There are various game modes in Rocket League that allow players to play competitively. These include the 3v3 Standard, 2v2 Doubles, and 1v1 Duels.
Each game mode has its own separate rank which is determined by the player’s results in a group of matches called placement games. These placement games are used to determine the skill level of the player, which in turn helps with matching them with similarly skilled players.
There are 10 placement games for each game mode, which brings the total up to 30 matches if you’re competing in all three modes. Of course, there are other game modes apart from these three, such as Rumble, Dropshot, Hoops, and Snow Day, but they’re not as popular among the players.
When you play the game for the first time, you start out as an Unranked player. To climb through the ranks, you need to compete in the aforementioned game modes and win games. This guide breaks down the ranking system from Unranked to the highest rank.
What are the Ranks?
There are nine main ranks in Rocket League, and each rank (except Supersonic Legend) has three tiers. The nine ranks are listed below:
- Bronze (I, II, and III)
- Silver (I, II, and III)
- Gold (I, II, and III)
- Platinum (I, II, and III)
- Diamond (I, II, and III)
- Champion (I, II, and III)
- Grand Champion (I, II, and III)
- Supersonic Legend
Grand Champion used to be the highest rank, but Supersonic Legend claimed that title when Pysonix introduced it to the game in September 2020, at the same time that the game became free-to-play.
You need to progress through four sub-ranks within each of these ranks. These sub-ranks are called “Divisions”. So, if you’re ranked Bronze I, you need to win matches that qualify you to progress through Division I, II, III, and IV of that rank before you make the step up to Bronze II.
To break that down further, if you’re ranked Bronze III Division II, it means that you’re in the second division of the third Bronze tier. Essentially, you’re three divisions away from the next rank which begins at Silver I.
The same pattern continues until you achieve the Supersonic Legend rank. However, less than 0.1% of the player base holds this elite rank, so you’ll have to be god-like at the game to get there.
These ranks reset at the end of every Rocket League season, which means that the grind is almost never-ending. Each season generally lasts about three to four months, so you have a fair bit of time to try and make it to the top.
If you want to know the exact timing of each season, you can follow the official Rocket League news page for that information.
Why Should You Rank Up?
There are two main reasons why players grind to climb the ranks in competitive games such as this one. The first is to earn bragging rights, while the second is to get better rewards.
As it should be, the ranking system in Rocket League rewards players in the higher ranks better than it does those in the lower ranks. If you’re trying to grab the best gear and cars in the game to stay competitive at the highest levels, then you need to grind.
Rewards generally include cosmetic items such as wheels and decals. However, the main attraction of Rocket League’s competitive modes is the competition. Players that love to win would rather compete against other players and test themselves regularly than play non-competitive games.
If you’re not in that category, then those rewards might not be big enough attractions to motivate you to grind your way up the ranks.
How to Rank Up
Ranking up in Rocket League can get difficult. This is because you can only rank up by winning games, and the fact that you’re matched against similarly skilled players can make that tricky.
However, you can give yourself a better chance of winning games and earning enough points to climb the ranks by following these tips:
- Find out the peak hours of gameplay in your location and try to play within that time. There is a larger pool of players which means you’re more likely to be matched against players that you can beat.
- Practice, practice, practice. Make use of the free-play arena to learn or perfect new moves, and try to apply as many useful gameplay tips from other sources as you can.
- To take your skills to the next level, you have to add aerial and wall-riding skills to your arsenal. These bring a new dimension to your game, making you less predictable and harder to stop.
- If you realize that you’re much better at defending than attacking (or vice versa), tailor your game strategy to that and make sure that the car you’re using also fits the strategy. For instance, a Nimbus will not serve you as well for a defense-first approach as a Marauder would.
- Playing in a team in 3v3 mode while you’re still honing your skills will improve your chances of climbing through the ranks. When you feel like your overall game is solid enough, you can go solo.
- Upgrade your gear as often as possible.
- Wired connections are generally better for fast-paced games like this. If you’re using a wireless connection and struggling with it, then making the switch can be the difference you need.
- Losing a game can cause you to lose several ranks, and you need to be mentally prepared for that.
- Boosting services can help you to achieve whichever rank you want for a fee. However, I strongly advise against doing this. It will be a waste of money if you’re not good enough to win enough matches by yourself to stay in the rank that you’ve paid for, so focus on improving your skills instead.
What Next?
Now that you know how the ranking system in Rocket League works, the next step is putting yourself in the best position to climb up the ranks as quickly as possible.
I recommend checking out the best cars in Rocket League first. Even if you can’t get those cars now, it’s one more thing to look forward to achieving as you begin your journey to Rocket League Supersonic Legend fame. Best of luck!
