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Master League

by Blizzard Entertainment 12 Jan 2011 10:30 UTC
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Master League

Since shortly after the release of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, we've been regularly sharing Top 200 lists to help people keep track of the performance of the best players in their region. With the release of StarCraft II patch 1.2, we're launching a new league designed to give the best players in each region a new arena in which to prove their skill: the Master League. While the existing Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond leagues each encompass 20% of the active players in a region, only the top 2% of players will be promoted into the Master League. In other words, this is a league for the best of the best.

Wondering out it works? Here's a brief Q&A to help answer some of your questions.

Q: Why are you introducing the Master League?
A: The Master League is designed to provide a more competitive arena for the top 2% of StarCraft II players in a region, and to help recognize the talents of the most skilled StarCraft II players. The skill gap between the top and bottom players in the Diamond League is fairly wide, and we wanted to acknowledge that distinction. In addition, the Master League provides us with a natural pool of players for determining placement in the upcoming (and even more exclusive) Grandmaster League.

Q: How do I get into the Master League?
A: Only the top 2% of active players in each region will be elevated to the Master League. Because the Diamond League accounts for 20% of all active players, even the #1 ranked player in your Diamond division may not necessarily be promoted to Master League. Our automated placement system compares your player skill to that of all players in your region by way of matches played, just as we do with the Top 200, to determine eligibility.

Q: Will the Master League start with the launch of the patch?
A: The top 2% of players from the Diamond League (as determined by our system) will be promoted to the Master league starting with patch 1.2. As with all promotions, Master League placement can only occur after winning a match.

Q: I'm in the Master League! What else you got?
A: First, congratulations are in order -- you're really good at StarCraft II! Beyond the Master League, we have plans for a Grandmaster League, encompassing the top 200 players in each region. We'll have more details to share in the future.

Q: Are you ever going to reset the leagues?
A: Yes, and we'll be sure to let you know before we do. Note that we will not reset your skill rating when we reset the leagues, so don't expect to rocket beyond or drop well below where you were before when you're placed after a reset.

It's important to us that the StarCraft II matching system provides fast, fair, and fun competition for everyone, and we'll continue to improve the league and ladder system to provide a great gameplay experience for all of our players. We hope you've been enjoying yourself so far, and we look forward to sharing more of our plans in the future.

