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Ladder Index | Ladder Rules | Ladder F.A.Q. | Ladder Charts


How do I play a Ladder Game?
Playing a ladder game as an individual is as simple as selecting the Play Game button at the top of the Battle.net interface. You can now choose your race, choose the game type you wish to play, and browse the maps eligible for use with the game type. Once you are ready to begin the game, select Play Game. Battle.net will then automatically match you up with another player of similar skill.

Battle.net records the results of the match, and as you win games you gain experience points and levels. Losing games results in a loss of experience points (XP) and the possible loss of a level. The top 1000 players are then ranked by their total XP gained.

There are also ladders that track the best performing teams on Battle.net. All games played through the Arranged Teams button are also ladder games. Each of your unique teams gains experience and is ranked as a separate entity.

What games are ranked, what games are not ranked?
The results of all games of Warcraft III that use the Anonymous Matchmaking (AMM) service of Battle.net are recorded, and apply to one of several possible ladders. The exception to this is any game that uses the Small Free for All game type.

The results of Custom Games are not recorded by Battle.net, and do not reflect on your wins, losses, experience, or levels.

What ladders are supported?
Individual players can be ranked on one of two ladders, the One vs. One ladder or the Random Team ladder. The One vs. One ladder rates players' success with the One vs. One game type, and the Random Team ladder tracks players who join either Two vs. Two, Three vs. Three, or Four vs. Four games as an individual.

There are also ladders that rank how well teams perform. There are separate team ladders for Two vs. Two, Three vs. Three, and Four vs. Four games.

Players can view the current standings for every ladder on their realm by selecting the Ladder Info button on the main Battle.net screen. This information is also viewable on the web at http://www.battle.net/war3/ladder/

Is ladder rank based on experience only?
Yes. Only experience is used to determine a player's rank within a ladder.

What are the numbers by people's name?
The number to the left of a player's name indicates that player's highest level. Each player has two levels, one from One vs. One play and another from Random Team play.

Every player of Warcraft III starts as a level 1 player. As players win games of Warcraft III they gain XP, and if the player has obtained enough XP they gain a new level. Each successive level requires more XP to obtain. Players can see how much XP they have earned, and the amount of experience required to gain a new level by examining their player profile.

When Battle.net matches players or teams together into games, it attempts to match participants of similar level together. The levels of the participants also determine the amount of XP gained from a win or lost from a loss. Higher level players gain less XP from winning games against lower level players, while the lower level players lose less XP if they lose a game.

For more specific information about levels, experience, and the ladder system the official Ladder Rules are located here.

What is the purpose of the Thumbs Up/Down system?
The Thumbs Up/Down system gives players some, but not complete, control of the maps used during Automated Matchmaking play. The system also allows us to monitor which maps are popular and unpopular amongst the Battle.net community. This information will assist us when we modify the list of maps available for each game type.

I have selected Thumbs Down on a map but I still get in games on that map? Why is it being served?
The "thumbs up"/"thumbs down" toggles inform Battle.net which maps in the list you would prefer to use. After Battle.net matches players together into a game, Battle.net checks the map preferences for each player or team. The chances of a map being used are directly influenced by each player's list of preferred maps, with maps being preferred by more than one player having a greatly increased chance of being used. Maps that are marked as "thumbs down" by all players will no longer be chosen, but if each player marks every map as "thumbs down" Battle.net will choose a map randomly.

Will there be a Clan Ladder?
The initial release of Warcraft III on Battle.net does not have support for a Clan Ladder, but additional support for clans including a ladder might be added at a later date.

Will there be a FFA ladder?
The initial release of Warcraft III on Battle.net does not have support for a FFA Ladder, but additional ladders might be added at a later date if Free for All games prove to be popular.

Are there seasons in the Warcraft III ladder such as StarCraft?
There are no seasons for the Warcraft III ladder like the three month long seasons that existed for Starcraft, as we do not plan to reset the ladder. Players can continue to play Warcraft III and attempt to improve their rating for as long as they wish.

If there are no seasons what is the goal of the Ladder?
Players compete in the ladder to be ranked number 1 and to level up to level 50.

What happens when we are level 50? What will there be to do?
There will be additional ladder rules to accommodate level 50 players. Reaching level 50 is definitely not "The End". Level 50 players will still compete to see who is the top ranked player, and we might have some further surprises awaiting those who reach level 50.

Are there plans to host tournaments as you did for StarCraft and the Betas?
We are interested in hosting tournaments for top ladder players but we do not have any information at this time. Please visit our web site or the ladder site for any news about a Warcraft III tournament.

