Riot Games has announced the beta for a brand new feature coming to their popular first-person shooter Valorant. Premier, as the new mode is called, was originally revealed in an alpha version in Brazil in October. It seems the product is nearly ready though with a global beta set to begin during Episode 6 Act 3 according to a press release from Riot.
Premier is a competitive system in which players can build a roster of five players to compete in pre-scheduled matches against teams of a similar skill level. Each team will be placed in a division where they’ll battle it out for a shot at making a playoff tournament.
It’s assumed that the team’s overall skill level will be determined by the ranks of the players involved, but nothing has been confirmed by Riot as of now.
This new system opens the door for new players and teams to jump into the esports scene and make something out of it and that appears to be exactly what Riot is hoping for.
Riot has stated that they plan on the in-game circuit being a path to the VCT Challenger Leagues across the regions. “No more qualifier events; players who excel will get a shot at Challengers and playing against pro teams,” the press release states.
Given that the Challengers League is a direct opportunity to compete in the international circuit and even make it to Champions, this is a chance for players to put a team together and work toward their dream.
This is just another step for Riot in their quest to make Valorant a top-tier esports title and we have to admit, it looks like a big one. Very few, if any, games out there give players an opportunity to earn their way into the biggest leagues directly through the game itself.
In the previously mentioned alpha test phase, players in Brazil were able to jump in and test the following features according to the official announcement.
Team creation (with team logos and colors)
Server load
Tournament play (including a map pick-and-ban system)
Premier Score (and qualifying for the end-of-season tournament)
Matchmaking and queue health throughout the Alpha
General bugs
…and much more!
Those interested can expect even more details regarding Premier when the global beta launches in Episode 6 Act 3.
