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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s Ranked Play kicks off February 15, and before that, Activision has dropped key details about the system. The new mode comes packaged with the Season 2 update, which brings back the 1v1 Gulag and a new map to its battle-royale half Warzone 2.0. Drawing from the foundations set in Call of Duty: Vanguard, developer Treyarch is teaming up with Infinity Ward, to build out a Ranked Play system that adheres to the rules set by Call of Duty League (CDL). For the uninitiated, this means 4v4 competitive multiplayer matches that are restricted to specific game modes.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play: game modes and maps
While a minimum level of 16 is required for Ranked Play access in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, all weapons and attachments will be automatically unlocked, to ensure that every player is on the same competitive footing. Mirroring the CDL ruleset, matches are divided into three game modes — Hardpoint, Search & Destroy, and Control, which is further subdivided into the following maps:
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
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play: skill divisions and ranks
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will feature eight new skill divisions — Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crimson, Iridescent, and Top 250. Your placement will be calculated based on skill ratings (SR), with everyone being forced to start from the lowest tier. No matter how well you performed in Call of Duty: Vanguard, you’ll be forced to prove yourselves once more, by grinding the ranks and climbing to the division you belong to. Each division is subdivided into three tiers. Starting with Bronze I, players will have to climb onto Bronze II, Bronze III, and then move to the Silver division, and repeat the process. While winning or losing certainly affects how much SR you earn, Activision claims it will tally up your contribution throughout matches to offer a fair output. The only point where this format changes is in the Top 250 tier.
Similar to Overwatch, the Top 250 division houses the best ranked mode players from the entirety of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. At the moment, Activision hasn’t confirmed whether the leaderboards will be separated based on region. If you’re a CDL Pro, your name will be displayed alongside a player profile that mentions your team affiliation and coach — making it easily recognisable.
Of course, one could also squad up with their friends for ranked play without hindrance, as long as they stick to some rules. Bronze through Platinum level players can party up with each other without limitations. Meanwhile, “Diamond and Crimson players can only form parties with and play against other players within two skill divisions,” the blog post notes. Iridescent and Top 250 players can only queue up within/ against one skill division.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Ranked Play: ranks
Ranks are an additional form of levelling system, that serve as bragging rights in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. They range from Rank 1 to Rank 50, denoted by different emblems — starting with a Serpent and ending with a Dragon icon. Advancing through ranks is as simple as winning a competitive match, which grants a Star each, which goes towards levelling up. Since these are solely based on wins, anyone with decent playtime can reach max level 50 — no matter where your Skill Division lies. Each time you surpass five ranks, the game will grant a new set of rewards, ranging from skins, weapon blueprints, calling cards, and other cosmetics.
Additionally, as an end-of-season reward, Call of Duty will dole out custom skins based on the highest Skill Division players achieved. These are only available to players who maxed out at Gold tier and above, while Bronze and Silver rankers get a new emblem.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s Ranked Play begins February 15, across PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.