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Hearthstone's Ranked Play system is getting a tweak, but it's for a good reason

Time to show your skills

Hearthstone's Ranked Play system is getting a tweak, but it's for a good reason

If you haven't heard of it already Hearthstone will soon be changing its Ranked Play system. Don't worry though, it's a good thing.

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It may sound a bit daunting, but this update affects players of all ranks. As Hearthstone's Game Director, Ben Brode, mentions in the Designer Insights video above, regardless of what part of the ladder you end a season on each month, beginning a new season can have its problems.

For those higher up on the ladder it can feel like too much of a grind to get back to where they were, and for those lower on the ladder it can feel like there's not enough progression overall.

Starting in March, all players will be reset four ranks back - i.e. if you're at Rank 15, you'll be set back to Rank 19, and so on. If you progress more than four ranks you'll start the next season higher than your last one, so do keep up the fight through February.

Each rank has five stars, meaning that progressing through each rank is the same regardless of where you are on the ladder. You'll also have to win five games instead of reaching Rank 20 to get your monthly card back.

Our Hearthstone expert, Matt Thrower, thought it an excellent move, saying "This is great news. It turns the ladder from an endurance test into one of skill, and is far more friendly to casual players than most folk expected."

It's also possible that with this change will come a few card tweaks, but we'll have to see when more information is available.

Emily Sowden
Emily Sowden
Emily is Pocket Gamer's News Editor and writes about all kinds of game-related things. She needs coffee to function and begrudgingly loves her Switch more than she lets on.