Ranked play is live in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 multiplayer. And Activision has decided to explain how it works when it comes to Ranked Play matchmaking, which is different from non-ranked, or standard matchmaking.

Ranked Play arrived as part of Season 01, accessible to all players who have achieved 50 total match wins in multiplayer.  

Ranked Play Matchmaking 

While Activision’s Call of Duty team previously shared more details and a technical white paper about how matchmaking works in Call of Duty multiplayer, Ranked Play matchmaking employs some unique mechanisms to take a player’s rank and skill rating into account while searching for the best possible
connection.

Ranked Play considers three major search parameters when matchmaking: A player’s connection quality, search time, and relative skill to the rest of the available player population. When forming Ranked Play matches, Activision purposefully allows for longer search times to improve the match quality.

Competitive Integrity Restrictions

These features comprise all the ways the devs preserve competitive integrity in Ranked Play. Restrictions are placed to ensure a fair and competitive experience for all players. In-game features like loadout restrictions are designed to even the playing field, while matchmaking restrictions help balance lobbies before the game.

Connection – As previously shared, connection is a critical factor in the matchmaking process.

Rank, Skill, Performance – Players can progress through eight ranks. Ranked matchmaking attempts to group players of the same or similar rank. The range of eligible ranks will expand if there are not enough players available to create a high-quality match in the current target range.

Each player’s individual skill rating plays an important role in Ranked Play matchmaking. The team begins its Ranked Play match searches with a small target skill rating disparity between players and expand the range of what is acceptable over time. Matching players of similar skill levels in Ranked Play gives everyone the chance to have an impact in the match.

Time to Match – This factor is to ensure players spend more time playing the game and less time waiting for matches to start. Ranked Play lobbies prioritize competitive integrity, sometimes resulting in longer match search times in order to build lobbies with appropriately matched players.

New to Black Ops 6

The core tenets of Ranked Play remain the same: Play competitive multiplayer matches using the same settings, maps, modes, and weapon restrictions as the Call of Duty League. Black Ops 6 Ranked Play comes with several streamlined features, innovations, and updates:

Cross-Play: For Ranked Play in Black Ops 6, cross-play is active for all players. This allows for the largest
player population possible to maximize matching players with others of similar rank and skill rating. The devs are continuing to gather community feedback, and are working closely across all aspects, including addressing reports of cheating with Ricochet, the anti-cheat technology.

Matchmaking: Ranked Play at Launch

Rank matchmaking will continue to put high skill division rank players in matches appropriate for their skill. As more players reach higher Ranks, we will gradually begin tightening our matchmaking parameters. 

Full Parties of four can now play together in Ranked Play regardless of their individual ranks. However, skill matchmaking will be based on the highest rank player in the party. Party skill restrictions still apply to parties made up of two or three players. 

Updated Rank System

The 1-50 rank and skill division system seen in previous versions of Ranked Play have been combined into a single Rank system. Earn SR and progress through 8 ranks: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crimson, Iridescent, and Top 250. The progressive rank and Victory Stars system seen in previous Ranked Play installments have been removed to streamline the experience and focus on skill.

What is SR?

Skill rating: Progress through Ranks by earning SR by winning Ranked Play matches. SR is awarded after each Ranked Play win and the amount earned is determined by the player’s distance away from their projected Rank, their match performance, and the margin of victory. SR is deducted after losses. SR determines your rank.

Update: Loss Forgiveness: No matter what your rank, each player’s first loss of the day will be forgiven and not deduct SR. This does not stack. Additionally, the three games of loss forgiveness that are granted when you’re promoted to a new rank or at the start of the season now only count down after Losses.

Other New Features

Map and mode veto: Before each ranked match, three map and mode combinations are presented in the lobby and Ranked Play teams, who can independently vote to veto one of the presented options. This gives players some control over what they play in Ranked Play and gives players and teams an opportunity to veto map and mode combinations they might not be as proficient at or otherwise want to avoid. After both teams make their veto pick, the remaining option is selected. If both teams veto the same option, the match’s map/mode will be randomly selected out of the two non-vetoed options.

UPDATE: Seasonal Setback: The end-of-season skill rating setback has been adjusted in Black Ops 6 Ranked Play to reduce the impact felt by players early in their Rank journey. Each new season, your Rank may be reset based on where you ended the previous season, as follows: Bronze or Silver Ranked players are not impacted by the Seasonal setback and will be able to pick up where they ended each Season with no skill rating deduction.

Gold or Platinum players will start the next Season in Tier I of Gold or Platinum respectively.

Diamond and above players will start the next Season at Diamond I.

Ranked Play rewards: Ranked Play features a variety of exclusive rewards players can earn to show off their skill and engagement with the mode, including Rank Skins earned by achieving Gold Rank or higher in a season, rewards earned for reaching certain Career Win milestones, seasonal challenge rewards, and a Top 250 Competitor and #1 overall Champion Skin.

Coming soon: Forfeit: Later this season, vote with your team to end a match early if your team is getting blown out, or you’ve lost a teammate. All teammates must vote for the forfeit for it to pass and end the match. Forfeited matches count as a standard loss and do not result in skill rating penalties or suspensions. When live, Forfeit will be available in the Options Menu at a designated point in each mode:
Hardpoint: Winning Team reaches 100 Points
Control: After 1st  Round
Search & Destroy: After 3rd  Round