Here’s How Black Ops 2′s League Play System Works

For teams of competitive Call of Duty players, or lone rangers looking for some stiff competition, Black Ops 2‘s League Play is the ultimate battlefield, giving players the opportunity to duke it out with opponents of a relatively equal skill level and not just stomp on noobs in public matches. But how do Black Ops 2′s leagues, divisions, seasons and ladder points work? Here is an explanation:

What are Leagues?

League Play allows you to compete in monthly skill-based ladders. Compete solo or as a team to see how you match up with Call of Duty players around the world.

Divisions

Your performance in a season’s placement matches will determine which division you or your team is placed in. There are a total of six divisions (listed below), with each division resetting at the start of each season. Each division is broken up into subdivisions of 250 players. These players in your subdivision will be whom you directly compete with.

Masters: top 2% of the active population
Platinum: next 18%.
Gold: next 20%.
Silver: next 20%.
Bronze: next 20%.
Iron: bottom 20%.

Seasons

League Play is broken up into seasons, each lasting approximately thirty calendar days. At the end of a season, there will be a brief window of time before the next season starts. This period of time is known as preseason. During preseason Treyarch are finalizing results of the previous season as well adjusting the game rules and map rotations as necessary. You can play and practice during preseason, but these games won’t count for league ladders. The current season and how much time remains in it will be displayed to you in-game.

The first Black Ops 2 League Play season starts December 1st, 2012.

Ladder Points

Your ranking is determined by Ladder Points that can be earned or lost by playing games. Your team will start at zero rank points at the season start. Wins will earn you points, whereas loses will lose you points. The points earned are determined by the predicted outcome of the game. For example, if you beat a team that is ranked higher than yours you will get more ladder points than if you beat a lower ranked team.

Tags: Black Ops 2

Anthony Mankins

should make it to where you can constantly change divisions not stay in one at all times been number 1 in my division for a while now haha
- Mike
  
  But if you changed divisions you wouldnt be playing against ppl on your skill level. So just go back to playing public lobbies when you want to change the pace
Rusty

It’s genius! Base individual rank on team performance… Nothing unbalanced about that.
- MynameISSHumpty
  
  It is in some degree, for all the D-bags who don’t play objective games, and juut worry about K/D..It really is..
Rols

I found mosh pit league seems to work off how you go as a team but championship league seems to be on how you perform as well as winning or losing. It still has its issues as its hard getting a game on league play at the moment. Server either mismatches teams, 5 vs 3 or 3 vs 1 in two instances I played. Other times I just wait and wait for a game but not matched up.
Kaboose666

Why don’t you actually let us know WHAT the divisions are not just saying there are 6…? I am in platinum division but what is the next level up? I have been googling for days and I have found the emblems but no one has posted the names of all the divisions.
- http://twitter.com/taureanbryant Taurean Bryant
  
  Master > Platinum > Gold > Silver > Bronze > Iron
  - Siyukan
    
    Planet > Master > Platinum > Gold > Silver > Bronze > Iron
- boner
  
  you’re retarded. ive known for months that it tin bronze silver gold platinum master pro
  - http://twitter.com/AceBoonCoon Boon
    
    There,is no tin or pro idiot
    - Mike R
      
      LOL. Too funny.
    - VL_ChowDer
      
      there is pro on team death match
  - mandy
    
    from lowest to highest: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Masters
- me
  
  why dont you read above you stupid ass…has all six divisions listed in plain english.
  
  what a retard
  - Kaboose666
    
    My post was written about a month ago when this page only had a small paragraph and no details about the divisions and such, please be quiet when you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Pianka

Can u move up in divisions
- db
  
  Yes you can move up in divisions. I was slammed right into plantuim ranked #12 after the gay qualification matches. I’m currently in Master rank # 52 but haven’t played in a couple days.
tbone27

im in gold division, rated #1 as of now. when or how are you so post to know when you move up to the next division?
- davieboh
  
  pure luck, i was in plant division and random got promoted after a ctf win.
daveieboh

I was 3rd in plantuim and got promoted to master devision and now 7th and loving it.
finn

me and my team are now in gold devision how du we go to platinum division ?
- quick
  
  win alot in a row
txbone27

i have been rank #1 in platinum for 3 days now whyt am i not ranking up to masters, plz help?
- krilmer’s guideline for BO2
  
  You have to play even better when Season 1 starts. So when the 5 placements matches is givinevto you have to show off your skill
http://www.facebook.com/ben.trimble.129 Ben Trimble

wait …the game says real league play doesnt start until December 1st…..so all the rankings will reset then? or will the first 30 day season start with the divisions as they are on November 30th?
Bo2

