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