EPTReddit had a Live Q&A with the devs. Here are the big takeaways:
- Contender league is a parallel league that is always open, not just for the promotion window times. Players can be in Master league and Contender league at the same time, so it's more of a preview window of who will get into GM.
- MMR will not be reset (makes sense, no reason for it, only the presentation is changing)
- MMR will be visible on any player's profile in the Division View (e.g., here, in the bottom margin). You will not be able to see other players' MMRs outside of a game without going into their individual profile pages.
- The decision to show MMR outweighed the concern of ladder anxiety, so it cannot be hidden by a toggle in the Options menu, for example. However, it is not overly prominent in order to avoid toxic behavior (that's why you have to do some digging before you can find other players' MMRs).
- League sizes/population distribution will continue to happen on a seasonal basis, as it always has.
- MMRs will still not be comparable across regions (4k on one server may not carry the same meaning as 4k on another).
- The activity requirement for GM league changed from 180 bonus pool to 10 games per 3 weeks to allow pro players to travel without jeopardizing their ranking (plus the really good players could have difficulty spending bonus pool fast enough).
- The ladder revamp affects all expansion levels (WoL, HotS, LotV).
- Divisions were not removed so that the change to a more MMR-focused ladder would be less jarring. Therefore, players who enjoy the division system can still find fun in it.
- Demotions outside of GM will continue to be locked during a season.
- The rating bar that serves as a promotion indicator will warn you that you may be demoted next season if it goes into the negative. Additionally, hovering over the bar shows the exact MMR requirements to reach the next tier.
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June 28th update:
Source
The StarCraft II ranked ladder is one of the most challenging and competitive arenas in the video game world. Many enter, and only a few rise to the top. In order to be the best, you have to be able to track your progress and know how you stack up against the competition. There are two primary goals behind the revamping of the StarCraft II ladder system: increased accuracy and increased transparency. We believe the following changes, coming in Patch 3.4, are steps towards these goals.
Key points:
- New ladder tab and progression system
- New league tiers and icons
- Revised league distribution
- Grandmaster demotions everyday at 5pm local time
- Bonus pool deactivated in GM
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/WQzK1Js.jpg)
David Kim and the Starcraft 2 development team have given us our first look at the new, revamped ranked ladder.
These changes include:
- Fully visibly MMR for both you and your opponent
- Progress bar to show progress towards promotion
- Leagues broken into 3 tiers (new icons shown here)
- Grandmaster League will have daily promotions and demotions
- Various visual updates and improvements
The date of when these changers are to go through has no been given. It was also stated by Blizzard CM Rackle that separate MMR per race will be coming, but after this update.
