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01/17/24

Ranked Play in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III

An overview of how Ranked Play seasons work and how to earn Ranked Play rewards

Season 1 Reloaded introduces Ranked Play for Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® III, offering a streamlined online competitive experience for the most skilled and dedicated players.

Ranked Play is available to all players who reach Rank 55. Winning matches is the key to the Rank system, offering more rewards and ranking opportunities for victories. In addition, the Rank system includes Skill Rating (SR)SR ForgivenessDemotion Protection, and other Competitive Integrity Features.

1. How does Ranked Play work?

Ranked Play is the official competitive 4v4 Multiplayer experience for Modern Warfare® III, using the official rules, restrictions, maps, and modes from the Call of Duty League. Whenever the Call of Duty League rules are updated, those changes will also be reflected within Ranked Play rules.

For more information about competitive game settings and restricted items, check out the latest rules for the Call of Duty League.

All unrestricted items – including weapons and attachments – are automatically unlocked within this mode to ensure a level playing field for all players.

All Ranked Play matches will be played on a set list of modes and maps:

 

CDL Hardpoint

  • Invasion
  • Karachi
  • Skidrow
  • Sub Base
  • Terminal

CDL Search & Destroy

  • Highrise
  • Invasion
  • Karachi
  • Skidrow
  • Terminal

CDL Control

  • Highrise
  • Invasion
  • Karachi

2. What is Skill Rating (SR)?

Playing Ranked Play matches grants Skill Rating (SR), which is used to determine where players fall based on one of eight Skill Division milestone achieved:

  • 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

 

Skill Division Tiers

All Skill Divisions except for Iridescent have 3 Tiers: Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III. Climb into higher Tiers as you advance your way through each Skill Division.

 

The Top 250 Leaderboard and Division

The 250 best players with the highest SR above 10,000 will place on the Top 250 Leaderboards. The Top 250 will be active at the beginning of each Season and start to fill as the best players climb above 10,000 SR and qualify for Leaderboard recognition.

To help keep track of your favorite CDL Pros who qualify for the Top 250 Leaderboard, each Pro who reaches the Top 250 Leaderboard will have their CDL team affiliation and player profile displayed on their ranking.

 

Ultimate Bragging Rights

In addition to new Rank and Seasonal Rewards in Modern Warfare III, the #1 Ranked Play player will receive a unique, one-of-a-kind Calling Card and Emblem at the end of each Season.

3. How do you earn Skill Rating (SR) to climb the Skill Divisions?

A player's Skill Rating (SR) is based mainly on the result of every match played: win the match to gain SR, or lose the match and lose SR. Individual performance and your team's overall performance will impact the amount of SR gained or lost each match. More emphasis will be placed on team performance within higher Skill Divisions to ensure all winning playstyles are appropriately rewarded.

Every Skill Division lower than Iridescent has three Tiers to progress through, giving players more milestones to reach as they progress through each Division.

Everyone will start as a Bronze Ranked player, which means you can play at any time and compete with everyone else across Ranked Play, without placement matches. This more straightforward overall experience excludes Ladders and Ladder Points, so you can focus on winning matches and gaining SR.

4. Can I party up with a squad to play Ranked Play matches?

To ensure competitive fairness and balance of matches in higher Skill Divisions, players in certain Divisions can only party up with players around their current SR. The player with the highest Skill Division in the party determines which Party SR Restrictions are used:

  • Iridescent (Including Top 250) & Crimson: Can party with players within 1 Skill Division
  • Diamond: Can party within 2 Skill Divisions
  • Bronze through Platinum: Can party up without any restrictions

5. How do Ranks work?

The Rank represents your cumulative progress in Ranked Play, starting at Rank 1 and going through Rank 50. You will earn a Star for each Ranked Play match win. Keep earning Stars to progress to the next Rank in your journey to Rank 50.

Every five Ranks awards a new symbol that appears in the color of your Skill Division. Unlike Skill Divisions, Ranks do not reset between Ranked Seasons.

Each win also counts toward a Seasonal Win Challenge, which will offer new rewards each Ranked Season.

6. How do Skill Divisions work from season to season?

Your highest Skill Division placement for the Season determines where you start for the next Season:

  • Bronze will start with Bronze Tier I.
  • Silver through Crimson players will start one Skill Division back with Demotion Protection enabled for their first three matches.
  • Iridescent and Top 250 players will start at the Diamond Tier I Skill Division with Demotion Protection enabled for several matches.

7. How do the Competitive Integrity Features work?

Penalties & Suspensions

Players who disconnect or quit matches will receive SR penalties as well as temporary suspensions, with escalating penalties for repeat offenders. 

