How do you change your region in Valorant? If you’ve ever moved, tried to join friends overseas, or found your ping mysteriously high, you may have asked this question. In short, the only way to change your region in Valorant is by officially submitting a request to Riot Games to update your Region of Residence. While this process sounds simple on the surface, there are nuance and rules you’ll want to know before hitting that submit button. Let’s break down how it all works, what actually changes (and what doesn’t), and why Valorant’s regional system is designed the way it is.
What Does “Region” Mean in Valorant?
When you made your Riot account for Valorant, your physical location was automatically detected and assigned as your Region of Residence (RoR). This region isn’t just for server selection; it shapes nearly every part of your account experience. Your region influences:
- The servers (shards) you’re allowed to access for matches
- Your available payment methods and in-game currency options
- Default language and certain in-game features
Think of regions like walled gardens. North America, Europe, Korea, Brazil, Latin America, and Asia Pacific (including Southeast Asia) are all separate gardens, with high fences and very limited doors between them. Each “shard” is a set of servers serving players within their corresponding region.
Why Change Your Valorant Region?
Wondering why anyone would want to change their region? There are a few common scenarios:
- Moving to a new country: Maybe you relocated for work or studies and now your matches are laggy or your payments don’t go through.
- Playing with friends in a different region: Cross-region party play isn’t officially supported, so region mismatch can lock you out from queuing with some friends.
- Account setup mistake: Sometimes VPNs or travel alter where Riot thinks you’re setting up from, leading to inconvenient region assignments.
It’s worth noting, however, that Riot intentionally restricts free region hopping. The idea is to keep games fair and enjoyable, avoid high-latency lobbies, and prevent abuse of the ranking or in-game economy systems.
How to Request an Official Region Change
Ready to take the plunge? Changing your Valorant region is a manual process handled via Riot’s official support system. Here’s what you need to do:
- Visit the Valorant Account Transfer FAQ page on Riot’s support site.
- Use their automated region check tool to see your current RoR and shard.
- If eligible, you may be able to trigger a region change instantly. Otherwise, you’ll need to submit a manual ticket including your:
- Riot Account username (not your display name)
- Riot ID and tagline (e.g., Player#1234)
- Email address linked to your account
- Current region and target region
- A short description explaining your situation (for example, detailing your recent move or residency change)
Important: Riot will only approve region changes that match your real, current location. Attempting to change your region just to play on another shard or for lower prices can result in denial or even account restrictions.
What Transfers With Your Account – and What Doesn’t?
Here’s where things get interesting. Whether all your progress and purchases make the leap depends on where you’re going:
- Most regions: When you change regions, you’ll keep all your owned skins, agents, account level, loadouts, and most contract progress. However, your purchase history, match history, active Night Market offers, and your current ranked season progress will reset. Any ongoing competitive climb or act rank rating vanishes.
- Special case (NA, LATAM, BR): If transferring between North America, Brazil, and Latin America, everything—including ranked and purchase history—comes with you. These regions are treated as sub-shards of a single system for technical reasons, possibly because of shared infrastructure and time zones.
Put another way: most of your “identity” comes with you, but your history and competitive standing typically restart. For those in the middle of a crucial ranked climb, it might be worth timing your request carefully.
Not All Regions Are Created Equal: Limitations by Country
Riot’s region transfer system isn’t fully global. Here are key exceptions:
- South Korea: Strict residency checks. You can only transfer in/out if you’re a legal resident. Moving to South Korea without proof? You’ll need a fresh account.
- Vietnam: Similarly tight requirements. Only permanent residents can transfer in, and you may be asked for verification.
- China: No transfers allowed. Due to government requirements and infrastructure, Chinese accounts are entirely separate—if you move there, you’ll have to start from scratch.
- Japan: Transfers from Korea to Japan aren’t permitted.
This setup helps Riot comply with local laws, but can be frustrating for travelers and expats. Double-check your eligibility before making plans to transfer your account.
Understanding the 90-Day Cooldown
Once your region change request is approved and processed, another important rule kicks in: your account is “locked” to the new region for 90 days. You can play as usual, but you won’t be able to transfer again or revert during this cooldown. This is Riot’s way of discouraging frequent, convenience-driven region swaps.
It’s a bit like airport customs: once stamped through, you can’t just walk right back!
Why Not Just Let Players Pick Servers?
If you’ve played games like Apex Legends or Fortnite, you’re probably used to being able to pick your server manually. Valorant is different by design. Matchmaking, ranking, and the in-game store are tightly tied to your region. Allowing free server switching could cause headaches—unfair matches, shop exploits, and rampant smurfing. So you’re locked to your official region, and only major life changes (like moving house across continents) get you an official redo.
Timing Your Move: When Should You Change Your Region?
If you’re in the midst of climbing the competitive ladder or you’ve just gotten the perfect Night Market offer, you might want to wait. Since you’ll lose progress in the current ranked season and any limited shop deals, it’s wise to line up your request for a time when you can afford a fresh start. That said, your expensive skins, contract progress, and other “permanent” items will come with you, so the loss isn’t catastrophic.
Best Practices and Pro Tips
- Always submit accurate, truthful information in your request form to avoid rejections or bans.
- If you’re having trouble due to current payment options or language mismatches, verify your location using Riot’s automated tool before submitting a ticket. Sometimes, your real location is recognized, and a simple refresh or login cycle fixes minor issues.
- If you’re ineligible for region change (for example, moving to China), consider making a new Riot account with your updated location.
- Be prepared for customer support to ask for documentation in regions with stricter policies (like Korea or Vietnam).
FAQ: Changing Region in Valorant
Can I change my Valorant region to play with friends in another country?
Not easily. Riot only approves region changes confirming you physically live in the new country. The system isn’t designed to let you hop between regions simply to play with friends or find easier lobbies. If you visit friends abroad or relocate for good, that’s a valid reason, but you might be required to provide proof of residency.
Will my skins and agents carry over when I switch regions?
Yes! All of your purchased skins, unlocked agents, and account progress (like level and collection) will transfer with you. Keep in mind that your ranked progress, purchase history, and match history are wiped in most region transfers, except those within Americas (NA, LATAM, BR).
Can I use a VPN to change my region?
Using a VPN while playing Valorant might get you in trouble—and it won’t change your region officially. VPNs are sometimes used to bypass restrictions or spoof your location, but Riot’s systems are quite good at detecting this and may suspend or ban your account. The only legitimate way to change your RoR is through an official support request.
How long does it take for a region change to process?
Automated region changes, if available, are usually immediate. Manual requests via ticket can take anywhere from a day to a week, depending on customer support load and whether you need to submit extra documentation. Always check your email for follow-up or requests for more information.
Do I have to pay to change my region in Valorant?
Nope, region changes through Riot Support are currently free. However, since Riot limits frequency (you’re locked out for 90 days after a change) and eligibility is strict, don’t expect to use it casually or too often.
What should I do if I’m moving somewhere without Valorant servers?
Valorant has a broad (but not absolute) global reach. If your new country doesn’t have a local server, you’ll be assigned to the nearest supported shard. This might impact your ping, but you’ll play on the best connection Riot can offer from your new location. Not every country is supported—China, for instance, requires a new account on the Chinese platform.
Want to Learn More or Begin Your Transfer?
You’ll find the latest forms and region checkers on Riot’s official support site. For the official guide and the support ticket system, visit the Account Transfer FAQ and Region Change Guide. If you think your region was set incorrectly or you’re getting weird payment or language issues, double-check your info there and get your account sorted—because nobody wants to lose out due to a technicality!
