Valorant patch 3.0 introduced a new feature to the hero-based shooter, Account Leveling. Riot Games added the feature in the hopes that it would encourage players to spend more time on their main accounts, instead of creating smurfs.
Before Episode 3 Act I, once you ranked up to Immortal or Radiant, there wasn’t anything more for you to push for. You could try to earn a spot on the leaderboards if you’re one of the top players in your region. But that’s not a realistic goal for most players.
In its explanation of Account Leveling, Riot says this new feature is a way to improve Valorant’s progression system. That sounds great to me. More ways to progress your characters and account in-game are always welcome. However, the only thing you get from improving your Account Level in Valorant is a higher number and different border on your Player Card.
If the goal of Account Leveling is to prevent smurfing, it’s going to fail. Players care far more about their rank and cosmetic items than about a number and border on their Player Cards. Particularly, when the Account Level only reflects the amount of time you’ve spent playing. It has nothing to do with skill or any other worthy pursuit.
Thankfully, Riot says it will continue to look for ways to improve the system. I can think of a few things it could add. Cosmetic rewards, titles, Radianite Points, Valorant Points, and, if you really want to get creative, exclusive access to content. If you make the rewards of higher Account Levels worthwhile, people will chase them.
How Account Leveling works in Valorant
Your Account Level rewards you for the time you invest in playing Valorant. It shows your loyalty to the game. The great thing about it is that it doesn’t matter what game mode you play. The more you play, the more you increase your Account Level. And every 20 levels, your border will change.
You level up your account by gaining Account Points (AP). The longer the match, the more AP you gain. Apparently, your result also contributes to the amount of AP you gain. So, if you win you get more. You also get bonus AP for your first win of the day. One Account Level is equal to 5,000 AP.
Valorant AP will be rewarded retroactively. So, all the time you’ve invested in the game until now will count. Although, the Valorant Twitter account has admitted that long-time players may not be at the correct level. It is working on a solution that should be applied in a future patch.