Say if you are silver if you get a lot of ladder points could you become gold
- krilmer’s guideline for BO2
  
  You are placed a spesific devision you cannot change until that season ends. When the next season starts you begin with a new start and are givin 5 rounds to prove yourself again and to achieve a higher devision. Think at it as football at school. Once you are in a team you cannot go to a other team until that specific season of the year ends.
  - Cougar
    
    Your wrong. I was placed in silver with one loss last night and in 3 games went to #7 platinum in a new subdivision. You CAN rank up you dont have to wait for a new season O_o
  - Sabotage
    
    Dude start off in platinum… and ranked 5… and i Won 25 games in a row and still aint going to master explain this one please….. and ams till wining now…
Daniel

do you get placed in lobbies of similar divisions? im siliver and am vs’n platinum players who are all in a party,, what kind of bullshit is this when u constantly lose to a 6 player party
Exguy

You get ranked based on the number of placement matches you win. If you win 1 you get put into bronze, 2 silver, 3 gold, 4 platinum, and 5 master. I’m not sure if this is only possible during the trial season, but yesterday I moved up to Platinum after being placed in Gold. I’m not sure if you move up based on your rank (I was number one with 1500 ladder points above number 2, and then got moved up to Platinum being ranked 2nd), as a friend of mine moved up from silver to gold and then from gold to platinum, and he was ranked like 50. Also I’m looking for 3 more people to go into the moshpit series this friday and play as a team of six with my two friends. So send me a message if your good haha my gamertag is Exguy.
- karg
  
  This is wrong I won five and was put in platinum
  - Exguy
    
    It might’ve been you were not matched up with good teams then. but the further you progress in your placement matches the harder the teams you play will be
    - Twiggs
      
      I “lost” two of my matches because we lost connection to the host, so now I’m stuck at the top of Gold Division…
  - The Boot Shiner
    
    You’re right, 1 – Iron 2 – Bronze 3 – Silver 4 – Gold 5 – Plat then like me if you win the sixth and your performance has been exceptional like 2 KDs etc you should goto Master. See you in there. Youtube The Boot Shiner.
    - http://www.facebook.com/chris.beard2147 Chris Beard
      
      That’s not correct I won 3 of them and got placed in iron and I am solo playing but allways at top of my team and never die more than kill usually double my deaths in kills
adam

Sounded pretty cool but individual performance should factor in especially since its mosh pit not tdm..I started @gold, slipped down to silver and Im playing with people who grab the flag(c.t.f.) and dont know they have it..next I play kill confirmed and teammates dont bother to get the tags..Next hard point(A fu*kin joke) and the other team keeps spawing next to the hardpoint.
dearinsanity42

can you advance from the division you were placed in, or are you stuck in that division permanently, ive been first place in my division for about a week and a half. are there a certain number of points needed to advance or something?
- f1_stig
  
  you will be re-evaluated every month and then placed accordingly
- psn BigDaddyof2
  
  ive ranked up and so has my buddy both of us from gold to platinum i was 6th in my devision at the time
- androkless
  
  you have to wait at the end of the month and you team will rank up
- BB
  
  actually I went from silver to platinum in 2 days so i dont think it has to do with your end of the month performance. It seems like i was promoted to the next division when was ranked somewhere around 10 in my league.
  - Youi
    
    waths your name? i want to see your stats.
    - jonny
      
      JMAC4ONE5
  - PPCPL Minion
    
    Divisions are based off of Kills. The more kills you have, the higher rank you are in the World. As stated above, if you Have enough kills to be in the top 2% of the world, you will be in the Masters Division. If you want to rank up division wise, go for kills. If you want to rank up ladder wise, go for wins. Or both, if you wish to be a perfectionist.
    - OpTic Sloper
      
      That makes no sense what so ever!
      
      I am a Masters Division Rank 19, and I can tell you that Kills mean NOTHING.
      
      Your Team could win every hardpoint game with only 10-20 kills, and you’ll be a high rank.
      
