Ranked Battle
- For the similar mode inSplatoon 3, seeAnarchy Battle.
Ranked Battle
| Type | Online multiplayermode |
| Players | 8 (4v4) |
| Ranked | Yes |
| Weapons | All |
| Controllers | Splatoon GamePadSplatoon 2  Joy-Cons Nintendo Switch Pro Controller |
| Release Date | Splatoon 2 June 2015 Splatoon 2 Launch |
Ranked Battle is one of the multiplayermode categories inSplatoon andSplatoon 2. UnlikeRegular Battles, which only featureTurf Wars, Ranked Battles come in multiple different modes that cycle along withstages. Ranked Battles can last for up to five minutes, unlike the unchanging three-minute time limit in Turf Wars. Ranked Battles are accessible only once a player reacheslevel 10. Wins and losses in Ranked Battles are counted toward players'ranks, which are used for matchmaking in the mode.Squad Battles inSplatoon andLeague Battles inSplatoon 2 are variants of Ranked Battles that can be played with friends and a different ranking system. InSplatoon 3, Ranked Battles are replaced by the similarAnarchy Battles.
History
Splatoon
Ranked Battle was released when a large amount ofSplatoon players reached Level 10 on2 June 2015. Ranks originally ranged from C- to A+. On6 August 2015, version2.0.0 increased the rank cap. Ranks then ranged from C- to S+.
Splatoon 2
Ranked Battles were available at launch withSplatoon 2, though players still must obtain Level 10 to play. All modes were kept from the previous games, with minor improvements made. Along with version2.1.0 on13 December 2017, a new mode calledClam Blitz was added. A new rank,Rank X, was added on25 April 2018 with version3.0.0.
List of ranked modes
| Mode | Description | Release date (UTC) | Games | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | ||||
 Splat Zones | Plays similarly to the King of the Hill mode from other video games. It revolves around a central "zone" or "zones", which players must attempt to cover inink. Whoever retains the zone for a certain amount of time wins. | 2 June 2015 | ✓ | ✓ | |
 Tower Control | A player must take control of a tower located in the center of a map and ride it towards the enemy base. The first team to get the tower to their enemy's base wins. | 2 July 2015 | ✓ | ✓ | |
 Rainmaker | A player must grab and take the Rainmaker weapon to a pedestal near the enemy team's spawn point. The team who carries the Rainmaker furthest towards their respective pedestal wins. | 15 August 2015 | ✓ | ✓ | |
 Clam Blitz | Players pick up clams scattered around the stage and try to score as many points as they can by throwing the clams in their respective goal. | 13 December 2017 | ✓ | ||
Stage schedule
Splatoon
Stages rotate out every four hours along with the stages fromTurf War, at 02:00, 06:00, 10:00, 14:00, 18:00, and 22:00 UTC. The change in stages is accompanied by an announcement from theSquid Sisters. This announcement also kicks all players out of thelobby after they finish their current match. The mode also rotates between Splat Zones, Tower Control, and Rainmaker at the same time.
Splatoon 2
Similar toSplatoon,Splatoon 2 features stage rotation every two hours, whereOff the Hook gives an announcement when the stages and mode change. Players can also view the stage schedule from their smart device usingSplatNet 2 on the Nintendo Switch Online app. However, since version3.0.0, the stages chosen each come from a list of eight stages per Ranked Battle mode that change every month with the X Power reset.
Monthly rotations
The rotations in the last year since the stages were revamped have been being recycled, so here they are by month below:
| Month | Splat Zones | Tower Control | Rainmaker | Clam Blitz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ||||
| February | ||||
| March | ||||
| April | ||||
| May | ||||
| June | ||||
| July | ||||
| August | ||||
| September | ||||
| October | ||||
| November | ||||
| December |
Previous Ranked stages since 3.0.0
The rotations for a given month are the same month-on-month, as described above. However when astage is newly released or changed, the rotation for the month also changes to show it off:
| Month | Splat Zones | Tower Control | Rainmaker | Clam Blitz |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2018 New stage: Camp Triggerfish
| ||||
| June 2018 New stage: Wahoo World
| ||||
| July 2018 New stage: New Albacore Hotel
| ||||
| August 2018 New stage: Ancho-V Games
| ||||
| September 2018 Stage renovation: Starfish Mainstage
| ||||
| October 2018 New stage: Skipper Pavilion
| ||||
| November 2018 Stage renovation: The Reef
| ||||
| December 2018 Stage renovation: Blackbelly Skatepark
| ||||
| August 2019 Stage renovation: Shellendorf Institute
|
Audio
- Main article:Music
Unlike inRegular Battles, the music in a Ranked Battle does not change toNow or Never! when there is one minute left.
Splatoon
Splatoon 2
Trivia
- Once a player's rank changes after a match, a message saying "RANK CHANGED! Re-enter the lobby to pit your skills against players closer to you on rank!" appears and the player is forced to exit.
- Certain stages had stopped appearing in the stage rotation pool for Ranked Battles, as well as other online modes featuring Ranked modes. However, these stages are still playable in Private Battles.
- InSplatoon, data spanning from August 2015 - December 2016 shows the following stages had not appeared in those modes for a long period:[1]
- Saltspray Rig Tower Control (October 2015 - November 2016) and Rainmaker (October 2015 - November 2015, February 2016 - December 2016)
- Blackbelly Skatepark Rainmaker (October 2015 - December 2015, February 2016 - November 2016)
- Piranha Pit Rainmaker (February 2016 - December 2016)
- Port Mackerel Tower Control (October 2015 - November 2016)
- InSplatoon, data spanning from August 2015 - December 2016 shows the following stages had not appeared in those modes for a long period:[1]
- There was a scrapped Ranked mode, 8-Ball. Much like in theOcto Expansion, teams would shoot a ball and try to get into the enemy's goal.
- It also seems that extra walls and ramps were added, to prevent the ball from falling off the stage.
- InSplatoon 2, a player's weapon will shine at the beginning of a Ranked Battle if they are on a winning streak.[2]
Gallery
Splatoon
Selecting Ranked Battle in the lobby.
Judd declaring a knockout win for a Ranked Battle.(Click to animate)
An early screenshot of receivingBattle Points after a Ranked Battle.
AnInkling carrying theRainmaker atHammerhead Bridge.
The Rainmaker charging up.
The Rainmaker firing.
Ranked Battle logo.
Ranked Battle logo in the lobby.
Alternate version of the logo used on a KOG-brand badge.
A symbol used inSplatNet.
Splatoon 2
Splat Zones atMoray Towers.
Rainmaker atThe Reef.
Tower ControlStarfish Mainstage.
The result screen after winning with a knockout.
SplatNet 2 icon
- Load videoLocal FileLocal File might collect personal data.
Video of a rank meter being cracked for the fourth time. (link to file)
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 Japanese | ガチマッチ Gachi Matchi | Competitive Match |
 Dutch | Profgevecht (Splatoon 2) Ranglijstgevecht (Splatoon[3]) | Pro battle Ranking list battle |
 French | Match pro | Pro Match |
 German | Rangkampf | Rank battle |
 Italian | Partita pro | Pro Match |
 Russian | Бой элиты Boy elity | Elite battle |
 Spanish | Combate competitivo | Competitive Combat |
 Portuguese | Batalha competitiva[4] | Competitive battle |
