The community has ever so gratefully loved the launch of COD Ranked mode in Black Ops II back in 2012, with Ranked mode being a popular addition to almost every Call of Duty game ever since making it one of the hotspots for players who want to play the game competitively.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at all the titles in the COD franchise that have Ranked play as a game mode whilst determining if they are worth your time. Historically, whenever a newer title comes out, the old games die rather quickly than we may like it, but interestingly this is not the case with COD.
Delayed launches are a Call of Duty ranked mode problem
Almost every title in the Call of Duty franchise is plagued by one gleaming issue: The addition of the ranked mode as an update in a staggered fashion, after the game’s initial launch. This can even be seen in the case of Modern Warfare 2 & Modern Warfare 3. Out of all the Call of Duty games in history, only a small handful have ever boasted of reliable ranked modes.
It might be more than a coincidence that the best-ranked mode to exist in the franchise is in one of the arguably “Best Call of Duty” titles in the entire series.
Here is the list of all the COD games with a Ranked mode:
- Black Ops II (League Play)
- Advanced Warfare (Ranked Play)
- WWII (Ranked Play)
- Black Ops Cold War (Ranked Play)
- COD Mobile (Ranked Play)
- Vanguard (League Play)
- Modern Warfare 2 (Ranked Play)
- Modern Warfare 3 (Ranked Play)
Notice how some of the games have League play as a mode, instead of ranked play.
League Play vs Ranked Play
Yeah, about that. There are some key differences between league play and ranked play, but the core underlying concept behind these game modes remains the same. Both these modes allow players to enter certain map groups and modes, with a check on items, weapons, abilities & whatnot.
The key difference is how the rank calibration is handled. In league play, players starting initially are thrown into 5 calibration matches and then are assigned a division based on how their performance was. Losing a streak or winning in a streak leads to promotion or demotion of divisions, but Ranked play is straight up starting at the bottom of the pyramid as a bronze and winning matches to climb up the ladder.
But, why do Call of Duty games need a ranked game mode?
Great question. There has to be some multiplayer progression and an incentive for players to keep grinding the game. This is what increases the “replayability” of a game. It is quite the key to success for a lot of games that would have otherwise died very quickly. Especially over time, this makes way for tournaments and other events to be planned around the game due the fact that players keep getting better at the game over time. They keep seeking higher challenges, easily found in Ranked game modes.
Will there be a Ranked mode in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6?
Well, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is the latest addition to the franchise set to release in 2024, available as a day-one title on Xbox Game Pass, where Ranked play has been confirmed. This game’s ranked mode is already anticipated and said to be available at launch.
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