How the Level & Ranking Systems Work
Our ranking system is designed to provide a fair and accurate representation of player strength. We offer four different scoring methods to cater to different preferences for sensitivity and consistency.
🔢 The Primary Scoring Method: TrueSkill+
Our ranking system primarily uses TrueSkill+, the most sophisticated method available. It uses the "conservative" estimate (Mu - 3 × Sigma), ensuring that players with low certainty (new players or those with irregular results) don't jump to the top too quickly. It also includes Inactivity Decay.
[!NOTE] Previously, we supported multiple metrics like Elo and standard TrueSkill. These have been retired to provide a consistent and fair ranking across the platform.
📊 The Score Margin Multiplier (New!)
We've recently upgraded the ranking system to be sensitive to the margin of victory. Previously, a 21-19 win moved ratings similarly to a 21-5 blowout.
Now, every match applies a multiplier:
- Tight Matches (e.g., 21-19): Small rating changes. The system recognizes the teams were evenly matched.
- Standard Wins (e.g., 21-11): Normal rating changes.
- Dominant Wins (e.g., 21-0): Large rating changes and faster certainty increases.
🧩 Other Core Principles
⚖️ Strength Difference
Beating a team much stronger than you yields a much higher rating gain than beating a team you were expected to defeat.
♻️ Recency Weighting
The systems are dynamic; recent results have a higher impact on your current level than matches from months ago.
🔢 Fair Limits
To keep the system steady:
- Levels/Elo are bounded between 0 and 100.
- TrueSkill values are scaled for readability (typically ×2).
- The system prevents "lucky streaks" or "bad days" from causing extreme, unrealistic jumps.
🏅 Why This Matters
By accounting for both who you play and how well you play (the score), we ensure:
- More balanced session matchmaking.
- A leaderboard that reflects current form.
- Fair pairing for tournaments.
If you’re curious about the math or want to suggest further tweaks, reach out!