The global open beta phase for Premier, the in-game seasonal competitive tournament mode in VALORANT that will serve as the official path-to-pro starting point in the future, is arriving soon with the full launch planned for not long after.
Riot confirmed in an announcement today that the global open beta phase will launch officially on April 25, 2023, along with the start of Episode Six, Act Three. Following the conclusion of this beta phase in late May, and after an additional beta phase in July, Premier is set to launch in full in August after the conclusion of VCT Champions 2023, the official world championship for VALORANT.
From April 25 to 28, players can enroll into teams of five to seven, before selecting a regional zone to compete in (based on location). To join a Premier team, a player must verify their account via SMS verification, be in good standing with their account, and have finished ranked placements at least once.
Related: Head of VALORANT esports confirms in-game Premier system will eventually replace VCT open qualifiers
Teams in the same region will be split into different skill divisions based on a team’s MMR threshold. Weekly matches will begin in the open beta phase on April 29 and run until May 20. Teams can queue at any point during the weekly window and will earn 100 points for a win, 25 for a loss, and no points if they do not play.
At the end of the weekly matches period, teams with at least 375 points earned will qualify for the tournament at the end of the beta. The tournament will use the map pick-and-ban system. Winners will get a unique Premier open beta champion title and player card, but the match and team history will not transfer over to the full launch. Players will also earn a beta participation title and player card just for playing a single Premier match during the open beta.
