TL;DR
- Doinkmachine97 (poiz) dethroned TenZ as NA’s top player, with both holding multiple leaderboard positions
- Professional players including Aceu, Shawn, Will, and Bjor expressed confusion about their rankings despite inactivity
- The ranking system appears to incorporate previous act MMR, creating unexpected placements for inactive accounts
- Queue times exceeding 1-2 hours forced TenZ to create alternative accounts, potentially costing him the #1 spot
- Lack of transparency in Riot’s algorithm methodology fuels speculation about ranking fairness
Riot Games has officially unveiled the competitive Valorant leaderboards for North America, revealing some surprising placements that have the community buzzing. The rankings show established superstar Tyson “TenZ” Ngo occupying the second position, while relatively unknown talent Doinkmachine97 has claimed the coveted top spot in a stunning upset.
The leaderboard drama intensified when fans discovered both elite competitors managed to secure three separate positions each within the rankings. TenZ maintains his dominance across positions 2, 18, and 33, while Doinkmachine97—who also competes under the name poiz—controls the premium real estate at ranks 1, 8, and 13.
This unprecedented concentration of talent means two players alone account for five of the top twenty positions in North American competitive play.
NA Ranked leaderboard is here.
How do you stack up?
pic.twitter.com/AWHPi5ijt6— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT)
November 17, 2020
This marks poiz’s continued presence on Valorant ranking displays, as he previously secured dual account placements on October’s leaderboard.
-
Ranked Valorant leaderboards revealed by Riot Games
The specialist Jett player has consistently maintained his position across consecutive Valorant ranking periods. Despite these impressive competitive achievements, he remains largely unrecognized within the broader community, with minimal awareness of his instructional YouTube channel “PoizFps” where he regularly shares advanced gameplay techniques and clutch moments.
In contrast, TenZ—who built an enormous fanbase through his exceptional mechanical skills and highlight-reel plays—surrendered his premier position to poiz. The Cloud9 phenom revealed that matchmaking delays on his primary account stretched to one or two hours, prompting him to create secondary accounts named Killua and subsequently Hisoka. Industry analysts suggest that maintaining focus on his original account might have preserved TenZ’s status as North America’s undisputed top competitor.
Several emerging talents made their debut appearances on Valorant’s competitive rankings, including NRG’s Brandon “Aceu” Winn, who expressed skepticism about his inclusion. The professional competitor believes the ranking system lacks integrity because his limited match participation shouldn’t qualify for top 100 consideration.
Aceu additionally noted his absence from previous ranking periods despite actively competing during those cycles.
i legitimately think this is rigged. i shouldn’t be on here at all
— brandon (@acesu)
November 17, 2020
GenG’s Shawn “Shawn” O’Riley, positioned at number five, expressed astonishment at his high placement given his account inactivity. William “Will” Cheng, holding the seventh position regionally, shares similar doubts. Will states he hasn’t accessed his primary account for “the past couple of weeks.” BBJ’s Joseph “Bjor” Bjorklund, occupying the tenth spot, similarly questions the validity of his standing.
With Riot Games maintaining secrecy around their ranking methodology, determining systematic fairness remains challenging. Competitive analysts suggest strong probability that historical matchmaking ratings from previous competitive acts continue influencing current placements.
Since TenZ participated in minimal matches using his primary account, his current positioning reflects this limited activity. Meanwhile, poiz maintained more consistent engagement on his main profile, enabling him to strategically surpass TenZ in the rankings. For players looking to improve their competitive standing, understanding these systemic nuances proves crucial—similar to mastering class selection strategies in other tactical shooters.
Advanced competitors should note that ranking systems often incorporate complex variables beyond simple win-loss records. Much like optimizing your approach in comprehensive game guides, success in Valorant’s competitive landscape requires both skill and strategic system understanding.
Action Checklist
- Analyze your match history frequency and its potential impact on MMR calculations
- Monitor queue times and consider alternative accounts if delays exceed 30 minutes regularly
- Research historical MMR carryover between competitive acts in your region
- Compare your activity patterns with leaderboard players to identify optimization opportunities
- Review weapon proficiency across different scenarios, similar to specialized weapon mastery in other FPS titles
No reproduction without permission：Games Guides Website » Aceu thinks Valorant leaderboard is rigged, Tenz and Doinkmachine97 on top Understanding Valorant's controversial leaderboard system and why top players are questioning its accuracy