      It matters about WINS.
- Th3_M3chin3
  
  I got up from silver to gold, i guess that if you fail in your placement match but show that you are considerably better that your division mate, they put you up. getting with a better team and win some games in a row with good scores help a lot.
Nathan

The division go Iron-Bronze-Silver-Gold-Platinum-Master, as for those of you not advancing in league it is because you are not winning enough, if you go on a decent win streak in your league you will advance but it will put you against better players before you advance, so you will go against masters before you actually reach it if you are in platinum and are winning.
Scott

I would be better if it was based off of K/D instead of W/L. You cant use teamwork because I have not yet had one person talk back to me on league play and i’ve played 20 or 30 rounds so far. The only reason for W/L would be if your a d-bag and have 6 players in your party.
- TehNarwhal115
  
  XBL TehNarwal115
YellowCerberus

I am rank 1 in silver division with 67 wins and Im on 2710 ladder point which is nearly 1300 clear of #2 i keep winning and getting more points but am not being promoted to gold. WHY?
- Androkless
  
  you have to wait for the end of the month and you will be ranked up
- jchatt16
  
  You have to play better beat higher ranked teams I went from silver to gold within 4 games its really simple actually
  - http://www.facebook.com/mlfink83 Mike Fink
    
    How to do play higher ranked teams when it’s “skill based matchmaking!?”
- Optic Scumpy
  
  you will move up divisions.. kepp checking every 2 wins. i was put in iron while now im in masters rank 4. its a weird ranking system.. they should reall mention this stuff before they just lay it out there.
- Th3M3chin3
  
  try to play with higher ranked guys, they will bring you higher rank and now… beat them … you will get up. Its possible to rank Inside a season.
Tre

do you have to wait until the seaosn is over before moving up or down a division?
steve

Thats stupid. It should also rank you based on individual performance. Ive finished 10 games in a row at the top of the leaderboards with over 2000 points and a 2.0 k/d ratio but since im playing by myself im in the bronze division. F that shat!
Hippi

There are 3 things that annoys me in this League Play.
1. When your team loses, you’ll lose 130 points. But sometimes when your team wins, you’ll only get 30 points from that.
2. I hate when people leave in the middle of the game. Fun to play 6v3 then?
3. Because of people leaving during the game –> Host Migration. And sometimes it just disconnects me and im getting that 5min timer that tells me im leaving games too often and can’t play right now…
So in my opinion these things should be fixed somehow.
- TehNarwhal115
  
  I hate when I get placed in silver division (shouldnt be that) and im better than my master and platinum teammates…
- TehNarwhal115
  
  Also, the pre-season I was rank 8 in Gold, and i think back then Gold was the highest
FollowMe

How the hell do I start a team or join one?
Chesto

I am MASTER subdivision: Jupiter Three Eight in Champions Series Ladder. My friend is MASTER subdivision: Battle Eight Three. Whats the different?
- The Boot Shiner
  
  Want a cookie? I finished rank 3 Master last season, back in Master after one match this season (post placement). I run this shit. Was sposed to be perminently on your profile your finishing rank but it’s not, so I took a picture just incase. Safe. See you under my boot noobs.
  - Frets
    
    They were asking the difference of the subdivisions you retard, not bragging that they were in the Master division. I’d offer you a cookie, but only the kids who pay attention get those. You just proved to be a real life noob.
chris jones

when you play league play, does you public match rank go up?
GTS Rogue

How do the subdivisions of each division rank?
http://www.facebook.com/chris.beard2147 Chris Beard

Curious on placement i am a solo team death match player at the top of the team I was with kills almost allways double deaths but never die more than I kill won all but 2 of the 5 games and get placed in iron devision is that bc I’m playing by my self and not with a team on it
http://www.facebook.com/chris.beard2147 Chris Beard

And if it like that win 3 or 5 games get put with iron bc I’m solo y am I stuck in same rank games as the gold
Ryan Cook

Its says awaiting placement and we are playing masters and pro’s which are destroying us what do we do?
[WT]virgo

we’have been 1st at platinum, since we are active everyday but we still in Platinum. Gonna be crazy.
o Twistedl o

Gold Division Rank 1 with 5k+ points
dodgedude333

Can you move up a division as a solo competitor or do you need a team? and how do you make a team? is the league considered your team?
weisbrot

i started on gold league. but now im platin top 5.
if you are playing good you will get a higher division, but if you are average as your division and not good enought for the higher division, you wont get a higher division
Daniel

9 win streak here ranked 1st in silver why am i still in silver?
http://www.facebook.com/Xboxgamer1234 Devon Estabrooks

for the ladder points is hight the number the better or is lower the better, im 193 silver and it says league best so does that mean im the best in my league?
- Mike R.
  