 

SR Forgiveness

If a matchmade player disconnects or quits in the middle of the match, all team members outside of that player’s party will not lose any SR.

It is still possible to earn SR if players can overcome their disadvantage, but a loss at a numerical disadvantage will not yield SR loss for players outside of the leaving player’s party.

 

Match Cancel

If a player quits or disconnects before the start of a match, the match will be canceled and will not count. The remaining players will be returned to the main menu.

 

Professional Conduct Only

Friendly Fire is enabled in Ranked Play per CDL rules. Repeated Friendly Fire will result in players being kicked from games and receiving penalties and suspensions.

 

Demotion Protection

After advancing to a higher Skill Division, players will be granted temporary Demotion Protection and will not lose any SR within the first three games in the new Division. Following that initial protection, if players were to lose enough SR to be demoted, they will first be dropped to the minimum threshold of their current Skill Division instead of being demoted. Losing their next match will result in all Divisions

Demotion Protection is also applied for the player’s first 3 games of each Ranked Play Season.

 

Party SR Restrictions

To ensure competitive fairness and balance of matches in higher Skill Divisions, players in certain Divisions can only party up with players around their current SR. The player with the highest Skill Division in the party determines which Party SR Restrictions are used: 

  • Iridescent (Including Top 250) & Crimson: Can party with players within 1 Skill Division
  • Diamond: Can party within 2 Skill Divisions
  • Bronze through Platinum: Can party up without any restrictions

8. How do I earn Ranked Play rewards?

Similar to how Skill Divisions are determined, your highest Skill Division placement for the Season determines what rewards you earn:

Winning a Ranked Play match also counts toward two other systems: your Rank and Seasonal Win Rewards.

9. What kind of rewards can I earn?

Modern Warfare III Multiplayer Ranked Play offers a variety of valuable rewards available to players at launch and Season after Season.

Unlocked Rewards can be used in Modern Warfare III and Warzone. Unlock what the mode has to offer to show off your Rank and Skill wherever you play.

 

Ranks and Rank Rewards

Separate from the player’s SR and Skill Division is Rank. Rank persists across Seasons to celebrate the player’s lifetime win total across their Ranked Play career.

All players start at Rank 1 and can progress to Rank 50.

Players increase their Rank by winning matches to earn Stars. Each win grants one (1) Star. Win enough matches and you’ll earn enough Stars to reach the next Rank. 

Every five Ranks players will progress their Rank icon and unlock a set of Rank rewards unique to that milestone along with a Calling Card that represents the player’s achieved Rank:

  • Rank 5: Modern Warfare III "Ranked Competitor" Operator Skin for both the 2024 CDL Male and Female Operators
  • Rank 10: Modern Warfare III Ranked Play Rank 10 Weapon Camo
  • Rank 15: "Iced Out" Animated Emblem
  • Rank 20: "Bomb Squad" Weapon Charm
  • Rank 25: "Lock it Down" Weapon Sticker
  • Rank 30: "Full Stack" Animated Emblem
  • Rank 35: "Never Chalked" Large Weapon Decal
  • Rank 40: "Top Fragger" Weapon Charm
  • Rank 45: Modern Warfare III Ranked Play Rank 45 Weapon Camo
  • Rank 50: Modern Warfare III Veteran Emblem and Operator Skin for use with the CDL Male and Female Operators on both factions

 

End of Season Division Rewards

At the end of each Season, players will be awarded Skill Division rewards that represent their highest attained Division that Season. 

Division Skins

Earn a Skill Division Skin for use with both CDL Male and Female Operators on both Factions to represent your highest Skill Division. Once the Skins from one Skill Division have been unlocked they can be permanently used in following Seasons in Modern Warfare III and Warzone:

  • Gold - Iridescent: Earn the applicable "Gold Competitor", "Platinum Competitor", "Diamond Competitor", "Crimson Competitor", or "Iridescent Competitor" Skin based on your highest Skill Division reached over the course of the Season. 
  • Top 250: Unlock the ‘Top 250 Competitor’ Skin by finishing a Season in the Top 250 Skill Division. Players must be in the Division at the end of the Season to qualify for this reward.

 

Seasonal Division Rewards

Each Ranked Play Season will have a unique set of Division Rewards awarded at the end of the Season to celebrate the player’s highest Skill Division reached that Season.

10. I didn't get a reward I earned though Ranked Play. What should I do?

If you are missing a Ranked Play reward that you earned, please try restarting the game and looking again. If your reward is still not showing up, please reach out to us for assistance.

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