It’s time to get serious about Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer. Ranked play arrives with the start of Call of Duty Season 2, which begins February 15. Treyarch has lifted the curtain on its new iteration of the multiplayer game’s competitive ranked mode, which it says offers more rewards and a smarter system for figuring out where you land on the scale.
Ranked mode in Modern Warfare 2 is a 4v4 multiplayer mode that will unlock at level 16. Once you’re in, all weapons and attachments are automatically unlocked within the mode, so nobody has access to equipment that’s restricted from other players.
For Hardpoint, ranked includes Al Bagra Fortress, Breenbergh Hotel, Embassy, Mercado Las Almas, and Zarqwa Hyrdoelectric in its map pool. Search and Destroy takes place on Al Bagra Fortress, Breenbergh Hotel, El Asilo, Embassy, and Mercado Las Almas. Control matches will be held on Al Bagra Fortress, Breenbergh Hotel, and El Asilo.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 divisions
The new ranked mode has a total of eight skill divisions. From lowest to highest, these are bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond, crimson, iridescent, and top 250. Each skill division below iridescent has three tiers or subdivisions to work your way through. Players reach iridescent at a skill rating of 10,000, and the top 250 division is exactly what it sounds like: the top 250 players above 10,000 SR. This year, you’ll be able to see the team affiliation for any Call of Duty League pros in that top 250 leaderboard.
There are some rules you’ll have to observe when creating squads in ranked mode. Players anywhere from bronze through platinum can team up without restriction, but diamond- and crimson-ranked players can only team up with other players within two skill divisions. Iridescent and top 250 players can only form parties with players within one skill division.
Your SR score is based on your wins and losses during the season: winning matches grants more SR, and losing decreases it. However, there are some exceptions: you won’t lose SR if a teammate quits or disconnects during a match, but you can still earn SR if your team manages to win anyway.
Separate from skill divisions, there are 50 ranks to progress through, with unique rewards for hitting specific milestones. You’ll also earn rewards at the end of the season based on the highest skill division you played in that season.
Check out our recommendations for the best MW2 FTAC Recon loadout and the best MW2 TAQ-M loadout for some ideas on how to optimise your kit for the coming season of ranked play in Modern Warfare 2.