  No, it means that 193 is your best ending rank in your division. If you finish 192 next time, you will have a new “League Best”. It should really say “Best Ranking” or somethin’ more to that effect.
xZekeSplinZz

how do you get to silver division?
xZekeSplinZz

and also why does it take so long to find a match on league play? i have the best internet connetion and also there is over 2000 people playing in it… i dont get it… sometimes it even take about 30 mins to find a match :L
- jchatt16
  
  You oughta check your game preference conection if its on best out back to normal I had the same problem when the game came out
Lamborghiniman3

The only reason i play league play is to get that little symbol in public matches that says Rank ___ League best. Ive played a season and i was ranked at Gold Division Rank 137. But it doesnt show that when i go into a regular public match. It only shows up in league play. Any help?
SkattaX

Ive been on platinum rank one for 2 days now on psn. (SkattaX) Ive been winning a lot and have been going on 6-8 win streaks before losing. why havent i gone up to masters yet?
Xace

I’m now in platinum division but not ranking as quick. Is it because I’m not beating higher teams ??
juhasu12

but why is there no qualifiers to next division like in LoL?
chrisski

Why the hell should you go up a league early cos Ur top its a 30day league it gives everyone a chance to try and challenge your score and rank
Skulztom

I won 4/1 matches on my placement, lost my 3rd match. Went to gold division rank 175, then I won 3 matches In a row as a gold, became platinum, then I won 10 matches in a row on platinum but I’m still platinum. I was rank 37 platinum when I was promoted but as I keep on winning my rank keep shrinking to now 67. Wth?
Richie

This ranking thing is dumb, I’m in bronze division and I have two friends who are in the platinum division , my k/d I significantly better than theirs as well as my w-l ratio . I went on a 7 win streak and yet I’m still in bronze. I am constantly carrying teams to wins with 2.5 k/d or better. In my opinion , league play is not a legit way to play against play people of your “skill”.
http://www.facebook.com/nilath.xayavong Nilath Xayavong

When i play i got positive or atleast even almost every game but i get on some very crappy teams and keep getting bunmped down. So baiclly if you not on a team you don’t move up. It kind of sucks when you play agiast people on teams and they lock down an area and there is no getting in and you get smashed. Only way to get out of that situation is to jsut hide somewhere try not to get killed by air support and get a kill here and there when you can.
jack

how do i delete my solo league play
Ernest027

Im in gold rank 2 and i want to go up division
confusedcod

I am number one in Platinum division but cant get into masters. I am thousands of points above #2 why cant i get into masters?
the durt

How do you get your league rank to show up in public matches?
the durt

How do you get your League Division rank to show in public online matches?
the durt

How do you get your League Division rank to show in public online matches
broballs74

Anyone wondering how to have your rank show, it shows after the completion of a season , it is your “best” finish in “league“. League best.
http://twitter.com/CubesTheGamer Quinton

I went from Silver, to Gold, to Platinum in one day. That rules out re-evaluation every month, etc. If you go on a good enough win streak, and get a high enough K/D and scoreline, you will go up further. It also depends on the rank of the people you’re playing.
anonymous

I have over 1400 ladder points and im in iron division and my friend has 450been and hes in gold division…can someone explain this
- PPCPL Minion
  
  Divisions are based off of kills, while ladders are based off of wins. Because of this, your friend has less ladder points than you, but he has more kills, therefore, he is in a higher division, while you are a higher rank in your own division. If you were to gain more kills, you’d get ranked up in divisions, instead of your ladder.
Andrei Cojocaru

i have a question, im platinum right now so its because i won games right? but i just got promoved from gold to platinum without being the first i mean i was rank 12 gold and i won 130 and i got 9 after that a message displays and says im platinum. And my friends who were gold didnt appreared in the ladders where i was it changes something up there where sometime says like falcon-alpha-six or some random things what are that?
sorry my english im trying to write as best as i can
- PPCPL Minion
  
  Divisions are based on total kills. You went from gold to platinum because you got enough kills to be ranked within the top 20% of the world. Ladder placement is based on Wins, so your Ladder placement has nothing to do with being promoted or demoted to a different division.
  - VL_ChowDer
    
    no it is not it is based on wins/win streaks
haiden

What do you do if you play all 5 placement games and it doesnt give you your ranking
- WARMAN7785
  
  then then your team should start winning or winning more, there is pre season too as said in article.
Darkdj

In top 10 of platinum and have been since start of season masters is getting on my nerves.
Potpitput

This game lag, I was the 30th platinium, i had like 5 win streaks. I lose a match, it deranked me to gold division. And I know it’s a lag because it told me : Your team has been downgraded. I was playing solo …. And I mean, I was 30th, not 150th ….
jacques

for my friend it says he is league best is that masters league?
- russki
  
  no its your best rank at the end of a season
jacon

Leave a message…this isn’t right i had over a 2.0 KD in all my placement matches and won them all and got bronze my freind had 1′s and lost all his and got platinum
Kishan Patel

