheduled for Act III of Episode 6, which is expected to commence during the summer season. Typically, Valorant Acts last for approximately three months, and the second Act of the current Episode is planned to kick off on March 6th.
Valorant Premier will be connected to the professional circuit as well!
The Head of Valorant Esports at Riot, Leo Faria, has announced that Valorant Premier mode will eventually merge with the professional side of the game. Top teams from the mode will eventually be able to participate in VCT Challengers leagues, thereby eliminating the need for open qualifier events.
Faria added that players’ path to pro starts in-game, and if they perform exceptionally well in Premier mode, they will receive a chance to compete in Challengers. However, Faria did not specify when the open qualifier system for VCT Challengers leagues would be phased out, but given the beta testing timeline for Premier mode, it is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
During the initial stages of its development, Riot’s other esports game, League of Legends, followed a comparable system, with the best teams from its competitive ladder earning a spot in a secondary league that could eventually lead to promotion to its top leagues.