If you’ve ever tried to queue for a Valorant match with a friend who lives across the world, or noticed your ping is way higher than it should be after moving to a new country, you’ve probably wondered how to change region Valorant accounts support. Unlike many other competitive shooters, Riot Games ties your Valorant account to a specific shard by default, but that doesn’t mean you’re stuck playing in one region forever. I’ve swapped my own Valorant region three times in the last two years to play with college friends in Europe and family in Southeast Asia, so I’ve tested every method out there to avoid account bans or lost progress. This guide breaks down exactly what works, what you should avoid, and what to expect after you make the switch.
Official Method to Change Region Valorant Players Can Use Safely
Riot rolled out official region swap support for Valorant in 2023, so you no longer have to make a new account to play in a different shard. This official process is the only legitimate way how to change region Valorant players can use without violating Riot’s terms of service, and it preserves all your existing skins, rank progression, and battle pass progress too. To use this method, you’ll first need to log into your Riot account on the official website, then navigate to the “Account Management” tab. Scroll down until you see the “Region of Residence” section, and click the “Change” button. You’ll need to verify your identity with a code sent to your registered email, then select the new region you want to switch to.
You can only request one region change every 90 days, so make sure you’re picking the right shard before you confirm. Keep in mind that your rank will be reset for the new region, as MMR is tied to each specific shard, not your global account. You also won’t be able to transfer any remaining Valorant Points (VP) between regions, so spend any leftover VP before you make the switch to avoid losing it. The whole process takes less than 10 minutes to complete, and your region will update within 24 hours of submitting the request, though most changes go through in 1 to 2 hours.
Reasons to Switch Your Valorant Region (And When You Shouldn’t)
Most people swap regions for one of three core reasons, but it’s not always the best choice for every player. Let’s break down the most common use cases first, so you can decide if a region change is right for you. If you’re moving to a new country long-term, a region change is non-negotiable. Playing on a shard that’s thousands of miles away will give you ping of 150ms or higher, which makes it almost impossible to compete in ranked matches, even if you’re a highly skilled player. The second big reason is to play with friends who live in a different part of the world. If you regularly queue with a group that’s based in another region, swapping your shard will let you all play together with low, consistent ping for everyone. The third less common reason is to unlock region-exclusive cosmetic bundles or in-game events, though Riot has been rolling out most content globally in recent updates, so this is rarely necessary now.
That said, there are times you shouldn’t swap regions. If you only want to play a few matches with a friend abroad for a weekend, a 90-day lock-in is way too long to be stuck on a different shard away from your regular team. You also shouldn’t swap regions just to try and grind easier lobbies for a higher rank, as Riot’s MMR system will adjust quickly to your skill level no matter what region you play in.
Before you submit a region change request, make sure you check off all these boxes:
- You have spent all remaining Valorant Points (VP) in your account, as they will not transfer to the new shard
- You have no active ranked penalty or restriction on your account, as this will carry over to the new region
- You won’t need to switch back to your original region for at least 90 days
- You have confirmed the new region has server locations close enough to your current location to give you acceptable ping
What to Expect After You Change Your Valorant Region
A lot of players assume a region change is just a quick setting flip, but there are a few small changes that catch most people off guard the first time they swap. First, your ranked MMR will be completely reset for the new region. That means you’ll have to play 5 placement matches again to get a new rank, even if you were Immortal in your old region. Your unrated MMR will also reset, so your first few unrated matches might feel a little unbalanced as the system figures out your skill level. All your skins, player cards, gun buddies, and battle pass progression will carry over exactly as they were, so you don’t have to worry about losing any of the cosmetics you paid for. The only exception is any region-specific battle pass content you didn’t unlock before the swap, but that’s rarely an issue now that most battle passes are identical across all regions.
You’ll also notice that your in-game chat and matchmade teammates will mostly speak the dominant language of your new region. If you’re moving to a region where you don’t speak the local language, you can still change your in-game chat language back to your preferred setting in the options menu, but most random teammates will still communicate in the local language. One more thing to note: the cost of Valorant Points will adjust to match the local currency of your new region. In some cases, VP might be cheaper or more expensive than it was in your old region, so keep that in mind when you go to purchase more after the swap.
Unsafe Methods to Avoid When Changing Valorant Region
You might have seen videos online claiming you can change your Valorant region for free instantly using a VPN, but these methods are almost always risky, and can lead to a permanent account ban. First, using a VPN to spoof your location to access a different region’s servers does not actually change your account’s assigned shard. All it does is make your ping even higher, because you’re routing your connection through a VPN server before connecting to the game server, and you’ll still be matched with players from your original region. Riot’s anti-cheat system Vanguard automatically flags accounts that regularly connect from unusual locations, so using a VPN to try and bypass region locks can lead to a temporary or permanent ban, even if you’re not using any cheats.
Another common unsafe method is making a second smurf account to play in a different region. While this isn’t explicitly against Riot’s terms of service, smurfing ruins the game experience for new players, and you’ll have to start from scratch with no skins or progression on the new account. You also run the risk of having both accounts banned if Riot detects you’re using a smurf to intentionally play in lower rank lobbies. If you only need to play a few matches in another region temporarily, the safest option is to ask a friend who lives in that region if you can borrow their account for a few games, though Never share your account login details with anyone you don’t trust completely, as this can lead to your account being stolen or hacked. Riot is currently beta testing a temporary region swap feature for select regions, so keep an eye on official patch notes for updates if you only need short-term access to another shard.
At the end of the day, changing your Valorant region is a simple process as long as you use Riot’s official tool and plan ahead for the 90-day lock-in and MMR reset. Whether you’re moving abroad, wanting to play with friends across the world, or just looking for a fresh start in a new competitive scene, following the steps in this guide will help you make the switch safely without losing your hard-earned cosmetics or risking a ban. If you’re still unsure whether you should go through with the change, test out the region first by playing a few unrated matches on a friend’s account to see what the ping and lobby quality is like before you submit your official request. Now that you know how to change region Valorant accounts support, you can start planning your cross-region play without any unnecessary stress.
