Many moons ago, in September 2015,
Ranked Battles arrived in World of Warships.
For 18 seasons and 13 sprints,
our players have been bravely storming the seas
to attain the much-cherished first rank.
In Update 0.9.12,
the existing Ranked Battles system is set to be injected with fresh energy—
a new variant of these events is going to take the previous one's place.
We hope that the changes we're introducing
will make playing Ranked Battles more comfortable
for players of varying skill levels,
while giving everybody an opportunity to earn valuable rewards.
Apart from that, Ranked Battles will now always be available,
with only small technical breaks between seasons.
Thus, all those who enjoy competitive game modes
will always have the ability to fight for higher ranks.
The updated Ranked Battles are divided into three leagues:
Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
The first rank of each league is irrevocable;
in the Bronze and Silver Leagues
they will also function as a qualification for moving to the next league.
In order to qualify and move to the next league,
you need to earn a certain number of stars at the first rank.
Another new rule is that you can't descend to the previous league
within a single season.
A season consists of sprints that each last from 1–3 weeks.
You can complete only one league in one sprint.
As for the number of sprints,
the first Season of updated Ranked Battles will have six.
You’ll be able play in any league
that you find comfortable for several sprints in a row.
To do this, simply don't enter
the qualification battles for the next league.
Thus, during the first Season of updated Ranked Battles,
you can participate in six sprints of the Bronze League,
five sprints of the Silver League, or four sprints of the Gold League.
It's important to remember that all the rewards are refreshed
and become available again once a new sprint begins.
Don't forget—the higher the league, the more rewards you can earn.
Your position at the end of each sprint has greater significance
in the updated Ranked Battles system.
Let's review some examples to illustrate the details.
If you successfully qualify in the Bronze League when a sprint ends,
you'll start the next sprint in the Silver League.
If you don't manage to qualify in the Bronze League when a sprint ends,
then for the next sprint,
you'll find yourself at the start of the Bronze League again,
and all the league rewards will be available again.
Now let's review the new Ranked Battles system taking the example of a season.
All players begin every season in the Bronze League.
Once you reach the first rank, you need to qualify.
If you successfully qualify, you'll move to the Silver League.
Here, you'll have to climb to the first rank again
and then qualify for the Gold League.
In the Gold League, you'll fight your way up to the first rank once again.
If you reach the first rank of the Gold League,
you'll need to wait for the start of the following sprint
before you can fight for new rewards.
With the end of the last sprint, the Ranked Battles season ends as well.
As soon as the season ends, your progress is totally reset.
In the next season,
all players start at the very beginning of the Bronze League.
It's worth noting that you'll always fight against players
who are in the same league as you.
In other words, a player in the Bronze League
will encounter only other players who are also in the Bronze League.
The only exception is during the qualification.
When fighting to qualify,
a player in the Bronze League will fight against
both players from the Bronze League who are at the qualification stage
and players from the Silver League.
The same concept applies when you're fighting to qualify
for the Gold League when in the Silver League.
Depending on the league and season,
battles will be fought playing ships of different tiers.
Thus, in a single season,
the Bronze League might utilize Tier VIII and IX ships,
while the Silver League utilizes Tier IX and X ships, for example.
At the same time,
when qualifying from the Bronze League to the Silver League,
you'll play against the ship tiers that are allowed in the Silver League.
Battle formats can change from season to season,
just like ship tiers.
Regardless of all the changes,
Ranked Battles still have a strict rule in place
that team rosters should always be mirrored
in terms of ship types and tiers.
Divisions are still forbidden in Ranked Battles.
Apart from that, Ranked Battles won't be available at night.
You can find details about the Ranked Battles in the battle type selection menu
or in special articles on our official website.
Now, let's take a look at the available rewards.
In the new Ranked Battles format,
the Jolly Roger achievement is divided into three—one for each league.
This reward is issued for reaching the first rank in each league.
Moreover, you can emphasize your presence in a league
with the help of expendable camouflages—Bronze, Silver, and Gold.
Other, more typical, rewards for Ranked Battles—
doubloons, Steel, and tokens—
will be issued to players for achieving victories in battles,
reaching the first ranks in sprints, and passing qualifications,
rather than for reaching various other specific ranks.
That's why, even if you play only in the Bronze League,
you'll still receive Steel and doubloons.
Captains!
They offer an arena in which you can truly demonstrate your skills
and enjoy hard-earned rewards for doing so!
Click "Battle!" and conquer new heights in Ranked Battles!