The latest Street Fighter game brought some much needed changes to its ranking system. Here’s an in-depth explanation of how the Street Fighter 6 ranks work.
Capcom’s Street Fighter 6 is arguably the biggest fighting game in 2023. The veteran devs took a lot of notes about what to do and what not to do since their last release in the Street Fighter franchise. This time around, to say Street Fighter 6 was a huge success would be an understatement. The developers worked tirelessly to improve upon its predecessor and make necessary changes where needed. With this effort, a revamped online ranking system was introduced. And that is what we are going to discuss in this article! Here’s everything you need to know about how the Street Fighter 6 ranks work.
How Does the Street Fighter 6 Ranks Work?
The Street Fighter 6 ranking system helps to organize players into different leagues, so that they don’t feel too overpowered or outmatched.
In the Battle Hub of the game, players can choose between Casual Matches or Ranked Matches. If they choose to participate in the Ranked Matches, they will be competing at a higher level against other players in the same bracket who are also trying to climb the ranks. The winner of the match will progress in their rank while the loser would not.
There are 8 Leagues in Street Fighter 6:
- Rookie
- Iron
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Platinum
- Diamond
- Master
Each League is further broken down into separate tiers. For instance, let’s say you just entered the Gold League, you will then need to progress through Gold 1 to Gold 5 before entering the Platinum League.
How Are Ranks Decided in Street Fighter 6?
Ranks in Street Fighter 6 are determined by the number of League Points, or LP, you have in the game. Generally speaking, players will gain LP if they win and lose LP if they are beaten. However, that is not the full story! Each League has its own set of rules for players. Here’s a basic summary of it:
- Rookie: Players will gain additional LP if they are on a win streak and won’t lose any LP on defeat.
- Iron – Gold: Players will earn additional LP if they are on a win streak and lose LP if they are beaten. There is no League demotion in this category and it also offers players a One-time Rank-down Protection.
- Platinum – Diamond: There is no win streak bonus here. If a player loses too many matches and LP, they will be demoted to a lower League. Luckily, the One-time Rank-down Protection applies here.
- Master: There is no win streak bonus or League demotion here. Moreover, players will also gain the opportunity to be ranked in the Global Leaderboard of Street Fighter 6 in the Master League.
You can start your journey in the Ranked Matches by first participating in 10 placement matches. After successful completion of the placement matches, you will then be assigned a rank. You will also get to choose a level of difficulty before starting the matches. Depending on your previous experience with fighting games or rank in Street Fighter 5, you can select a difficulty level you are comfortable with.
It is also important to note that the character you use to rank up is the only one who has that specific rank. For example, let’s say you reached the Platinum rank with Ken, but that doesn’t mean you are also Platinum rank with Chun-Li. If you want to rank up with Chun-Li, then you will have to grind it out in the Ranked Matches from the beginning. There are a total of 18 playable characters available in the Street Fighter 6 base game with more characters coming in the future as DLC.
What is the Master League?
Players who are able to reach the highest rank in Street Fighter 6 – Master – can then go on to partake in the Master League. This is a highly competitive league for players who truly want to stand out amongst the best by playing against some of the top players in Street Fighter 6. The Master League also has its own separate point system called Master Rate (or MR). The higher your MR, the higher your standing in SF 6.
How is Street Fighter 6 Ranked Mode Different?
Although Street Fighter 6’s ranked mode may not look too different from other competitive online games, there have been some significant changes made under the surface. The most prominent change comes in the form of the devs encouraging players to keep playing online and ranking up. This is done in a variety of ways, such as there’s a limit to how much players can drop their rank.
Many players slog their way to the top and after reaching a certain rank, they simply stop playing so that they don’t lose their rank or standing. Luckily, Capcom has taken note of this and seems to be trying to fix it. By allowing players to keep fighting for higher ranks without the risk of being completely thrown back to the start, nobody will become too discouraged.
In addition, Capcom has also been trying to make the distribution of LP more fair. For example, if you are going up against a player with a higher rank than you and beat them, then you will be rewarded with a higher LP. On the contrary, if you lose, then you will deplete less LP. Alternatively, if you go up against a lower ranked player, a win will net you a lower LP and a loss will lose you a higher LP. This system is put into place so that every fight feels like it matters!
Final Thoughts
Street Fighter is one of the most iconic gaming franchises in the world. And it is good to see that the newest release has garnered a positive critical reception and plenty of love from the fans. This goes to show that Capcom is doing things right, especially for the competitive scene. 2023 was already a big year for Street Fighter 6 and we are expecting that 2024 is going to be even bigger. For more news, coverage, and features on Street Fighter 6, visit ESTNN!