Introducing a revamp of THESPIKE.GG Rankings

THESPIKE.GG team has been extensively exploring a revamp of the VALORANT Ranking system over the last couple of months. We've taken notice of the VALORANT community's opinions as well as having a chat with some analysts and figures deeply involved in the scene to get their take on the matter of rankings in VALORANT. Following that, we had extensive meetings within THESPIKE.GG to figure out the way forward so that we provide the most balanced, extensive, and most importantly, fair rankings for the community that makes up the core of the esports VALORANT world.

We are aware that making perfect rankings is impossible but we will strive to make the best of it and always keep an eye out on community feedback to implement changes down the line that we think will be best.

THESPIKE.GG's revamped rankings start with the VCT International Leagues Team Rankings.

Catering to the VALORANT ecosystem

We collectively came to the conclusion that one cumbersome ranking in VALORANT is not feasible, neither does it make much sense given how VALORANT esports is structured. The current VALORANT ecosystem is comprised (but not limited to) of the following:

• VCT International Leagues (Tier 1)
• Challengers Leagues (Tier 2)
• Game Changers (women and marginalized genders)
• Collegiate
• Off-season events

The truth is some teams may never face one another due to the separation of leagues. For example, it is impossible for a VCT International League team to face a Game Changers team during the season. We do keep in mind off-season events where such instances may happen. However, due to currently there being a lack of information on official off-season events announced towards the end of the year, we will cater to those once we see proper announcements. Naturally, off-season events will be a part of our rankings in some shape or form.

To put it nice and simple. We are focusing on the separation of leagues, rather than regions. We may still separate some leagues into distinct regions, but only where we think it is necessary and provides a fair separation within our rankings.

The formula of THESPIKE.GG Rankings

Following extensive meetings which included brainstorming sessions, we have come to the conclusion that placing teams according the their achievements and form in the current season are the most important factors in determining their placement in the rankings. Recency does play a role when it comes to achievements. A team winning an event half a year ago will have less effect on a team's points than them winning an event a week ago.

The most important points to note about THESPIKE.GG Rankings:

• Each team starts with the same form points at the beginning of the season.
• The maximum points achievable is 1000. A team will have to be flawless in current season achievements and form to reach 1000 points.
• The top team in a ranking can have less than 1000 points.
• Points are derived from a team's achievements and form. Achievements and form points will fluctuate as a team wins and loses matches and events.
• With each THESPIKE.GG Rankings update, the +/- column shows a team's updated placing in the ranking (if it changed) compared to their placement before the update.
• Round difference is also somewhat taken into account when determining a team's ranking

We will monitor the team placements and fluctuations during the season and take note of any future adjustments we need to make.

Starting with VCT International Leagues (Tier 1)

We have launched the revamped THESPIKE.GG Rankings starting with VCT International Leagues. Given this year's introduction to the partnered teams Tier 1 league, we deemed this to be the best starting point. The ranking is comprised of the three Leagues; VCT Pacific, VCT Americas, and VCT EMEA. Therefore, there are a total of 30 teams in the currently launched ranking.

The VCT International Leagues Ranking will be updated weekly until the league play ends. Then, we will give regular updates following key events such as Masters Tokyo, Last Chance Qualifiers, and VALORANT Champions.

The current top 5

Following the VCT LOCK//IN and league play matches, the current top 5 ranking sees:

1. Fnatic
2. LOUD
3. DRX VS
4. Natus Vincere
5. Cloud9

The top 3 teams, Fnatic, LOUD, and DRX VS have taken top 4 places at VCT LOCK//IN and have so far gone undefeated in their respective leagues. Fnatic are the undisputed best team of 2023 so far as they are yet to lose a single match. Fittingly, they have 1000 points. Despite LOUD and DRX VS being flawless in their leagues as well, they took runner-up and 3rd-4th places respectively at LOCK//IN, resulting in lower achievements and form. Natus Vincere takes 4th place due to them coming in at 3rd-4th in LOCK//IN and losing a match in the EMEA League. Lastly, Cloud9 takes 5th ranking spot after taking a 9th-16th place at LOCK//IN, but has a near-perfect run in the league with just one loss, much like NAVI.

Remember to check out the full THESPIKE.GG VCT International Leagues ranking and stay tuned for weekly updated after each round of league.

THESPIKE.GG Rankings: The way forward

The addition of VCT International Leagues as a separate ranking is just the first step. We plan on adding separate rankings for the other leagues in the coming time. The plans are there, but implementation takes time and we don't want to rush things. We believe that taking our time to make THESPIKE.GG Rankings as best as possible is key when it comes to VALORANT rankings. We will be updating the community whenever we release updates to our ranking and of course appreciate any feedback on our current rankings.

*Featured image photo: Photo by Stefan Wisnoski/Riot Games