I have been number one in silver division for a long time so is there a chance I can still be put into the gold division?
Anthony Rivera

I am in the iron division i am ranked 1 for almost a week why i am not in the other division
- http://www.facebook.com/matthew.taylor.927758 Matthew Taylor
  
  i was in the iron division for 6-7 games then i was promoted to bronze but i played in bronze for 3 games and promoted to silver then in 4-5 games i was promoted to gold
tom

I am iron rank which i dont get why im top 3 everygame and only lost 2 games but won all my 5 placement games.
Kyle

im rank 4 platinum and i have 58 wins my w/L ratio has gone up .03% and i just wanna know how many more games should i look forward to winning before i get master?
Nyukka

I started at gold, but moved up to platinum. If I have a series of really bad games, could I be deranked to gold?
ken

i was rank 4 gold division in the last season and i lost all but one of my placement matches this season and i was put in gold
Dirk

Ive been rank 8 in bronze for close to 2 weeks. why do I never move up or down? you have to win multiple in a row? Does anyone know about how many conescutive games?
thanks
II_SquizZ

Im in iron league and im top with 2000 points, when will i go up! Any Help?
ross

To get promoted just be a team player and win games. I had some really rubbish games in my first 5 and got placed in bronze. In one night i’ve been promoted to silver and then to gold. As i write this im rank 44. tomorrow ill be aiming for platinum and after that masters!
Dkp

Me and my friend are stuck im on gold division rank 53 we are playing im heetin 130 ladder points nut i wont rank up ita stuck on 1910 ladder points can someone help me???
hendrick

I am platinum division rank 6 i win alot of match i play everyday how can i go to master please help !!
quocksucka

why are unranked players aloud to play with ranked ones? thats the worst part, most are idle and soak up 20+ deaths
- tehnarwhal115
  
  Yeah, its great when you get a masters teammate who sucks :c
II Superman 12

Legacy Gaming League team Master rank 15
REPRESENT!
http://www.facebook.com/evan.colston.1 Evan Colston

when you get within top 10 you must win 5 in a row to change divisions, the position you were in you previous division determines your placement in your next… I was in first place in silver for the past three days and kept getting four game win streaks just got five right now and it promoted me to rank 12 in gold division
- cc
  
  not true. I was placed in gold division and after 3-4 wins I was moved up to platinum rank 50 something. I was actually at like 60 something in gold when it did that.
Jkeeley

I have been iron division rank 1 for about a week and have 3800 ladder points
oLyRiX

this is how it should work- iron: 0 wins, bronze: 1 win, silver: 2 wins, gold: 3 wins, platinum: 4 wins, master: 5 wins
- russki
  
  what would happen if there was a whole lobby of masters from the previous season 3x in a row
oLyRiX

on my three different accounts, ive won all 5 of my placement matches, im in platinum in all of them -_- im starting to think treyarc just doesnt like me
nuddyz

may sound totally stupid but if I get shot its with 2-3 shots and I am dead, but if I shoot someone its 15 plus bullets then I get killed as I say to 2-3,i am new to this league got put gold division rank 151 does it get easier with patience and wins or is that it for me used to playing online hardcore
- russki
  
  sounds like your connection think about upgrading your net… or your shot is cheese and should go back to pubs
Justin

I have been stuck in Iron division rank 1 for weeks and let me tell you I win more than I lose by a fair margin and went on a 7 game winning streak- I also always finish in the top 3 in games. This ranking system is idiotic – why am I stunck
Kitten

I have been rank 62 in silver division for a while now I have won more games then losses can someone tell me why I am not ranking up … Please help
Buschy

Why has it said… Cannot change team or league whiles league stats are dirty?
yunvme_-

Change team or league stats are dirty can some on explain! I can’t find anything on it
RBRM3

I have been #1 silver for almost a week with a 18 and a 20 win streak, and had several matches like 30-2 (OxC Malone) and 3000 ahead.. I’m stuck in limbo all because of randoms
big daddy

I stuck at rank 1 in iron division all weekend! Any coherent? Thank you
http://twitter.com/RMF_For_Real Robert Freeman

I’m in iron Division. But it keeps making me face off against people in the Masters division. It sys you’ll face people in that division. Why is it I am facing Masters?
Semi

I was in masters for the trial. Now i am silver playing against masters if i win i go up 30 ladder points if i lose i go down 150 ladder points. I don’t get it, why cant i just move to that division or play against people in my division?