Modern Warfare 2 dev reveals secret behind confusing SR gain of Ranked Play

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 has introduced Ranked play in the Season 2 update. Players can climb different Skill Divisions by gaining Skill Rating (SR) points upon winning competitive matches.

However, the Lead Game Designer from Treyarch, Lawrence Metten, has revealed the presence of a metric called “Hidden Performance Range” (HPR) in Ranked Play, greatly affecting the amount of SR a player gains or loses at the end of the match. HPR is not displayed for players but is still considered alongside individual and team performance after a ranked match ends. The entire functioning of HPR and its impact was explained in a Twitter thread.

In this article, we look at the Tweets and understand the SR gains of Ranked Play in Modern Warfare 2.

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Treyarch lead game designer explains HPR and SR gain variations for Modern Warfare 2 ranked mode

Activision recently updated Modern Warfare 2’s playlist with the second seasonal update and added Ranked Play. The developers integrated rank tiers in the form of Skill Divisions to create a disparity among players of various skill levels. These ranks can change if a player wins ranked matches and accumulates the required Skill Rating points for promotion to the next Skill Division.

The amount of SR gain and loss has confused the player base for a long time. SR reportedly considers both individual and team performance. But the developer explained the existence of the Hidden Performance Range, which also affects Skill Rating gains or loss rate.

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Hidden Performance Range

Hidden Performance Range (HPR) is the title’s internal performance system, placing the player in a skill bracket and predicting the player’s skill level when matched against others.

HPR is an important metric in Ranked Play, which can change depending on the player’s performance. If a player wins against a player with a higher Hidden Performance Range, their HPR will also increase. However, losing will result in the HPR dropping. When a player reaches a rank where they perform consistently, the HPR narrows down.

The developer further explained that SR and HPR are interlinked. All Modern Warfare 2 players will begin their journey with a 0 Skill Rating and gain or lose points based on the match result. The game inherently tries to push players into the Hidden Performance Range.

The SR gain is maximum when the player is further from their HPR, which is why players get a lot of Skill Rating points when starting Ranked Play.

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SR gain for ranks

The Skill Rating gain is determined by the Hidden Performance Range and how close Modern Warfare 2 players are to the performance system’s evaluation. It is important to note that this evaluation is fluid and changes depending on the player’s performance in ranked matches. Hence, players are not limited by the initial HPR and there are no SR limitations.

Skill Rating gains drop when a player reaches their Hidden Performance Range. Once players enter their HPR, individual and team performance determines the maximum and minimum SR gain. Individual performance is more important in the lower ranks to help players reach the system’s expected Skill Division.

This helps implement an accurate rank disparity to create a balanced playing field for the entire player base.

However, team performance is prioritized in higher Skill Divisions to reward all winning play styles. HPR also fluctuates in the background for players at all times to provide reasonable SR gains and losses.

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Treyarch’s Lead Game Designer's explanation has created a foundation for understanding SR gains and how close players are to their personal HPRs. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for the latest updates and Ranked mode weapon build guides.