Ranked play is coming to Call of Duty: Warzone 2 and Activision has unveiled its full plans for the battle royale's new competitive mode. Ranked play has a controversial history in the Call of Duty franchise, which has traditionally embraced open competition between all skill levels. The popularity and demand of high-level competition in battle royales and Call of Duty: Warzone 2's own community is undeniable, however. It starts in Call of Duty: Warzone 2 with the release of Season 03 Reloaded.
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Season 03 Reloaded of Call of Duty: Warzone 2 will officially begin on May 10 and ranked play isn't the only feature that it will be introducing to both Warzone 2 and Modern Warfare 2. Other additions include the Alboran Hatchery Core Multiplayer map, the third Raid episode, a new experience for DMZ, and two new full-auto sidearms. Also coming to Warzone 2 are new Perk Packages, the Deployable Buy Station, and the Gulag Entry Kit.
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It's Call of Duty: Warzone 2 ranked play that is certain to shake up the battle royale experience the most, though. Players will receive Skill Ratings based on their match performances, with assists, eliminations, and overall rankings playing a major factor. To maintain balance, playing each match will cost a Skill Rating entry fee. Success means a positive SR outcome, while quick elimination will result in a negative. SR will then be represented in transparent Skill Rating rankings.
Like other competitive games, from League of Legends to Apex Legends, Call of Duty: Warzone 2 will feature multiple tiers of Skill Ratings. The lowest level is Bronze, where players can then climb to Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crimson, Iridescent, and even into the Top 250 of SR. These top Warzone 2 competitors will also be displayed on a public leaderboard, so all players can acknowledge the best players in the world.
As for rewards, Call of Duty: Warzone 2's ranked play will have a separate ranking system that grants prizes for progression. Outlasting squads will earn players stars, earning stars earn ranks, and rewards are given every five ranks. Think of it as a sort of new ranked play battle pass. Rewards include charms, emblems, a gun screen, and even a ranked play Operator Skin. Each season will also grant end-of-season rewards for reaching certain kill, assist, and placement milestones, as well as Skill Rank division rewards.
The Season 03 Reloaded launch of Call of Duty: Warzone 2's ranked play is technically a beta. It will be exclusive to Trios queues and hosted on the Al Mazrah map. Once Season 03 ends, and each season after, players get knocked down to a lower SR level and must climb again. As for what's in store for the full launch of ranked play in Season 04, Call of Duty: Warzone 2 players will just have to wait and see.
Call of Duty: Warzone 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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