How to level up fast in VALORANT
Your account level goes up by one for every 5,000 Account Points, and you earn those for each minute you spend in a match, plus a bonus for each win. There's no shortcut beyond that: you level faster by spending less time outside matches and winning more of them.
How Account Points are earned
- Time in matches
- Every minute you spend in a match earns AP, whatever the mode.
- Wins
- Each win adds bonus AP, starting with your first win of the day.
- Level 20 unlocks Competitive
- You need account level 20 before you can queue Competitive.
The fastest way to level
- Play short team modes
- Swiftplay and Spike Rush finish in 8 to 15 minutes, so you fit more wins — and more win bonuses — into an hour than a full-length match allows.
- Win at least one match every day
- It's the easiest bonus to collect, and a short mode is the quickest way to get it.
- Queue with friends
- A coordinated group wins more often, and wins are where the bonus AP is.
- Cut the downtime
- Time in queue, in menus and at agent select earns nothing. Queue again straight away rather than idling between matches.
Battle Pass XP is separate
Account Points only raise your account level. Battle Pass tiers and agent unlocks use XP, which you earn from matches and from daily and weekly missions — so levelling your account doesn't progress the pass, and the other way round.
The premium Battle Pass costs 1,000 VALORANT Points and runs for one act. Anything you haven't unlocked when the act ends is gone, so it's worth checking the end date before you buy.
Common questions
How much AP do you need per level in VALORANT?
5,000 Account Points per level, according to Riot.
What level do you need for Competitive?
Account level 20.
What is the fastest way to reach level 20?
Play short team modes like Swiftplay and Spike Rush, ideally with friends, take your first win every day and queue again without idling. AP comes from minutes in matches plus win bonuses, so time in game and wins are the only levers.
Does account level reset every act?
No, account level doesn't reset with acts or ranked seasons. Transferring your account to a different shard is the one thing Riot says resets it.
How much is the VALORANT Battle Pass?
The premium Battle Pass costs 1,000 VALORANT Points and lasts one act. The free track needs no purchase.
The Battle Pass ends with the act. Here's exactly when that is.
When does the act end? →