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theswarm #696
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theswarm
03/02/2012
nice:)
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Dilemas #828
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Dilemas
11/10/2011
I win about 8 times and loose 3 times, and still in diamond rank 1 :/ :))
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Faelnosh #173
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Faelnosh
11/09/2011
Ipl3 is for pro not for me:))
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Profesor #929
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Profesor
08/05/2011
I dont think il ever reach it but i think there is a 1 in a million chance that i can even get to diamond
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nemevilJ #525
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nemevilJ
21/02/2011
some day...some day
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Chucky #666
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Chucky
20/02/2011
And don't give me the "active" players non sense, cause theses stats are the same since the first month of starcraft 2, I don't call someone who hasn't played for a week, an inactive player... So you could consider everybody who played within the first month ALL active players, and the stats were pretty much the same. Big majority of bronze, that's a design from Blizzard, now they can lie as much they want.
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Celeborn #950
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Celeborn
18/07/2011
@Chucky: You really do not get it, do you? They are separating the leagues to provide fairer competition. It doesn't matter if they are more bronze or silver or platinum players. It was a fact that top diamond were the pros. Now they are in grandmaster so a middle-ranked diamond player doesnt have to face Huk (i really hope you've heard of him) just because they won a lot of games with medium diamonds. And it doesnt matter, really. Bronze players know they really suck. It does not matter if they are 20% or 47%. You really fail at comprehending the ladder system, my friend. And of course the best players care about the top 200. It is not about ego. It is about sponsorships and playing with same caliber players.
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Chucky #666
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Chucky
20/02/2011
See I'm not lying I got the freaking stats right there, 47% of the players almost one million, are bronze players. They want that one million to fee they suck, "look you suck you are at the bottom 20% of the world not 47%, get over it". So they lie, and they say each division is 20%. Ok Blizzard nice strategy, it sounds fun.
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Chucky #666
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Chucky
20/02/2011
"While the existing Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond leagues each encompass 20% of the active players in a region", biggest lie I ever read so far, like there is 20% bronze, 20% silver, 20% gold etc, that's a big fat lie. I looked at stats on some website a while back, there were like twice as many bronze players than silver, twice as many silver than bronze etc, basicly, give or take a bit. Basicly they want to make sure most players are in the bronze league, to feel they suck. I dunno where the hell they got their 20% from...oh well it still tell people they suck "you are at the bottom 20%". And who cares of the top 200, I mean does really some people care ? Ego much?
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Ludoto #256
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Ludoto
07/02/2011
hi people can you tell me is there Master league for 2v2 or only 1v1
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Midway #306
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Midway
04/02/2011
I will never come in that league =( ohwell ^^
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Saurfang #888
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Saurfang
03/02/2011
if leagues going to reset any1 knows when will it happen
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wwslayer #980
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wwslayer
31/01/2011
i am in bronze and i don t get promoted to silver i win more games then i lose but it doesn t promote me now its borring to play 1v1 becouse i know i will not get promoted
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Gonzo #151
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Gonzo
01/02/2011
@wwslayer: @wwslayer: Don't frighten. If you continue to play and win you'll be promoted soon. A way to check if you are probable to get promoted to a higher league is to check which league the players you are matched up against play in. :)
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Kyber #586
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Kyber
01/02/2011
@wwslayer: if you only win games against people in your own league you wont go up. You have to win when it tests you against higher leagues which i think mainly happens when you've won a few games in a row
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Fantafinn #812
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Fantafinn
28/01/2011
i never come in the master leagua
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DarkTemplar #283
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DarkTemplar
30/01/2011
@torhh: i too :(
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Jingster #477
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Jingster
28/01/2011
Lost u know that the points dont matter at all its the secret score that counts u cant see it anywhere u need to just win alot of diamond players and then ur there doesnt matter if ur like 1 or last in ur league!!
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Chucky #666
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Chucky
20/02/2011
@Jingster: ye another useless feature, the ranking within the league that is completly cosmetic... what a joke
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ZeroZergsX #829
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ZeroZergsX
28/01/2011
aaa please change the icon!!! The Master League is a good idea, and I get why u do it. But it needs an immediate much better Icon then that! Right now this icon looks like a low rank command and conquer ranking icon. Forget about the star, be more creative. tnx.
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Lost #788
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Lost
27/01/2011
All the moderations are nice but I still don't see it working. Time after time we beat top diamonds, and i mean top. rank 1 rank 2 etc. Me and my partner are floating at rank 1 in platinum with a 700point lead, the players beneath us never catch us.... they actually get promoted.... we don't! we were in diamond and got demoted for beating rank 1 team, then loosing to the same team, then demoted... we were 11th. now there appears no way back. In my oppinion, they should stop catering to everyone who brags about skill and make the whole thing more fluid, have short seasons after which the best and worst teams in a division get promoted demoted. If you actually allow players to move up and down you will get a true reflection of the ability of those players. It would even be better with more leagues. And as for promotion, It would be nice if battlenet told you when you were close, let you know if this was a must win game, but that's just my opinion.
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Mnescat #124
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Mnescat
28/01/2011
@Lost: Season system blows in so many ways. I don't want the game to force me to be present. I want to play SCII when I can. Even if I can't for a month that should not put be behind. Besides doing that stimulates gaming addiction even more so I doubt blizzard will do that
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Hal
28/01/2011
@Lost: Agree!! You get this problem in higher leagues. I have the same problem in Bronze leagues and despite picking up a ton of new strategy and ideas and ways to win since I started playing 2 months ago... Well, I don't get it. I'm ranked highly in my league and win more games than I loose (which wasn't always the case) but will it promote me? No! Not even to Silver! I'm hundreds of points ahead of my nearest rival in 3v3 but strategy used, units used, game time used, quick wins nothing will elevate me above bronze. Ridiculous :(
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CptNorway #462
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CptNorway
28/01/2011
@Mnescat: "[...]doing that stimulates gaming addiction even more so I doubt Blizzard will do that"

