Thinking of queuing VALORANT ranked with your friends? Hold that thought! It may sound like a fun night with your pals, but Riot’s party rank restrictions can slam the brakes on your plans. From strict tier limits in trios to brutal Rank Rating (RR) penalties for 5-stacks, it’s not as simple as hitting “play.” What Ranks Can Play VALORANT Ranked Together?
This guide will detail everything you need to know about playing VALORANT ranked with friends, including an overview of the game’s ranking system and (most importantly) why certain ranks can’t play together.
Quick Guide To VALORANT Ranked
Before we explain what ranks can play together, let’s recap how the VALORANT ranking system works.
As of May 2025, there are nine competitive ranks in VALORANT, each reflecting a player’s skill level. The ranks up to and including Immortal are split into three tiers (1 being the lowest, 3 the highest). Radiant does not have any tiers but instead comprises the top 500 players from each region.
Here’s a breakdown of all the ranks in VALORANT:
- Iron 1-3
- Bronze 1-3
- Silver 1-3
- Gold 1-3
- Platinum 1-3
- Diamond 1-3
- Ascendant 1-3
- Immortal 1-3
- Radiant
At the end of the day, climbing the competitive ranks in VALORANT is determined by winning ranked games and earning RR. Every victory earns you RR, and every loss reduces it. The amount of RR gained or lost is influenced by the round differential and a hidden matchmaking rating.
Now that you know how the VALORANT rank ladder works, let’s break down who can team up in competitive matches. What Ranks Can Play VALORANT Ranked Together?
How can I play Ranked with friends?
VALORANT’s competitive mode restricts who can play together based on both rank and party size. Typically, groups of 2-3 players must follow strict skill disparity rules, while 4-stacks are completely banned. Only full stacks of 5 players can enjoy unrestricted play, though they come with a few caveats of their own.
Let’s discuss each in more detail.
2-3 Stacks
If you’re queuing ranked with one or two friends, you can’t just invite whoever you like. Instead, you’re restricted based on the rank disparity between each party member. The reason is simple: it’s to make matchmaking fair and to prevent boosting (i.e., when higher-ranked players carry lower-ranked friends in unfair lobbies).
The limiting factor is always the lowest-ranking player in the party. Iron or Bronze can play with anyone up to Silver, Silver with up to Gold, and Gold with up to Platinum. Things get a bit trickier for players ranked Platinum or higher because they only team up with people up to one full tier above their current rank.
For example, Platinum 1 can queue with up to Diamond 1, Diamond 2 with up to Ascendant 2, and so on. If you’re Immortal 1, you can only queue with up to Radiant in ranked games, but only in a duo or full 5-stack. Three-player parties are not allowed at Immortal or Radiant ranks to prevent smurfing and account boosting.
Confused? The table below should make VALORANT’s ranked party restrictions easier to follow.
| Lowest Rank in Party | Highest Rank in Party |
| Iron and Bronze | Silver |
| Silver | Gold |
| Gold | Platinum |
| Platinum, Diamond, Ascendant, Immortal, and Radiant | One full tier higher (maximum) |
4-Stacks
Unfortunately, you cannot play ranked as a 4-stack in VALORANT. According to Riot Games, “it tends to leave the remaining solo queue player on the team with a less-than-desirable experience.” This includes excluding the fifth player from plans, ignoring them in comms, and even getting hostile with them over minor mistakes.
As a result, solo players are often flamed, griefed, or mass-reported by coordinated groups. Rather than try to detect and punish instances of toxic behavior, Riot chose to prevent it altogether. That said, you can still play ranked as a solo, duo, trio (with restrictions), or full 5-stack in VALORANT.
5-Stacks (Full Party)
Full parties of five players have a lot more flexibility when it comes to VALORANT ranked matchmaking. That’s because you can group up with anyone. The catch? You’ll face harsh RR penalties based on how far apart your ranks are. Here’s how Riot balances things out:
- If everyone in your party is Iron to Diamond 2 and within three ranks of each other, there’s no RR penalty.
- If someone is outside a 3-rank spread, a 25% RR penalty is applied to the team.
- If anyone is Diamond 3 to Immortal 3, a 25% RR penalty is applied, regardless of the rank spread.
- If there’s a Radiant player in the party, the entire group takes a 75% penalty to RR gains.
How Do RR Penalties Work In VALORANT?
RR penalties of this nature only apply to 5-stacks when there’s a big discrepancy between the players’ ranks in VALORANT competitive games. Most importantly, they only affect your gains—and not your losses if you get stomped. Here’s how it looks in practice:
Example 1
Let’s say you queue for VALROANT ranked as a 5-stack. Assume your party is composed of Silver 1, Gold 2, Gold 3, Platinum 2, and Diamond 1 players. This combination breaks the 3-rank spread rule (i.e., there’s a six-rank gap between Silver 1 and Diamond 1).
Because the group is outside the 3-rank window, everyone gets hit with a 25% RR reduction. So if a win would have earned you 20 RR, it’ll now only give 15 RR.
Example 2
Now imagine you’re queuing for ranked matchmaking as a 5-stack with Radiant, Immortal 2, Ascendant 3, Diamond 1, and Platinum 2 players. Since there’s a Radiant player in the mix, all players will get hit with a 75% RR penalty. This means a 20 RR win drops to only 5 RR.
What’s more, if you lose and were meant to lose 20 RR, you still lose the full 20 RR. The penalty only affects your gains. This makes queuing with Radiant players a risky move for all party members.
Can Unranked Players Queue With Ranked Players?
Yes! Unranked players who haven’t yet completed all their placement matches can indeed queue up with their ranked friends, but only up to Gold. Why? Well, think about it. Since Riot has no confirmed placement for your skill level, it wouldn’t be fair to you (or to other players). By capping matchmaking at Gold, it keeps calibration games balanced.
Play Ranked With Friends The Right Way
Now, don’t get us wrong, playing VALORANT ranked with friends can be a blast! And while Riot’s rank matchmaking restrictions and RR penalties may seem like a pain, they exist for a good reason: keeping smurfs and boosters out of your competitive lobbies.
But if you’re after a different kind of rush (one that skips the RR grind entirely), then hit up our VALORANT hub! It’s the best spot to watch the latest esports tournaments and place live in-play bets as the action unfolds.
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