Will there be prizes for the Ladder?
There are currently no prizes planned for winning the Warcraft III ladder, as the ladder continues indefinitely without a true "winner".

Will you guys take feedback regarding modifying the ladder system into consideration?
The ladder system will continue to evolve over time. Along with monitoring our own Battle.net forums, we often browse other opinions from Warcraft III players on community websites. We are committed to making sure the Warcraft III ladder is the best it can be, and that means listening to the concerns of our players.

What are you going to do to people who are caught cheating?
Cheating is a violation of the Terms of Use for Battle.net, and will not be tolerated. Users found cheating risk having their accounts terminated at Blizzard Entertainment's discretion.

If we suspect a player is cheating or map hacking what can we do? How can we report them?
If you suspect a player is abusing the ladder, report the realm, player, and the abuse here. Report suspected instances of hacks to hacks@blizzard.com.

How can I check my FFA wins?
As of Patch 1.03, your player profile will now display your FFA record including wins, losses, level, and XP.

Can you exit from a newly created ladder game within a short period of time if it is laggy without a loss?
No. There is no grace period at the beginning of a game as existed in Starcraft. The integrity of the Warcraft III ladders relies on the anonymous nature of Battle.net's matchmaking service. Allowing users to determine whom they are playing and then leave a game based on this knowledge without penalty could compromise the ladder.

Will arranged teams ever include 5 vs. 5 or 6 vs. 6? If not, why?
We currently have no plans for a 5 vs. 5 or 6 vs. 6 ladder for Warcraft III. If in the future this style of play proves popular, new ladders could be added to support these large games.

Will the #1 players on the ladder receive a special icon?
A top ladder player currently does not receive a special icon. This is a feature being discussed as a future addition to Battle.net.

Is there a penalty for not being active on the ladder? If so what?
There is indeed a penalty for being inactive on the Warcraft III ladder. Players must continue to play Warcraft III to maintain their current experience and ranking. The number of games that must be played on a weekly basis to avoid an inactivity penalty varies by the level of the player. Higher level players must play more games than low level players in a weeks' time. Additional details can be found here.

What is the purpose of the inactivity rule?
It is our intention that the players on the top of the Warcraft 3 ladders are the best currently active players. The top ranked players should have to continue to play and risk the possibility of defeat to maintain their standing.

Do you receive a loss on your record if you don't play enough games per week?
No, you only lose experience. This can result in a drop of a player's ranking, but additional losses do not appear on your record.

Do I as a player need to play 1-4 games a week on both 1 vs. 1, random team, and my arranged teams or does this just mean whatever 1-4 games I happen to play?
The inactivity rule applies for each player in the Solo and Random Team ladders, and each individual Arranged team. If you are highly ranked in both Solo and Random Team ladders, you will need to play the appropriate minimum number of games in both ladders or face experience loss. If you have multiple arranged teams that have reached a level where a minimum number of games must be played each week, then each team must play their minimum games or face experience loss.

Is there any way for me to check if I have played the minimum number of games for the week?
There is currently no way to check to see if a player or team has met the minimum games requirement for the week, but we hope to add this ability in the future. As a reminder, the week begins and ends Monday night at 12:00 am PST (UTC-8).

Why do arranged teams not affect your Team Game rating on your profile?
The Team Game rating that appears on your profile is your rating based on team games you join as an individual. Each arranged team has a separate level and ranking.

I only play arranged team games. Why does the level next to my icon keep changing?
If you only play arranged team games the highest level of your 6 previous teams played will be shown on your icon. If higher level teams scroll off your history list you will need to play games on those teams again to return your level.

Do you lose experience for arranged team games?
When you lose a game with an arranged team, only that specific arranged team loses XP. Your individual level and the level of your other arranged teams is unaffected.

Can you lose a level for arranged team games?
If an arranged team loses enough games and experience, then that team can indeed lose levels.

Can I reset my own ladder stats so I can start over again?
No.

Will you be adding new ladder maps and be removing unpopular ladder maps?
The list of maps available for each ladder is indeed expected to change over time. If some maps prove to be unpopular or imbalanced, we will consider removing those maps from ladder play. If new maps are released by Blizzard that are suitable for ladder play, we could also add new maps to the lists.

Will some of the existing ladder maps be modified if they have issues?
Maps with serious balance issues can either be patched or removed from Anonymous Matchmaking play.

Will you add further icons to achieve past 1500 wins?
This is certainly something that we could add in the future as players achieve higher numbers of wins, but we have no plans to add icons at this time.

How does it decide what Icon to give me If I have earned icons for multiple races?
You see the icon corresponding to the race with the most wins.




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