Cover-Credits:
Riot Games announced its new competitive mode in Valorant to its player base in 2022. This new mode called Premier is Valorant’s team-based competitive system that will allow players to build their own teams and compete in a well-planned tournament system with pre-scheduled matches. Riot Games addressed challenge-hungry players and stated that it wanted to build a connection between the game and its esports setup through a highly competitive mode that will enable players to experience Valorant in a similar way that pros do.
For those of you who recall, last year in October and November, Valorant completed the Alpha version of Premier for players in Brazil. Having said all this, the Premier Global Open Beta is all set to launch this month.
In the future, Premier will be the path for players to enter the Valorant Champions Tour (VCT) Challenger Leagues. Those who excel in the Premier mode will get a shot at Challengers and play against pro teams. However, Riot is still evaluating the exact details of how Premier will integrate as the Path to Pro within the current Valorant esports ecosystem.
Here’s all you need to know about Premier’s Global Open Beta, the release date, requirements to play, and other important details.
Riot Games announces Premier Global Open Beta
Riot Games announced that the Premier Global Open Beta will launch on 25th April 2023 (Tuesday). The Global Open Beta will run from 25th April and 23rd May and here are important dates to remember:
Enrollment period: 25th-28th April
Weekly Matches: 29th April to 20th May
Playoff Tournament start: 21st May
Players should note that this is a test version of Premier before its full launch. For instance, the Beta is currently on a shorter schedule than what Riot Games has planned for the official launch where Premier stages will last the duration of a regular Valorant Act.
On launch day, a full-screen takeover will feature Premier. The Homepage navigation will have Premier as an entry, second in the list under Play. Additionally, an explanation model will pop up when you visit the Premier Hub for the first time.
What are the requirements for Premier Global Open Beta?
Players should note that there are three major requirements to play in the beta test. They are as follows:
Identity: Players need to verify their accounts via SMS
MMR: Completion of a ranked placement during any Act is required
Team: A team of 5-7 players that you can either form on your own or join. If you have already completed your placements, you will automatically skip to the next step and go to the option to “CREATE A TEAM”
Note that you cannot join more than one team. Your account will be restricted to just one team.
While there are no restrictions on who you can be on a team with (rank-wise), some restrictions will kick in after the team has been enrolled.
Once your roster is set and the team owner has enrolled the team, all you need to do is select the zone, which will determine what servers you will play and also determine your match schedule.
After your team is enrolled, players will be seeded into one of 20 Divisions based on the average MMR of their team’s top five players. After this, you’ll be limited to only inviting other players that would not cause your team to change Divisions.
Matches, Schedule & Points System for Premier Beta
Each week, players will play up to two matches and each match will earn you points towards a Premier score which will ultimately determine whether or not your team qualifies for the Playoff tournament. Teams earn 100 points for a weekly match win and 25 points for a loss.
Currently, a team will need 375 points to qualify for the Playoff tournament in the Premier Global Open Beta. However, this may be adjusted after the Beta test.
On the last day of the Global Open Beta, Playoff tournament matches will take place and will use a map pick-and-ban system similar to pro matches. Teams will start in the main bracket with winners being crowned Champions and earning a unique Player Card and Title. The losing teams will move to the consolation bracket and compete for third place. All players that play at least one match will earn an in-game title and player card.
The next phase of Premier will return in July with the full launch planned for just after VCT Champions 2023 in August.
