World of Warcraft is a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game). Initially released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment, this game has a player base that spans across the globe. With millions of players flooding servers each month for adventures and competition, the game’s great success is no surprise. Due to the still-active player base, ranks are also a pillar in the community.
Aside from co-operative gameplay and long adventures, players also fight for those high ranks. This brings forward a highly competitive title for all to enjoy. So whether you are a player searching for top status, great rewards, or to conquer all, we have information on the entire ranking system. From how the seasonal and weekly ranks work, to the games’ fascinating esports scene, we have all the information a player will need.
This game’s specific story takes place in the Warcraft universe, the sequel game of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Similar to other MMORPGs, WoW lets players create a character avatar and explore an open-game world in first and third-person view. There are many different quests that grant rewards and offer various monsters that players can battle with.
It holds the largest player base amongst other titles in the MMORPG genre. In 2017, it reached 46 million monthly active users thanks to the Legion expansion. As of 2022, around 4.8 million people subscribed to the game. Interestingly, there are at least 34,000 WoW active players at any given moment, which is an impressive WoW player count. Activision and Blizzard Entertainment have made around $9 billion in net revenue in 2021.
WoW has a unique ranking system called “The World of Warcraft Classic Honour System”. It allows players to earn PvP ranks, and unlock titles and gear at each rank.
These are calculated based on weekly PvP contributions. When players participate in PvP content and events, they will earn a specific WoW measure, Honorable Kills. Honourable Kills are usually won when a player takes down opponents from the opposing side. However, the player that had been taken down has to be in an 11-level radius, otherwise, the kill will not be counted as HK. Players will not be awarded the same amount of HK every time since there are deeper metrics to it. Each HK contains a certain amount of Honour Contribution Points.
Honor Contribution Points are measured by a player’s PvP experience in terms of length, and also the opposing player’s CPs. For example, if a player takes down another who has plenty of PvP experience, the player will earn more points. Furthermore, both HKs and CPs can be seen anytime in-game. However, these get erased each week due to the format. Players’ CPs that were earned throughout the week are the key part of ranking the individual on the Weekly Rankings leaderboard. Let’s take a deeper look into the weekly ranking leaderboard.
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As mentioned above, World of Warcraft ranking system generates results on a week-by-week basis. Final placements are then rewarded to players based on their performance. Players’ HKs, and also the HKs that have been gained in the previous week will decide their rank for the week. WoW ranking system resets every week and players can gain a fresh start. The Classic Honour System measures your rank compared to the other players on a server and also previous standings.
In order to improve in the Classic Honor System, a player must try to attain a better standing each week. This pushes a player to outperform their previous weeks performance, as this can grant higher rank. WoW ranks are divided into 14 per faction and players get rewarded based on their specific rank. You can find the chart of World of Warcraft ranks below.
| Rank | Rating Required | Alliance Title | Horde Title |
| 1 | 0 | Private | Scout |
| 2 | 2000 | Corporal | Grunt |
| 3 | 5000 | Sergeant | Sergeant |
| 4 | 10000 | Master Sergeant | Senior Sergeant |
| 5 | 15000 | Sergeant Major | First Sergeant |
| 6 | 20000 | Knight | Stone Guard |
| 7 | 25000 | Knight Lieutenant | Blood Guard |
| 8 | 30000 | Knight Captain | Legionnaire |
| 9 | 35000 | Knight Champion | Centurion |
| 10 | 40000 | Lieutenant Commander | Champion |
| 11 | 45000 | Commander | Lieutenant General |
| 12 | 50000 | Marshal | General |
| 13 | 55000 | Field Marshal | Warlord |
| 14 | 60000 | Grand Marshal | High Warlord |
World of Warcraft Arena is the pinnacle of Player vs. Player combat in this massive MMORPG. This is where gladiators are made and songs of heroes and legends are sung. This game mode boasts an unmatched PvP challenge where only the best of the best can enter.
We’ll break this down to give you a better idea of what the Arena is and what you can expect to see there.
By participating in the Arena, players accumulate weekly Arena points and increase or decrease their overall rating, depending on their performance.
The game will adjust your individual personal rating ( the current overall rating you have ) and your matchmaking rating (MMR). That means the more you win, the higher your rating goes. MMR makes it so that players with high skill will always be matched against players of equal skill, keeping the playing field fair and competitive.
The highest rank in the game is the Gladiator rank. To reach this point, you must secure a 2400+ rating in Arena by the end of the season. Those who pull off this amazing feat will be awarded with a unique mount and a special title, as well as the bragging rights that come along with them.
WoW Arena features several brackets, offering unique challenges for you and your team. There’s three brackets in total:
The 2v2 and 3v3 brackets are the most popular brackets in the game. This is where the real pros dwell and hone their skills day by day.
The 2v2 one is slightly easier as your team has to deal with one less opponent, while simultaneously relieving you of the stress of communicating your strategies with a third party member.
@ Blizzard
However, 3v3 is where the real glory is. The AWC tournament is based on this bracket for a good reason, because it provides the best overall balance. Thus, many players consider this bracket the only legitimate bracket when it comes to final rating at the end of each season.
WoW Classic players still get to enjoy the 5v5 bracket – of course, when they’re not playing WoW Classic Hardcore. This bracket has been removed from the retail version of the game and is no longer accessible there. However, those looking to brawl it out in a 5v5 deathmatch can still do so on the Wrath of the Lich King classic servers.
Finally, the long-awaited Solo Shuffle had been added during the Shadowlands expansion and has been an overwhelming success. It allows solo players to queue for the arena and still receive PvP rewards and rank on the leaderboards without having to find a dedicated Arena team. If you’re a lone wolf type, this bracket will be for you.
While Arena focuses on individual skill in an unforgiving deathmatch setting, Rated Battlegrounds rely on securing objectives and constant teamwork.
Battlegrounds, both rated and regular ones, offer a much more relaxed playstyle without the high stakes of Arena combat. Players can still experience the good ol’ WoW PvP, while keeping things a bit more casual.
World of Warcraft Battlegrounds are incredibly fun and randomly rotate between several unique maps, keeping things fresh and exciting. If you’re new to WoW and looking to dip your toes into some PvP action, Battlegrounds should be your first stop.
Despite being one of the best MMORPG games, Blizzard has produced an entertaining esports scene for WoW. From its esports inception, the company in under two decades has distributed millions of dollars for top teams. WoW Arena World Championship (AWC) awards a large prize pool each year, with the best players in the game taking away the majority of it.
Players around the world can compete for a place in AWC. Firstly, players must compete in Arena cups which pits teams in the same region against each other. Matches are played in a 3v3 format and cups can be found in Gamebattles website. The games are being streamed on the official Warcraft YouTube channel with weekly prizes both in Europe and North America. Additionally, it is always advisable to watch players slug it out on Twitch’s WoW page.
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