Both Valorant and Counter-Strike are among the most popular first-person shooters in the world. With intense competitive scenes and thriving communities, players are often curious about how the ranking systems in these games compare. Ranking is crucial in determining skill levels, providing matchmaking balance, and enhancing overall competition. While both games share some similarities, their ranking systems also differ significantly in structure, design, and progression.
Overview of Rank Systems
Before diving into the comparison, it’s essential to understand the basics of how ranking works in both games. Each game uses a tier-based rank system, but the tiers, ranks, and methods of determining skill vary.
Valorant Ranking System
Riot Games, the developers behind Valorant, use a tiered ranking system with multiple divisions within each rank. The main ranks from lowest to highest in Valorant are:
- Iron (I, II, III)
- Bronze (I, II, III)
- Silver (I, II, III)
- Gold (I, II, III)
- Platinum (I, II, III)
- Diamond (I, II, III)
- Ascendant (I, II, III)
- Immortal (I, II, III)
- Radiant (highest rank with no subdivisions)
Each rank, except Radiant, has three sub-divisions (I, II, and III) where III is the highest within each rank. To rank up, players must accumulate Rating Points, which increase with victories and decrease with losses.
Matchmaking Rating (MMR) is an invisible metric working behind the scenes, determining your true skill. While you see your visible rank, the game uses your MMR for matchmaking.
Original CS Ranking System
CS, developed by Valve, uses a simpler system without subdivisions. This was the format used throughout Global Offensive and is still present in CS2 under the “Competitive” matchmaking mode. It ranks players from lowest to highest:
- Silver I
- Silver II
- Silver III
- Silver IV
- Silver Elite
- Silver Elite Master
- Gold Nova I
- Gold Nova II
- Gold Nova III
- Gold Nova Master
- Master Guardian I
- Master Guardian II
- Master Guardian Elite
- Distinguished Master Guardian
- Legendary Eagle
- Legendary Eagle Master
- Supreme Master First Class
- Global Elite
Counter-Strike 2’s flagship matchmaking mode, Premier, utilizes a numerical ranking system in place of the old system.
| CS2 Premier Rank | CS:GO Competitive Rank Group |
| 0 – 9,999 | Silver 1 to Silver Elite Master |
| 10,000 – 15,000 | Gold Nova 1 to Gold Nova Master |
| 15,000 – 20,000 | Master Guardian 1 to Distinguished Master Guardian |
| 20,000 – 25,000 | Legendary Eagle to Legendary Eagle Master |
| 25,000 – 30,000 | Supreme Master First Class |
| 30,000+ | Global Elite |
Similar to Valorant, CS2 uses a hidden ELO system behind the scenes, which determines your skill and matchmaking. The rank you see in the game is a reflection of your ELO, but your actual rating may be slightly above or below it depending on recent performance.
How Ranking is Calculated
In Valorant, ranking up or down is primarily based on your win/loss record but also takes into account individual performance in a match. Winning games grants you more RR points, which are required to rank up. Losing a game decreases your RR. While wins matter the most, your individual performance can impact how much RR you gain or lose. This influence is more prominent at lower ranks, where personal performance is crucial.
However, in higher ranks, the team’s performance becomes more significant. Ranking in Valorant also rewards consistency. Regularly winning while maintaining a solid performance increases your MMR more than sporadic wins.
In CS2, ranking is determined almost exclusively by your win/loss record, with less emphasis on individual performance. The game uses a hidden ELO system, and every win or loss affects your ELO rating. The more games you win, the higher your ELO, and thus, your rank. Losing games decreases your ELO.
While personal performance is noted, it plays a minor role in determining rank compared to wins. For example, carrying a game with 40 kills but losing will hurt your rank more than underperforming in a victory. In short, team performance matters more. One critical aspect of CS is rank decay, which punishes inactivity. If you don’t play for an extended period, your rank can decay, and you’ll need to play again to restore it.
Player Distribution Across Ranks
Another way to compare these ranking systems is by looking at player distribution. Both games have competitive modes where players are assigned ranks based on their performance, but the distribution of players varies widely between Valorant and CS.
Valorant Player Distribution
Riot Games regularly releases data showing how players are distributed across the ranks. Here’s a rough breakdown of the rank distribution:
- Iron and Bronze: Around 15-20% of players.
- Silver and Gold: Approximately 40-45% of the player base falls into this mid-tier.
- Platinum and Diamond: Around 25-30% of players.
- Ascendant and above: Roughly 5-10% of players, with Radiant making up less than 1%.
CS Player Distribution
CS also has a similar distribution pattern, though it’s slightly more skewed toward the middle.
- Silver: About 20-30% of players are in the Silver ranks.
- Gold Nova: Around 40% of players are in Gold Nova, which is similar to Valorant’s Silver and Gold ranks.
- Master Guardian: About 15-20% of players.
- Distinguished Master Guardian and above: The top 10% of players, with Global Elite being less than 1% of the player base.