Episode: What is an Episode in Valorant?

Episodes are the biggest competitive time frame in Valorant, where each one has ‌3 different Acts. Since each Act lasts two months, an episode lasts about six months. So far, there have been nine episodes, with the most recent one, DEFIANCE, starting on January 9, 2024.
Unlike Acts, which introduces a new character, map, or game mode, a new episode affects everyone’s ranks. Whenever a new episode begins, everyone’s ranks get a soft reset, where they then play five placement games to get a rank again. Also, at the start of every episode, players get a gun buddy that depends on the highest Act Rank they got during the previous episode. A new episode also introduces a new cinematic video, giving the game more lore.