How do ranks work in Overwatch 2 Season 4?

Overwatch 2 players were excited about Season 4, which removes rank decay, but some were surprised after noticing that they de-ranked in the new season anyway. 

Blizzard has removed the seasonal decay in the skill division for Overwatch 2, but the new ranking system changes have players de-ranking still. Some players have also revealed that they laddered up after Season 4 began on April 11, causing confusion among the player base. Now, it has been made clear what exactly has been going on in Overwatch 2. 

Overwatch 2 has let go of its STD (Skill Tier Divisions) ranking system, instead embracing the MMR-based ranking that many FPS games use, which is causing the rank adjustments. Here’s how it works.

Overwatch 2 rank changes explained

Players will no longer experience rank decay in Overwatch 2, meaning their rank will stay the same if they are inactive and return to the game. However, if they ranked up based on the previous STD system, the game would reevaluate their actual skill based on MMR. 

MMR is short for MatchMaking Rating. It’s a hidden number in the form numerical pool which determines where a player places based on their skill. So, those who were ranked outside of their MMR pool will now be classified closer to their MMR to fix matchmaking in Overwatch 2. Conversely, players with a higher MMR and sitting at a lower rank should experience a boost. 

So, if your rank degraded in Season 4, it’s likely because the system thinks you still need to work harder to deserve a higher rank. These changes are aimed at making Overwatch 2 matchmaking fair for all. And no, players aren’t losing ranks because of decay. Season 4 has removed rank decay, as developers mentioned. 

Sometimes, competitive Overwatch 2 can feel unfair as enemies appear highly skilled. The MMR system will fix that, matching players with opponents near their rank ladder, increasing the odds of winning games.