Updated on March 2, 1:00 p.m. (GMT+8): Edited article links.
We’ve all been there. Your team is down 0-2 in a ranked match after losing the opening pistol. Before you can even attempt your first full buy round, someone initiates a surrender vote.
While some Valorant players appear to have the mental fortitude of a baby, they should really think twice about hitting the surrender button, at least according to one Valorant developer.
That’s because your MMR can still go up even if you lose, said Jonathan “EvrMoar” Walker, Senior Competitive Designer. Every match is a chance to raise your MMR, regardless of whether you win or lose.
Your MMR can still increase even if you lose in ranked
It’s important to remember that there are two components to your rank in Valorant: the RR rating you see, and a hidden MMR that determines how much RR you gain or lose per match.
If your MMR is higher than your RR, Riot will try to close the gap between the two by rewarding you with more RR points each time you win. But if it is lower, you’ll lose more points as the system tries to push you down to your actual rank.
“Your MMR can go up on a loss. While your RR will go down, if you have a really good match your Encounter MMR can go up higher, even as your Win/Loss MMR goes down,” said EvrMoar on Twitter.
“This is why you shouldn’t forfeit early. You want more chances to soften that loss and raise MMR.”
This is easier to do in lower ranks like Gold and below, where Encounter MMR plays a bigger role than your Win/Loss MMR. “You have a multiplier on your RR based on your MMR,” he added. “So it’s always important to play your best and not give up to increase your MMR and in turn your RR gains.”
On the other hand, at higher ranks like Immortal, Win/Loss MMR matters a lot more. This is because things like aim and reaction time — both factors that would influence your Encounter MMR — start to even out among players, so Riot focuses more on whether you’re actually winning your games instead.
Other factors that influence your RR are round differential and performance bonus. Your Average Combat Score (ACS), or whether or not you’re top-fragging, does not determine how much RR you receive.
“It’s never about being the top frag, but performing better than your MMR,” said EvrMoar. “You can bot frag and still get a performance bonus.”
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