Remember that Blizzard also made this little game called World of Warcraft, which is infamous for being addictive.
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MinCho #766
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MinCho
02/02/2011
@Hal: Don't lie to you self... we can all see your match history... I can see right now you have 12 wins 13 loses... bronze is the eprfect legue for you... so stop crying if you cant win at least 70% of the games in bronze you will get crushed in silver.
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Apie #724
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Apie
27/01/2011
@amhiri - if you walk to you PC you give lots of steps towards the pc without being there. Then you take the last step and you are suddenly at your pc - magically.
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LUXICON #528
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LUXICON
27/01/2011
In a 3 vs 3 we had to play vs ML player, lol!
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KOK
26/01/2011
This master league is in 1v1 only right ?
or in 2v2 - 3v3 and 4v4 too?
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Criddian #240
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Criddian
27/01/2011
@KOK: 1v1 only
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Nosferat #215
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Nosferat
31/01/2011
@KOK: No it's 2v2 3v3 and 4v4 aswell I played with someone that is master in 44
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Tabris #675
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Tabris
26/01/2011
This new master league icon sux seriously, the one of the blizzcon was much better...

http://misc.team-aaa.com/perso_ikse/upcom.jpg

Please put back this version !!!
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Mnescat #124
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Mnescat
28/01/2011
@Tabris: Ever notice how 99% of achievements have a star in it? What's up with that anyway. I don't hate this icon they have right now , but can't say I like it either
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Marius #509
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Marius
26/01/2011
I don't like Blizzards ranking system. I was rank 1 in a lot of hours, won like 20 matches with guys in higher rank then me. I logged in and out, then won 1 match and ranked up. How does your system rank work?
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Gonzo #151
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Gonzo
01/02/2011
@Amhiri: It's VERY hard for us players to know when we are about to be promoted/demoted, but the way I've heard that it works is basically that it takes your performance from your most recent matches (recent can be any number of matches/time really) and based upon how you've performed it will Promote/Demote you (but only if you perform too good or too bad for your league.
The system also matches you up against players from other leagues dependant on your recent performance. So if you see that you are constantly paired off against players from a league higher than yours you can bet on being promoted sooner than later if you continue to perform good.
Sorry for wall of text. :P
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iAMǂLulaLula #688
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iAMǂLulaLula
24/01/2011
@ sebbe, yes u can go also down, if u realy want to be in the lowest division, just lose 30 consecutive games, and u are automaticaly replaced into a lower division
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Invisible #204
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Invisible
24/01/2011
what i hate about this is that most of master league players act like they are on top of the world i dont play alot of 1v1 thats why i m not even in dimond league but i m sure that there is lots of players i can kick thier asses aven if they are in a master lague
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Faith #334
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Faith
27/01/2011
@GodFather: beleive me if you are not even diamond, you cant beat masterleauge players.
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Owl
05/02/2011
@GodFather: I played some master players and trust me, they are Good. Really Good. Or they are just bm cheesers...
Btw you are probably not not in diamond for playing not enough games. I was in diamond before i had 100 wins...
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TheDax #697
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TheDax
23/01/2011
me and my friend have been rank 1 in our leage for over 4 months. when are u gona promote us or reset the leagues. wer over 500 points ahead of rank2
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Aggressive #452
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Aggressive
25/01/2011
@TheDax: when u win half off your vs gold mach ;))
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