Update: We misspoke earlier on how you calculate your multiplier. We were off by 1!
Update 2: Looks like your MMR can increase your star bonus. (Source)
Hearthstone's ranked play is getting a huge overhaul! Originally announced with the Year of the Phoenix information almost two weeks ago, the changes are going live with start of the April 2020 season. Here is everything you need to know.
Hearthstone's Ranked League System
No longer do we have only a numerical place on the ladder, but we've now got individual leagues much like other titles.
- There are 5 leagues - Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond.
- Everyone will start in Bronze at the beginning of each season.
- Each league has 10 individual ranks from 10 - 1. Each rank requires 3 stars to move through.
- The Legend rank has not changed and is the progression after Diamond 1.
- New players have their own league that spans 40 ranks.
A feature that still remains from the previous ranked system is the introduction of ranked floors. These are ranks at which once hit, you cannot decrease from during that month.
- Ranks 10 and 5 within each named league are your floors.
- Rank 10 is your "promotional rank floor". Congratulations, you made it.
- Rank 5 is your "non-promotional rank floor" - you still have work to do.
- You cannot get knocked out of Legend once you get there.
Unlike previous iterations of Hearthstone's Ranked System, everyone's matches are now decided based on a matchmaking rating (MMR). Prior to the April ranked changes, your opponents were chosen by what rank you were on the ladder with no prior experience taken into account.
- This allows them to reset everyone back down to Bronze 10 each season yet everyone still plays with opponents at their previous skill level.
- With MMR-based games, things get fairer everywhere on the ladder.
- Good luck sitting at Bronze 10 Legend players while you grind newbies for portraits - it won't be happening.
Here is an image with all the new ranks laid out.
The Ranked Stars Explained
Another part of the system is the ranked star bonuses, which have been updated and now use a multiplier to get you back up to your rank from the previous season.
- Each season your rank starts at Bronze 10.
- When a new ranked season starts, you earn a star multiplier based on your previous rank.
- The maximum star multiplier you can earn is 11. That comes from reaching Legend.
- When you reach a ranked floor (10 or 5) your star multiplier decreases by 1, slowing down your progression.
- Your multiplier will be gone by the time you reach your previous season's rank.
- You cannot lose your multiplier by losing games.
In the previous ranked system, going on a win streak rewarded you with a bonus star. This remains a feature of the new system and helps push you up to the top even more. If you went on a win streak and had a multiplier of 10, you'd be gaining 20 stars! Each rank has 3 stars so you would jump up 6 ranks thanks to that streak and multiplier.
There is an easy way to figure out what your base multiplier for the next season is. Simply add up the number of ranked floors you hit and subtract 1 (it can't go below 1). You may also gain additional multiplier based on your previous MMR. If you're Silver 5, you've hit 4 ranked floors which would give you a star multiplier of 3. Legend players will receive a star multiplier of 10, unless you are "high legend" which gives you a multiplier of 11. If you get close to a ranked floor, you should do your best to hit it to speed up your progression in the next season.
Better Rewards Than Ever Before
Of course, it wouldn't be a proper overhaul without also focusing on the rewards. We've got your usual end-of-season rewards but also, first-time bonuses each time you hit a ranked floor!
- As soon as you hit 5 wins each season, you will now receive your monthly card back reward - no more waiting!
- The first-time bonuses reward classic cards and packs to help new players.
- End of season rewards that reward packs give you packs for the latest expansion.
- End of season rewards are additive. Hitting a rank floor gives you those rewards and the ones before it!
- Since this is a new system, everyone can earn the first-time rewards!
