Patch 3.4: The StarCraft II Ladder Revamp

Blizzard is on urge to make a serious revamp of the StarCraft II Ladder. The popular RTS is going to get a more accurate and transparent rating system. Here are some of the Patch 3.4 changes:

The StarCraft II ranked ladder is one of the most challenging and competitive arenas in the video game world. Many enter, and only a few rise to the top. In order to be the best, you have to be able to track your progress and know how you stack up against the competition. There are two primary goals behind the revamping of the StarCraft II ladder system: increased accuracy and increased transparency. We believe the following changes, coming in Patch 3.4, are steps towards these goals.

KNOWING WHERE YOU STAND

The first major change is displaying your matchmaking rating or MMR. We’re happy to finally bring this value out into the open.

Second, we’re dividing each league into 3 tiers to help you know where you sit within your league. And finally, we’re making the requirements for the Grandmaster league more stringent to ensure only the top players hold these coveted positions.

NEW LADDER TAB

Let’s jump right into the most information-dense tab we’re adding: the new Ladder tab on the score screen. After you complete a ranked match, the Ladder tab will display MMR adjustments for you and your enemy along with a new progress bar that will display how close or far you are towards a promotion. Note that this bar represents your progress within your current tier, and not the entire league. Now you’ll never have to wonder about how each match has affected your position in your league. You’ll also see your current division rank and league tier. 

LEAGUE TIERS AND BANNERS

To make it easier to understand where you sit within a league, we’ve divided each league from Bronze through Masters into three tiers, with Tier 1 being the highest. For example, a player in Silver Tier 1 would be closer to a promotion into Gold than a player in Silver Tier 2 or Tier 3. You’ll see your tier displayed on your league badge, as shown below.

You can view your MMR in the Ladder tab on the score screen, or by navigating to Profile > Ladders > Current Season.

We’ve also refreshed the division banners that you acquire as you rank up through your division. These banners become more ornate the higher you rank in your division, and will now be displayed in your Ladder showcase in Profile > Ladder > Summary.

Pretty snazzy, right?

The new update also includes the Contender Ladder, bonus pool changes and new badges of war visuals.

You can read full patch 3.4 notes on the official blog.