Many of you are probably curious about the mysterious SR, or skill rating. Your competitive rank online is determined by a number of factors. Some of these factors are made public while others are not. Hmm a little fishy right?
Your online game play begins with placement matches. Think of these like placement tests. I know, most of us hate tests too. Once you finish the set of matches, you will be placed in a group based on your skill level. This ensures the matches are generally fair. Additionally, it keeps the matches fun for players because they aren't getting completely dominated.
The qualifiers
What are the exact qualifiers for each skill level? Look below to understand more:
- Bronze players - These players have an SR from 1 to 1,499
- Silver players - These players have an SR from 1,500 to 1,999
- Gold players - These players have an SR from 2,000 to 2,499
- Platinum players - These players have an SR from 2,500 to 2,999
- Diamond players - These players have an SR from 3,000 to 3,499
- Masters players - These players have an SR from 3,500 to 3,999
- Grandmaster players - These players have an SR above 4,000
"Overwatch" obviously encourages successful play by increasing your SR. This keeps you coming back to matches and creates the addictive game we love. However, most gamers don't realize poor playing will hurt you.
Losing a game will cause you to lose SR. This places more importance on teamwork as well as your individual efforts. Players will gain and lose SR based on performance.
The amount of SR won and lost is determined by a number of factors. The amount of time you spend 'on fire' does not actually affect your SR . "Overwatch's" principal designer Scott Mercer gave Kotaku this statement : "There is some amount of correlation between the two systems, but no direct link.
We can make changes to one without affecting the other."
How to increase my SR?
Being successful in "Overwatch" will help you. Specifically, it will increase your SR gain. Being on fire is a reflection of this successful play. The best way to increase your SR is by getting consistent wins. Again, this encourages a mix between individual skill and teamwork.
"Overwatch" developers want players to feel happy and motivated during play. To keep this atmosphere, Blizzard ranks players lower than they were in previous seasons. This ensures a more exciting and fair game play.
Fortunately, losing streaks will not add up and hurt your SR. Blizzard understands it's not your fault if placed on a weaker team. This marks a sharp contrast from the past.