Hearthstone Ranked End of Season Rewards
Here is a table that shows you exactly what you will receive at the end of the season based on your rank.
| Rank Floor | Latest Expansion Packs | Rare Cards | Epic Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Silver 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Silver 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Gold 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Gold 5 | 2 | 5 | 0 |
| Platinum 10 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Platinum 5 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| Diamond 10 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| Diamond 5 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
| Legend | 5 | 7 | 1 |
Hearthstone Ranked First Time Rewards
Here's a table showcasing the first-time rewards, also seen above.
| Rank Floor | Reward |
|---|---|
| Bronze 5 | 1 Classic Pack |
| Silver 10 | 4 Random Classic Rare Cards |
| Silver 5 | 1 Classic Pack |
| Gold 10 | 4 Random Classic Rare Cards |
| Gold 5 | 1 Classic Pack |
| Platinum 10 | 1 Random Classic Epic Card |
| Platinum 5 | 1 Classic Pack |
| Diamond 10 | 1 Random Classic Epic Card |
| Diamond 5 | 1 Classic Pack |
| Legend | 1 Random Classic Legendary Card |
Closing Thoughts
The new ranked system is a welcome change to Hearthstone. The reward changes mean that higher ranked players are getting more rewards than ever which makes shooting for higher ranks a good goal for all players. Although it may feel weird getting reset each month to Bronze 10, it incentives playing so that you don't have to regrind the entire ranked ladder because you decided to not play for a month.
Comments
So yeah, the duplicate protection rule also applies to ranked rewards
Also, doubling your star bonus with a winstreak is B I G N U T
I got 8 bonus stars but previous season i was at rank 17, thats weird
This is probably due to your MMR it also affects the bonus stars..
Reached rank 3 last season got 10 bonus stars. Played 18 matches to get to Platinum 10.
I got in on the new ladder action a little early playing on EU. Id' been so long since I played on that account that I also got to do the revamped returning player experience and choose a free deck. It was a really good experience to be honest.
So freakin' ready for this change to ladder and rewards system.
Wish they gave out more epics than rares (for example, 4 less rares, +1 epic). With the duplicate system, it'll be easier complete all the rares but much harder to complete the epics.
Just a few questions on how the MMR works;
- from the article, does that mean that currently the MMR is not yet active, so if I start ranking up around 5 days from now, will I be expected to play against genuine newbies (genuine bronze players) rather than diamond players (my rank)?
- from May onwards, assuming I reach diamond on April, will I expect to face diamond players exclusively regardless of my current rank?
- if point 2 is correct, and I only start ranking up 10-20 days later in May (when everyone else have presumably got to their proper, respective ranks) I would actually be facing someone currently in the diamond rank even as my own current rank remain at bronze.
from what I see they don't show the ranks of your opponents anymore, and while you still have bonus stars active you might as well be playing players at legend rank while being bronze 10, so this answers your 3rd point as well, because you can't see your opponent's rank it won't look weird when you're playing high ranked players
mmr has always been calculated but only used when determining your place in legend once you got there(someone correct me here if I'm forgetting something)
Is it me or aren't you able to see your opponent's rank anymore when playing?
yes, I think it's deliberate so that it won't look weird when you're bronze 10 but playing people at legend for example
Same here
Thanks Flux for the great breakdown on all the new season ranked system and rewards. Much appreciated!
syched to play new ranked mode. Immediatly que into big priest with reno warlock. second match is vs a secret mage. suffice to say my experience in the new ranked mode is done.
What exactly were you expecting to see instead of ranked decks in the ranked mode
ranked decks that arent obnoxious. lol u do realize that some decks are just utterly obnoxious. big priest is like tier 3 or 4 but i wouldnt wont to face it no matter what my deck was and how easily it could beat it, same for secret mage. playing green cards isnt skill and when it translates as tier 1 decks its ultimately demoralizing as its the case with the secret mage
I don’t care for some decks, but I can still realize that other people do find them fun
Farewell, monthly golden epics, your dust contribution was never in vain ; RIP
Considering you can now earn up to 5 packs, 7 rares, and 1 epic each season if you reach legend, I think you'll more than make up the dust from a few golden rares if you can even get to Gold 5, which is a the halfway point to Legend.
They're not golden now.
so?
1 pack is on average 40 dust, times 5 that gives you 200 dust already with potential for more
7 rares are worth 20 dust each - 140 dust
1 epic is 100 dust
this is already more than 400 dust a golden epic would give you