What a Premier Team Is and How It Differs From Ranked Play
A Premier Team in Valorant is a five-player squad that competes in Riot's organized team-based competitive system, separate from the ranked ladder you play solo or with friends. Premier teams are matched against other organized teams of similar skill level, and your team's performance is tracked through a division system that moves you up or down based on wins and losses.
The key difference from regular ranked play is structure: you need exactly five committed players who show up at scheduled times, you compete as a unit with a shared rank, and your team can earn rewards based on seasonal performance. Premier is where players go when they want competitive play that feels more like a real team sport than a pickup game.
Key Takeaways
- You need five players minimum to form a Premier team, and all five must be in the same region and have accounts in good standing.
- One player creates the team through the Valorant client, sets a team name and tag, and invites the other four members to join.
- Your team will be placed in a division based on the average rank of your players, and you move up or down by winning or losing matches.
- Premier matches are scheduled through the client and played on a fixed weekly calendar, so all five players need to commit to the same practice and match times.
- Teams that perform well in a season can earn cosmetic rewards and move toward higher divisions in the next season.
Finding and Recruiting Your Five Players
The hardest part of forming a Premier team is finding four other players who are serious, play at a similar skill level, and can commit to regular practice and match times. Start by looking within your existing friend group or Discord servers where you already play Valorant. These players already know how you play and whether you mesh as a team.
If you do not have four reliable friends, join Valorant community Discord servers or subreddits dedicated to team recruitment. Servers like the official Valorant Discord, r/ValorantTeams on Reddit, or region-specific competitive communities have channels where players post looking for teams. When you find someone interested, play a few unranked or spike rush games together first to see if your playstyles work. Do not invite someone to your team after a single game.
Look for players who main different agents so your team can run different compositions. You need at least one player comfortable on controllers (Omen, Astra, Brimstone), one on initiators (Sova, Breach, Skye), one on duelists (Jett, Reyna, Phoenix), and one on sentinels (Cypher, Killjoy, Sage). The fifth player should be flexible and able to fill whatever role the team needs on any given map.
Creating the Team and Inviting Members
One player (usually the person organizing the team) opens the Valorant client and navigates to the Competitive tab, then selects the Premier option. Click "Create Team" and you will be prompted to enter a team name and a team tag. The tag is a three or four-letter abbreviation that appears next to your name in matches — think of it like a clan tag. Choose something short and memorable, but avoid anything offensive or that copies an existing professional team.
After you create the team, you will see an invite code or a list of players you can invite directly. Send invites to your four other players through the client. They will receive a notification and must accept the invite to join. All five players must be in the same region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, or Brazil) and have accounts with no active bans or restrictions.
Once all five players have joined, one player should be designated as the team captain or manager. This person handles scheduling matches, communicating with the team, and managing roster changes if someone leaves. The captain does not need special permissions in the client — it is just a role your team agrees on.
Understanding Divisions and How Ranking Works
When your team plays its first Premier match, the system places you in a division based on the average rank of your five players. If your team averages Platinum rank, you will start in a Platinum division. Your team then plays matches against other teams in that division, and your division rank moves up or down based on wins and losses.
Each match you win moves your team closer to promotion to the next division. Each loss moves you closer to demotion. The exact number of wins or losses needed depends on how many teams are in your division and how your win-loss record compares to other teams. You can see your team's current standing and how many wins you need for promotion by opening the Premier tab in the client.
Unlike ranked play where individual players have different ranks, Premier ranks your entire team as a single unit. This means all five players rise and fall together. If one player is much stronger than the others, they cannot carry the team up as easily as they could in solo ranked, because the team's rank is based on collective performance.
Scheduling Matches and Committing to Practice
Premier matches happen on a fixed weekly schedule set by Riot. Your team can see available match times in the client and must schedule your matches during the designated windows — you cannot play whenever you want. Typical match windows are weekday evenings and weekends, but the exact times depend on your region.
Before you schedule a match, make sure all five players can commit to that time every week. If someone cannot make a scheduled match, your team either forfeits (an automatic loss) or plays with a substitute if you have one available. Forfeits hurt your division standing, so consistency matters. Many serious teams practice together two to four times per week outside of official matches to build chemistry and strategy.
Set a practice schedule with your team early and stick to it. Use Discord or another communication tool to coordinate. During practice, focus on learning the maps your team will face, practicing agent combinations, and working on communication. The team that practices together and knows each other's tendencies will beat the team that only plays matches.
Building Team Strategy and Communication
Winning in Premier requires more than five good individual players — it requires a team that plays together. Spend practice time learning set plays on each map: where your team will position on attack, where you will set up on defense, and what your fallback plans are if the other team counters your setup.
Assign roles beyond just agent selection. Decide who is the in-game caller (the player who makes tactical decisions during matches), who watches the minimap and calls rotations, and who focuses on fragging. A good caller keeps the team organized and makes quick decisions when plans fall apart. This is often the team captain or the player with the most competitive experience.
Use voice communication during all matches and practice. Call out enemy positions, confirm your plan before executing, and communicate when you need help. Teams that communicate clearly and calmly win more rounds than teams where players play individually. If someone is not communicating or is being toxic, address it directly — a team with five players on the same page beats a team with one player trying to carry.
Earning Rewards and Progressing Through Seasons
Valorant Premier runs in seasonal cycles, usually lasting several months. At the end of each season, teams that finish in higher divisions earn cosmetic rewards like gun buddies, player cards, or sprays. The exact rewards depend on your final division standing — teams in higher divisions get better rewards.
Your team's division at the end of a season carries over to the next season, so a team that finishes in Diamond will start the next season in Diamond rather than starting over. This means the work you put in carries forward, and consistent teams can climb higher over multiple seasons.
If your team does not perform well in a season, you can still improve for the next one. Many teams use off-seasons to rebuild, recruit new players, or completely change their strategy. There is no penalty for dropping divisions — you simply start the next season where you ended and have another chance to climb.
Frequently Asked Questions
What rank do I need to be to join a Premier team?
There is no minimum rank requirement to form or join a Premier team. Your team will be placed in a division based on the average rank of all five players, so a team of Silver players will start in Silver division. You can form a team at any skill level.
Can I play Premier with fewer than five players?
No. Premier matches require exactly five players on your roster. If someone cannot make a match, you either forfeit or play with a substitute if you have one. You cannot queue with four players.
What happens if a player leaves my team mid-season?
You can invite a new player to replace them. The new player joins your team immediately, and your team continues competing in the same division. If you cannot find a replacement, you can still play matches with a substitute, but you will need to find a permanent fifth player eventually.
Do I need to pay money to play Premier?
No. Premier is free to play. You only need Valorant accounts for all five players, which are also free.
How often do Premier matches happen?
Your team schedules one match per week during the designated match windows. You can play additional practice matches against other teams outside of official match times, but only one official match per week counts toward your division standing.