WoWS ST 0.9.11, Ranked Battles Overhaul

Please note that all information in the development blog is preliminary and subject to change during testing. Any showcased features may or may not end up on the main server.

In the near future, a new Ranked Battles system will be tested.

The main features of the new system:

• Ranked Seasons succeed each other almost immediately, only with short breaks to separate them.
• Each Season is split into Sprints, each 1-3 weeks long.
• In one Sprint, you can progress through one of the three Leagues and, upon reaching rank 1 and passing qualification, advance to the next League.
• Rewards are given for a certain number of victories in the League, for reaching the first rank, and for passing qualification.
• To ensure quality matchmaking, Ranked Battles are not available during periods of low activity.

Progression System: Leagues and Sprints

• The mechanics of ranks and stars remain unchanged.
• Each Season has three Leagues: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Each league will start you at your initial rank (for example, tenth), and have you fight to reach rank 1 for that league.
• You can complete the League in one Sprint (one part of the Season, lasting 1-3 weeks). There are always no fewer Sprints than Leagues.
• Upon reaching the first rank, qualification begins: to move to the next League, you need to get a certain number of stars. During qualification, you cannot drop to previous ranks.
• If you’ve not reached the qualification or have not passed it, by the time a Sprint ends, then you’ll start the next Sprint from the initial rank of the same League where you left off.
• If the qualification is successfully completed, then you’ll start the next Sprint from the initial rank of the next League.
• During a Season, you cannot drop to the previous league.
• Rewards are given for a certain number of victories in the League, for reaching the first rank, and for passing qualification.

Seasons and format

• Ranked Battles are ongoing – there are only small technical breaks between Seasons.
• In different Leagues, battles can take place on ships of different Tiers, and not necessarily only on one. For example, in the Bronze League, battles can take place at Tier VIII, and at Tiers VIII – IX in the Silver League. The format may change from Season to Season.
• The teams will always be strictly mirrored in ship types and Tiers.
• Divisions still cannot participate In Ranked Battles.
• To ensure quality matchmaking, Ranked Battles are not available during periods of low activity.

Other

• After qualifying or getting the first rank in the Gold League, you cannot participate in Ranked Battles until the start of the next Sprint.
• If you receive the first rank in the Gold League, then you’ll start the next Sprint of the same Season at the initial rank of the Gold League but with newly available rewards.
• Until you reach the first rank, you only play against other players in the same League. During the qualification, you’ll be fighting against those who are passing the same qualification, as well as commanders from the higher League.
• Seasons do not inherit progress from previous ranked Seasons and do not affect the next.
• Removed flags of Leagues giving economic bonuses. Due to the new system of Ranked Battles, these flags would remain with the players almost indefinitely and would have a significant impact on the economy.
• Ranked Battles emblems remain unchanged. Each star received for the first time in the Season is considered unique. In the event of a repeated passage of a League in the same Season, the stars will not be taken into account for the progress of the emblem.
• The Jolly Roger achievement will be split into three, one for each League. They are awarded for reaching the first rank in the respective leagues once per Season.

• A commemorative flag is awarded for reaching the first rank in the Bronze League at least once a season.
• Added three new camouflages: “Bronze”, “Silver”, and “Gold”, given out as rewards in their respective Leagues.

• The interface of Ranked Battles and statistics in the player profile have been updated.
• Unusual modes such as 1 vs 1 or 3 vs 3 will become part of the updated Clan Brawl, which will be playable without the need to be a clan member.

These changes to Ranked Battles will provide a near-constant source of action with additional progress.

The first Season of the updated Ranked Battles would begin in version 0.9.11. Season details will be published closer to the release of the update.