Introduction
With the release of Riot's first multiplayer FPS named Valorant, millions of gamers are actively competing to climb the ranked ladder, by themselves or with a booster. For anyone who plays online multiplayer games competitively, boosting is a term encountered on an everyday basis. Perhaps someone tried to insult you by calling you boosted or you've personally faced a booster in a game before. If you're not familiar with the term and don't know what valorant boosting is, simply put, it is a process in which a high-skill player plays on an account that is much less competitive because of its lower rank. In most instances, boosting occurs with an intent to increase the rank of an unskilled player so the person who account gets boosted does not have to put any effort into climbing the matchmaking ladder. The player that boosts the account is called a smurf. Over the years, boosting was condemned by the community and game developers because of its questionable morality as it creates an unhealthy environment for anyone who's playing against the smurf. Despite that, smurfs across the globe have made a career by boosting accounts and earning ridiculous amounts of money in the process. Even though Valorant is a newly-formed game, boosting services already exist, and in the following article, we will analyze how much money these boosters make and if it's worth it.
Valorant boosters and how much they make
-What affects the price of boosting
Before we analyze how much money boosters make, it's crucial to understand the factors that affect the price of Valorant boosting and how it impacts the earnings of boosters. Firstly, just like every other competitive online video game, Valorant has its ranked ladder, which in this instance goes from Iron to Radiant. Those tiers are used to differentiate and sort players of various skill levels, from unskilled players to those that are considered professionals. Consequently, the desired rank of the player whose account is getting boosted is the first factor worth taking into account. For example, if you're looking to get boosted from Iron I to Iron III, you're only going to pay a fraction of the price you'd otherwise pay for the higher divisions. Correspondingly, if you're looking to get boosted from Iron to Radiant, you'll be paying exorbitant amounts of money as it's very difficult to boost accounts up to those ranks. In some instances, boosting from Diamond to Immortal can be more expensive than boosting from Iron to gold because the games are more competitive, meaning that the booster will spend more time playing on the account and grinding the necessary rank. That being said, just like every other job, the amount of work the booster has to put in (the rank he boosts the account to) is equivalent to the amount of money he/she receives as a booster. There are other factors that impact the booster's salary though. Some more advanced sites such as MyBoosting.GG offer additional services that increase the price of the boost and the salary the booster receives. For example, if you're the player being boosted and you're itching to participate in the game, you can duo queue with your booster and contribute towards winning the game. You can also order your booster to play specific Valorant agents as well as stream the games he/she plays so you can learn how to play quicker. Furthermore, you can order a priority boost meaning your account will be picked for boosting first and you can also order the highest-rated boosters to smurf on your account as well. All of those factors can optionally increase the price of the boosting service, the work the booster has to put in, and the salary he/she receives upon completion. Last but not least, it's important to take into account that the sites boosters work for take a percentage of the valorant boosting.
-The numbers
Like we previously mentioned, there are numerous factors that impact the salary a Valorant booster receives, and in this section, we'll take a look at the numbers they get. Valorant boosting can cost anywhere from 10$ to over a thousand, depending on the rank the customer desires and the work the booster has to put into climbing. For example, a booster can be order to boost an account from Bronze I to Diamond I, which will result in a paycheck of around 300$. However, on a different day, they may recieve an order for a boost from Iron to Silver, which is a much easier job that will net them only about 50$. It's safe to say that there is no consistency in terms of earning from a single boost, as almost every other boost costs differently. The booster's reputation and experience play a large role here as well because experienced Valorant players whose "main" accounts are in Radiant divisions are more likely to attract customers. Additionally, considering that Valorant is still an up-and-coming game whose ranked ladder is not definitive yet, players that are notorious for their skill in FPS games such as Counter-Strike or Overwatch get more customers too. Overall, depending on the booster's reputation, his ability to appear offline in valorant, the site he's working for (sites take a pay cut for acting as a middle man between boosters and customers), and the amount of work he has to put in, the salary he/she receives can highly vary on a weekly basis. For example, well-known boosters in the past admitted to getting thousands of euros on a good week from boosting, while attending uni or working full-time. Some boosters become famous in community, resulting in consistent customers that sometimes even approach the booster directly. Eventually, some boosters in video games become full-time streamers and content creators because they grow a fanbase in the process.
Conclusion
On one hand, if you're a player that wants to achieve a certain rank in Valorant without trying and you have the money to do so, there is nothing wrong with being boosted. You'll be able to brag to your friends about your new shiny badge without moving a finger. On the other hand, if you're skilled enough to become a booster, it's worth trying. You'll be doing something you love by playing a video game you enjoy while earning money and creating a name for yourself in the multiplayer community. Keeping in mind that many boosters become streamers and professional players today, becoming a booster is a no-brainer if you're willing to invest time and effort into becoming skilled at the game you love playing.