How to Compete in the Premier Open Beta in VALORANT
VALORANT has been one of the fastest growing esports in history. But, like other titles, the path to pro can be really difficult. Sometimes it can feel like there’s a huge barrier and a need for connections in the industry. But Riot Games wants to change this by adding something called Premier, bringing seasonal tournaments to the player base.
Earlier today, Riot announced that a global open beta for Premier will launch on April 25, 2023 along with the rest of Episode 6 Act 3.
Get ready for day one with a run through the basics.
— VALORANT (@VALORANT) April 17, 2023
Premier Global Open Beta launches April 25. pic.twitter.com/Tttf7wcpDB
According to Riot’s tweet, this open beta will last until late May. There will be a second beta in July. Premier will then officially launch in August after VCT Champions 2023 concludes. This is a lot sooner than players initially thought, leaving competitive fans desperate for more information.
What is Premier Mode in VALORANT?
The Premier beta path has three phases:
- Enrollment
- Weekly matches
- Tournament day
To take part in the Premier beta, players will need to verify their account via SMS verification, be in good standing, and have finished ranked placements. You will also need a team.
Teams are made up of five to seven players. The teams can be formed by groups of friends who already compete together or by joining an existing team in need of more teammates. The owner of the team will then enroll the roster and choose a time zone, which determines the servers you’ll be playing on.
Each team will be seeded into one of 20 divisions, determined by the average MMR of the team’s top five players.
Teams will compete in two matches per week. Teammates can check the schedule in the Team Hub. You’ll earn points per match, earning more points if you win. These points will be added up to see which teams qualify for the Playoff Tournament.
How Do Premier Tournaments Work?
If you qualify for the Playoff Tournament, you’ll be placed into a bracket along with other teams that qualified from your division. Like pro tournaments, there will be a map pick and ban system.
Teams that win all their matches will get some unique prizes:
- Premier Beta Champions player card
- Premier Beta Champion title
- Bragging rights
Losing teams will compete in a Consolation Bracket for third place. You can get an in-game title and player card if you compete in at least one match here.
The VALORANT community reacted positively to the news, with even top esports organizations applauding Riot Games for the innovative tournament concept. G2 Esports tweeted that the org may even be looking for a Premier roster.
now this is epic
— Cloud9 VALORANT (@C9VAL) April 17, 2023
This is awesome. WOW
— Jack “CouRage” Dunlop (@CouRageJD) April 17, 2023
Who we got for the G2 Premier roster?
— G2 VALORANT (@G2VALORANT) April 17, 2023
For more information on how Premier mode works in VALORANT, check out the official Q&A.
Olivia is a long-time esports journalist and editor who covers just about every game but has a deep love for the FGC. Her goal is to find community-driven stories that bring a new perspective to the esports scene. In the past, she has worked for Team Liquid, Rogue, Inven Global, Dot Esports, Upcomer, and more. Outside of esports, Olivia enjoys Kirby, Pokemon TCG, Fallout, and writing science fiction. She can be found trying out new foods, traveling, or hanging out with her two orange cats. Fun fact: Olivia can do some video game and cartoon impressions!