VALORANT Agent Mastery is Riot’s upcoming per-Agent progression system: play your favorite Agent, develop their mastery record and customize an Agent ID with cosmetic rewards. It has been announced for Patch 13.06, scheduled for September 22, 2026 in Riot’s English patch notes. As of September 16, the latest published live patch is 13.05; the demonstrated mastery screens are previews, not a verified live walkthrough.
Last verified: September 16, 2026. This guide covers the announced system. Final launch rules may differ from the preview.
The useful distinction: Act Levels reflect recent play; Lifetime Levels preserve longer-term progression. Your already-earned Agent Gear stays yours. Kingdom Credits remain part of unlocking future gear—Mastery Points are not a replacement name for that currency.
Riot’s 13.05 progression notice confirms the gear transition, and its September developer update demonstrates the new Agent ID and reward screens.
When does Agent Mastery arrive?
Riot’s English announcement names September 22 and Patch 13.06. The progression notice sits under “All Platforms,” rather than the PC-only section. That supports a PC-and-console scope; it doesn’t establish one worldwide switch-on time. The Turkish version of the same patch notes lists September 23. Check the notice for your region instead of assuming midnight on the English date.
The distinction matters if you’re opening VALORANT now and wondering where the menu went. On the verification date, the new system was announced, but its final live interface had not been verified. Don’t change your account settings or reinstall the game simply because a preview tab isn’t present.
Riot also says its developer video was filmed on July 7 and that final versions may change. Its demonstration explains the design; it does not establish that every displayed price, level gate or button will ship unchanged.
Your earned Agent Gear stays; the route to new gear changes
Already-unlocked Agent Gear will remain yours. For future gear, Riot says you’ll still use Kingdom Credits, but access will depend on playing the corresponding Agent. The important change is the connection between an Agent’s rewards and your activity on that Agent—not the removal of everything you previously collected.
For example, liking a particular Agent’s cosmetic rewards is no longer the same decision as committing to play that Agent. If you rarely use them, review their existing gear before the transition. That’s the specific situation Riot highlights; it isn’t a reason to buy rewards you don’t want.
Keeping old gear does not confirm retroactive Mastery Points. The sources reviewed do not settle whether pre-launch matches will be converted into Act or Lifetime progress. An existing collection, a large playtime total and a starting mastery level are three different things.
Two progress tracks, two different reasons to return
Launch reporting describes a short-term Act track alongside a permanent Lifetime track for each Agent. Esports.gg’s reveal coverage explains the seasonal portrait and persistent progression distinction. Riot’s own footage also shows separate Act Level and rewards tabs.
| Track | What it represents | What carries forward |
|---|---|---|
| Act Levels | Recent activity with that Agent during an Act; reported to unlock temporary upgraded Agent portraits shown in Agent Select. | The Act track resets each Act. Don’t assume its temporary portrait upgrade is permanent. |
| Lifetime Levels | Your ongoing progression with that Agent, giving access to their reward track. | Lifetime progression persists instead of restarting each Act. Existing earned gear is separately protected by Riot’s announcement. |
Think of the Act track as a recent-activity signal and the Lifetime track as a longer-term record. Neither is a reliable substitute for seeing how someone communicates, uses utility or makes decisions in a match.
These are also not your account level or Battle Pass. If you’re working toward Competitive access, the relevant system is explained in our Account Points and Level 20 guide. Agent Mastery should not be read as a new Ranked-entry requirement.
How do you earn Mastery Points?
Riot’s developer presentation says the system rewards how much you play and how well you perform on your chosen Agent. Specialist reveal coverage describes Mastery Points, or MP, as progress based on match time with bonuses linked to performance and match outcome. That gives the direction of the system, not a usable points formula.
There is not yet enough verified information to calculate “ten games for this pose” or declare one queue the fastest way to level. A win bonus, if applied as reported, still needs a published value and eligible-mode rules before it can support an efficiency comparison.
Which modes count?
The reviewed announcements do not provide a complete eligibility list. We cannot yet confirm the treatment of Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Premier, Custom Games or the Range. Nor do they settle minimum account requirements, borrowed Agent access, mission bonuses or multipliers. Don’t carry over another progression system’s rules just because both award progress after a match.
Once the feature launches, check the actual MP result for a completed eligible match and the reward’s stated requirements. Until then, a mode recommendation can be about practice or available time—not a verified mastery-farming advantage.
What rewards and Agent ID options have been revealed?
