Here’s why VALORANT ranked is down on July 30

Believe me, it's not you—it's VALORANT.

Killjoy in the SHATTERED cinematic for Episode 5. From VALORANT.
Image via Riot Games

If you’ve been trying to climb the ranks in VALORANT on July 30, you might have noticed that that’s not possible as the competitive queue is down. But don’t worry—it’s not your client or your connection. Riot Games made a surprise announcement just an hour before the downtime.

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Riot said the downtime is to prepare for the future of its esport, something it expanded on a few weeks ago with its announcement of significant changes for the 2025 season. These updates include performance-based extensions for Ascension teams, a new Premier Invite Division, and an expanded Challengers calendar.

Jett throwing her knives in the VALORANT "SUPERPOWER" music video.
VALORANT players now look forward to the beginning of the highest competition of the year, Champions, starting in two days. Screenshot by Dot Esports

But today, understanding these changes is crucial to grasping why the ranked queue is down.

When will VALORANT ranked be back up on PC?

Riot announced that to prepare for the future of competitive VALORANT, the Competitive queue will be unavailable for all players starting July 30 at 8am CT. For PC players, the ranked mode will be down for about an hour, with a return expected around 9am CT the same day.

valorant patch 9.02, showing a glimpse of Icebox, a frozen map, through metal beams
Patch 9.02 brings a few new additions to VALORANT on PC, including a new training facility. Image via Riot Games

This downtime is necessary for Riot to implement updates and changes that align with the future competitive landscape of VALORANT, most likely to ensure a smoother experience for players as they transition to the upcoming new system.

When will VALORANT ranked be back up on console?

For console players, the situation is a bit different. Based on insights gained from the beta, Riot will reset ranks and disable the Competitive queue for a few days, with the ranked mode set to return by Aug. 2 around 11am CT. But we can forgive a few days if it means a new map joins the queue for console.

Icebox map valorant
Welcome to the icy peaks of Icebox. Image via Riot Games

While the ranked downtime on July 30 might be inconvenient, it should pave the way for positive changes in VALORANT’s competitive scene. Keep an eye out for more details in the patch notes expected to be released later today.

Author
Image of Cecilia Ciocchetti
Cecilia Ciocchetti
Freelance writer mainly focusing on the League of Legends and VALORANT esports scenes. Sometimes at events interviewing professionals of the scene, from players to the talented people working behind the curtains. You can reach out to me via Twitter.