Modern Warfare 2 Ranked play details revealed: Map roster, divisions, penalties, and more

The upcoming Season 2 patch of Modern Warfare 2 will finally introduce the highly-anticipated Ranked mode to the title playlist. With the current lack of new content in Modern Warfare 2, a lot of the community has been waiting for the new mode. Previously, in-depth information about this mode was relatively scarce, as developers have been tight-lipped on the details.

However, a recent announcement on the official Call of Duty blog has finally revealed more detailed information on Ranked Play of Modern Warfare 2.

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Developers release more details on Modern Warfare 2 Ranked

Treyarch has developed the Ranked mode in Modern Warfare 2 in partnership with Infinity Ward and Call of Duty League.

The overall details of this mode have been indexed below.

Basics

The Ranked Mode in Modern Warfare 2 will feature 4v4 competitive matches using the rules, restrictions, maps, and modes used in the Call of Duty League. Not only that, but developers have also announced that the rules and regulations of this mode will get updated based on the changes made in Call of Duty League.

Ranked play will add a new level of competitiveness in Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer (Image vis Activision)

Each player must reach level 16 to qualify for Ranked matches. Once this level is reached, players will have unrestricted access to all the items, including weapons and attachments within this mode. This feature will ensure that all players can compete on equal footing in this competitive mode.

Based on the blog post, the game modes for the Ranked play, along with their respective maps, are as follows:

Hardpoint

• Al Bagra Fortress
• Breenbergh Hotel
• Embassy
• Mercado Las Almas
• Zarqwa Hydroelectric

Search & Destroy

• Al Bagra Fortress
• Breenbergh Hotel
• El Asilo
• Embassy
• Mercado Las Almas

Control

• Al Bagra Fortress
• Breenbergh Hotel
• El Asilo

Playing and winning Ranked matches will grant players a Skill Rating (SR), which will ultimately determine what Skill Division a player will get placed in.

The skill divisions of Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play are as follows:

• Bronze – 0-899 SR
• Silver – 900-2,099 SR
• Gold – 2,100-3,599 SR
• Platinum – 3,600-5,399 SR
• Diamond – 5,400-7,499 SR
• Crimson – 7,500-9,999 SR
• Iridescent – 10,000 SR minimum
• Top 250 – 10,000+ SR (see below)

Skill divisions of Modern Warfare 2 Ranked mode (Image via Activision)

Winning a Ranked Match will allow players to gain more SR while losing a match will cause the SR count to fall. The operator's performance and the team's overall performance will determine the amount of SR gained or lost by the players.

Before the Iridescent Division, each of the other divisions will have its own three sub-tiers, which the players will have to climb through to get to the next skill division.

To qualify for the top 250 leaderboards, players will have to earn at least 10,000 SR; the player ranking will depend on the SR earned beyond that.

Each player will start in the Bronze division and can squad up to three other players according to the restrictions placed against each division.

• Bronze through Platinum division players can party up with no restriction.
• Diamond and Crimson division players will only be able to party and play against players within two skill divisions.
• In the case of Iridescent and the top 250 players, they will only be able to party up and play against players within one skill division.

The rewards at the end of each season of ranked play will depend on the highest division reached by a player.

There are two other systems that players have to keep in mind: Rank and Seasonal Win Rewards.

Rank symbols in Modern Warfare 2 (Image via Activision)

Rank represents the cumulative progress in Ranked play, starting from Rank 1 and ending at Rank 50. Winning a ranked match will also reward players with a star. Earning enough stars will allow players to climb through the ranks to reach the final Rank 50. Climbing through 5 Ranks will reward players with a symbol that will appear in the colors of the Skill division.

However, unlike the Skill Division, Ranks will not reset at the end of each Ranked season. Each ranked match win will count towards a Seasonal Win Challenge that will offer various rewards at the end of each Ranked season.

In layperson's terms, no matter which division a player is in, they will still be rewarded for winning ranked matches.

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Penaties for bad sportsmanship

Bad sportsmanship will severely penalize players in Ranked mode (Image via Activision)

To ensure a fair playing environment, developers have added severe penalties for players who disconnect at the beginning or middle of a match. First and foremost, a match will not start if both teams have an uneven count of players. If one disconnects or quits before the start of a match, then all the players will get returned to the lobby, and the match will not count.

If a player quits in the middle of a match, then SR Forgiveness will come into play, and all players outside the quitting player's party members will not lose any SR. In a 3v4 scenario, if a team with fewer players can still win the match despite the disadvantages, then they will still be rewarded with a proper amount of SR.

Repeated offenders who quit their matches, disconnect, remain idle, or commit too many friendly fires will be punished even more severely.

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A brand new feature called Demotion Protection has also been added. Players who climb up to a new division will not lose any SR in the first three matches. However, beyond this initial protection, if a player loses enough SR to risk relegation, they must win two matches, or they will be demoted to the lower division.

Demotion protection will also apply in the first three matches of every new season of ranked play.

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Developers have also added many rewards to incentivize players to improve their games. Climbing through the divisions and ranks will give players better rewards for slugging against other skilled players.

The Season 2 of Modern Warfare 2 will add tons more content in addition to the Ranked mode. With the arrival of new maps, weapons, and other exciting items, the upcoming season, which starts on February 15, is something that many players are looking forward to,