Agent IDs are customizable displays built around a particular Agent. Riot’s Chamber preview shows a portrait, a large character pose and display slots; its Miks reward screen shows examples including a background, frame, stat tracker, title and pose. These give a much clearer idea of the system than calling it simply another level number.
Dot Esports’ launch reporting also describes backgrounds, poses, frames, quotes and tracked statistics as customization options. Treat the table below as revealed reward types, not a complete launch catalogue or a confirmed price list.
| Reward or feature | Reported or demonstrated route | What remains unconfirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Upgraded Agent portrait | Reported Act-Level reward; intended to show recent Agent activity in Agent Select. | Final level thresholds and the full portrait progression. |
| Agent ID customization | Riot has demonstrated a customizable Agent ID and cosmetic modules in the reward track. | The complete module selection, each unlock threshold and final item prices. |
| Existing Agent Gear | Earned items are retained; future unlocks still use Kingdom Credits and are tied to playing the associated Agent. | The final item-by-item requirements after migration. |
| Additional mastery cosmetics | Pre-release footage shows a mastery pose and other reward tiles within Lifetime progression. | A complete launch reward list and the exact claiming rules for each item. |
Where will you find and equip an Agent ID?
The demonstrated Agent page has tabs labelled Agent ID, Rewards and Act Level. A separate Chamber shot shows an ID preview with an Equip control. Those are useful landmarks for understanding what Riot is building, but they aren’t a verified step-by-step path through the released client.
After rollout, open the relevant Agent’s progression page and follow the client’s own unlock and equip labels. A reward being visible in the track does not necessarily mean it is already owned. This guide will need a live-interface check before replacing the preview description with exact menu instructions.
What should you do now?
- Review gear you actually want. Before the change, give priority to an existing reward on an Agent you rarely play if you were already planning to unlock it. Don’t spend currency solely because a new system is coming.
- Pick a main you enjoy, with a usable backup. Our beginner-friendly Agent recommendations compare learning demands. Cosmetics are an incentive to return, not a reason to force the wrong pick into every team.
- Choose a session you can finish. Use our VALORANT match-duration guide to plan your time. That is scheduling advice, not confirmation that every listed mode awards MP.
- Wait for real earning rules before optimizing. Complete matches normally and play for useful team contributions. AFK farming, botting or intentional losses are not legitimate progression advice.
Our recommendation is to pair the cosmetic goal with one concrete practice goal: better smoke placement, a more useful recon timing or fewer untradeable opening deaths. Progress can record your activity; reviewing decisions is how you turn that activity into better play.
Agent Mastery questions still worth asking
Can you buy Mastery Points with VP or Kingdom Credits?
No reviewed announcement confirms a way to buy MP. Kingdom Credits are explicitly retained for future Agent Gear unlocks, but that is not evidence that they purchase mastery levels. Don’t top up VP expecting it to skip an unannounced progression requirement.
Does mastery change damage, matchmaking or RR?
Riot has presented Agent Mastery as progression and customization, not an ability upgrade or Ranked rating system. No reviewed announcement connects its levels to extra damage, an MMR adjustment or bonus RR. A high mastery display should not be treated as a rank or a guarantee of skill.
Will progress transfer between PC and console?
The associated gear change is announced under All Platforms. However, the material reviewed does not explicitly document mastery-specific synchronization between PC and console, or every regional rollout detail. General cross-progression expectations are not enough to promise how these new tracks will behave.
Will previous playtime count toward Lifetime Levels?
That has not been confirmed in the sources reviewed. The promise to keep earned gear is clear; automatic credit for historical matches is a separate question. Wait for Riot’s migration rules before expecting an immediate level or reward.
What is the maximum mastery level?
A final cap and full MP threshold table have not been verified. Numbers visible in a pre-release rewards screen describe that preview, not a published guarantee of the launch progression curve.
Optional 1v9 VALORANT services
Separately from this guide, 1v9 lists VALORANT accounts, VALORANT boosting, VALORANT coaching and VALORANT Points top-ups. These are commercial services, not Riot mastery features or shortcuts to MP. Their inclusion does not imply progress transfers between accounts, a guaranteed level, or Riot endorsement.
Sources and update note
This explanation separates Riot’s published gear-transition rules and demonstrated interface from additional specialist reporting. It does not claim hands-on access or completed progression testing.
Updated September 16, 2026: Covers the announced system ahead of Patch 13.06. Exact earning rates, mode eligibility and final reward thresholds await launch documentation.
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