Andrey "Wayfarer" Dovbysh Currently, it's hard to surprise anyone with multiplayer battles in first-person shooters, which were initially designed as single-player games. Call of Duty publisher Activision introduced this element back in the 2000s, and it gained popularity among CoD franchise fans as well as lovers of classic online shooters like Counter-Strike and Battlefield.
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Time moves forward. The trend in online games now includes elements that allow users to track their progress or simply show off their ranking relative to allies and opponents. These include various ladders, leaderboards, and divisions for players. Naturally, CoD has not missed out on these innovations. Today, we will explore how the ranked play system works in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022).
What are the basics of CoD: MW2 ranked play?
The first thing to understand about ranked mode in Modern Warfare 2 is that there are two interconnected but independent elements: the skill rating system and ranks. The first is more closely tied to battle results and the player's contribution to team actions, while the sole factor influencing progression in Call of Duty ranks is the number of wins in competitive matches.
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To access these matches, gamers need to reach level 16 in multiplayer. The developers set this requirement to minimize the activity of cheaters + smurfs in ranked matches and to allow newcomers to get accustomed to the formats and maps of online matches, preventing them from ruining the experience for others.
Experienced Call of Duty users note that with some experience, reaching level 16 can be achieved in a single gaming session of a few hours, so this requirement won't be a significant barrier for fans of multiplayer battles in the shooter.
Additionally, ranked play is limited in terms of game modes, maps. Players will compete in formats like Search and Destroy, Hardpoint, Control on seven maps. This helps gamers quickly adapt to the features of all locations and focus on achieving the best KDA.
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Now let's delve into the details of skill rating and ranks.
Mastering the skill: what you need to get into top skill divisions in CoD: MW2?
All players in ranked play are divided into skill divisions based on earned Skill Rating (SR) points. These points are gained through victories and lost through defeats in online matches. The amount is not fixed but depends on both the team's results (e.g., a total defeat will deduct more points than a close loss) and the individual performance of the team member.
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Ranked Play features seven player divisions: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crimson, Iridescent. All participants in the first season of ranked play and new users in subsequent seasons start at Bronze with 0 SR. As they accumulate points throughout the season, they move to higher divisions. To reach the highest division (Iridescent), a gamer needs to earn over 10,000 SR points.
A special division is the top 250, which fills up as players earn 10,000 SR throughout the season. Their leaderboard is publicly accessible, and in ranked matches, the current position of such a gamer is displayed next to their nickname.
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From the above, it can be concluded that the Ranked Play system is very sensitive to losses, which can result in players being stuck in the same skill division indefinitely. However, this is mitigated by two mechanics:
- SR Forgiveness: If during a match one of the users disconnects or goes inactive, the team with fewer gamers will not lose SR in case of a defeat (but will gain points if they win).
- Demotion Protection: Upon advancing to a higher division, the player won’t lose SR points for defeats in the first three matches. If after this they lose enough SR to be demoted, they must lose two consecutive matches. Thus, advancing to a higher division becomes a launchpad for further progress in the rankings.
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At the end of the season, there is a reset. Participants receive rewards for their progress in the divisions in the previous season and start the next one in new divisions:
- Bronze and Silver — start at Bronze;
- Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crimson — move back one division respectively;
- Iridescent and Top 250 — start at Diamond.
How to achieve a higher rank in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2?
Another system used in ranked play is player progression. As with Skill Rating, progress requires victories. However, unlike Skill Rating, only wins matter, and losses do not decrease your current position.
To advance, a player must win a certain number of times (from 3 to 5) at each lvl. As a reward for progressing, users receive prizes both when they achieve a new place and at the end of the season. There are a total of 50 ranks.
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Progression in ranks and skill divisions are independent of each other. Even a user in the Bronze division can have the 50th place, just as a top 250 player might not yet have enough wins to reach that rank. Therefore, even if you don’t aspire to master the game at a pro level, you can still achieve the highest position!
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So, we have explained the features of ranked play in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If you enjoyed this topic, you might want to read about a similar system in Valorant!
Play, shoot with pleasure, climb the leaderboards, and be sure to share successes in the comments.
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