Competitive PvP

Rubric components

Components describe the mechanic as observed. Each is scored from 0 to 4, or marked unknown or not applicable. The final level reflects the overall pattern, not an average. Component-level definitions are not stored in the database; they remain in the methodology’s source document.

• Competitive formats

  The range of modes, from one queue to a connected format system with tournaments and qualifiers.

• Matchmaking

  How the game matches opponents: randomly, within level and equipment bounds, by rating, or with roles and lineups in mind.

• Rating and ladder

  How results are recorded: rating, seasonal ranks, divisions, history, and public statistics. The result unit is recorded with the score.

• Seasons and rewards

  The seasonal competition loop: resets, goals, rank and participation rewards. Season length and access method are recorded alongside it.

• Competitive integrity

  Fair-play safeguards, including leaver penalties and measures against rating manipulation and match fixing.

• Skill expression

  How strongly results in the competitive mode reflect skill rather than attributes, progression, or randomness.

• Game integration

  How strongly the competitive ladder connects to the game's goals, progression, and economy.

Final level steps

All steps are shown, including those with no games. At levels 1–5, zero means no matching games were found; it is different from an unassessed step. A game with multiple scopes at different depths appears at each relevant step, so totals can exceed the number of assessed games. Required conditions for levels 3–5 are documented outside the database.

The first count shows games with an exact result. “No higher than N” results and results with no recorded form are shown separately and are not added to the exact count.

• 0 of 5 — None0 games in the Catalog

  There is no structured competition between players.

  Level 0 is empty by design. An absent mechanic is recorded through presence, not as depth level 0, and receives no depth level. The mechanics page shows assessment and presence counts.

• 1 of 5 — Casual matches0 games in the Catalog; 68 more marked “at most”

  Rule-based matches without rating or skill-based matchmaking.

• 2 of 5 — Basic ladder3 games in the Catalog; 43 more marked “at most”

  A rating or leaderboard with coarse matchmaking and a weak seasonal structure.

• 3 of 5 — Developed competitive system9 games in the Catalog; 3 more marked “at most”

  Skill-based matchmaking, seasonal ranks, and meaningful rewards.

• 4 of 5 — Competitive core0 games in the Catalog

  The competitive mode defines a substantial part of play within its scope, with systemic integrity safeguards.

• 5 of 5 — Competitive ecosystem0 games in the Catalog

  A large-scale ladder, in-game tournaments, and a seasonal cycle form a connected system within the mode.

Module fields

Observations the module requires with each assessment. They help verify that the conclusion follows from the observed implementation. Section names are stored as free text and may reference more than one section.

• Competition format

  The size of one side in the competition. There is one value: a mode has one format, and a second format means a second mode.

  Value type:

  List, custom values allowed, single value

  Requirement:

  Required

  Methodology section:

  14.3

  Allowed values:

  • Solo
  • Group
  • Team
  • Other — The methodology does not declare this value set closed. The value is meaningful only with an explanation (section 7). (Requires an explanation)
• Competition unit

  Who participates as one unit. Ranked wars between organizations overlap with territory control; these modes are assessed separately, each with its own participation unit.

  Value type:

  List, custom values allowed, single value

  Requirement:

  Required

  Methodology section:

  14.1, 14.3

  Allowed values:

  • Individual player
  • Assembled group
  • Standing team
  • Organization
  • Other — The methodology does not declare this value set closed. The value is meaningful only with an explanation (section 7). (Requires an explanation)
• Entry rules

  The level, equipment, and lineup required to participate.

  Value type:

  Text, single value

  Requirement:

  Required

  Methodology section:

  14.3

• Condition standardization

  How encounter conditions are equalized. Measures can be combined, so all active ones are recorded. This serves as evidence for the skill expression component: standardization raises its score.

  Value type:

  List, custom values allowed, multiple values

  Requirement:

  Required

  Methodology section:

  14.3

  Allowed values:

  • Character templates
  • Stat normalization
  • Equipment normalization
  • No standardization — Recorded instead of the other values, not alongside them.
  • Other — The methodology does not declare this value set closed. The value is meaningful only with an explanation (section 7). (Requires an explanation)
• Result unit

  What is recorded as the result. Without this field, participation reputation, a personal matchmaking metric, regional leaderboard placement, and victory currency are indistinguishable. There is one value: the methodology requires the unit of the result used for the score.

  Value type:

  List, custom values allowed, single value

  Requirement:

  Required when applicable

  Methodology section:

  14.4

  Required when: Beside any Rating and ladder component score above 1.

  Allowed values:

  • Standing among players
  • Personal numeric metric
  • Cumulative participation count
  • Victory currency
  • Result is not recorded
  • Other — The methodology does not declare this value set closed. The value is meaningful only with an explanation (section 7). (Requires an explanation)
• Season length, weeks

  Competitive season length in weeks. A four-week cycle and a six-month cycle are comparable only with this note.

  Value type:

  Number, single value

  Requirement:

  Required when applicable

  Methodology section:

  14.4

  Required when: Beside the Seasons and rewards component score.

• Season access method

  What unlocks the season. The list is closed: section 3 explicitly defines access costs, and here they apply to the season rather than the mode. Values must match game_mechanic_assessment_access_cost, where the same set constrains the assessment column. Both locations must change together.

  Value type:

  List, fixed options, single value

  Requirement:

  Required when applicable

  Methodology section:

  14.4

  Required when: Beside the Seasons and rewards component score.

  Allowed values:

  • Free access
  • Subscription
  • Ticket or entry fee
  • Separate purchase
  • Access through an edition, subscription, or platform store
• Mode state

  Whether the mode is active now: queue wait times, merged or closed formats, fewer maps and venues, and public developer explanations about a lack of opponents. Stored separately from depth and reach because a shrinking mode has the same component profile as a growing one.

  Value type:

  Text, single value

  Requirement:

  Required when applicable

  Methodology section:

  4, 14.6

  Required when: Wherever the mode may be fading.

Version history

Changes recorded for each module version. Assessment versions are matched against this history because different rubric versions may produce different levels.

• Version 0.3 Current Adoption date not recorded

  Revised after a six-game pilot. Aligned levels 4 and 5 around one comparison unit, the competitive mode; moved "one of the game's main loops" to Core Relevance. Split the level 5 condition: an in-game tournament format is mandatory, while selection and qualifiers remain score-raising component attributes. Rewrote the top scores for Matchmaking and Rating and ladder. Added the mandatory result unit because "rating" meant four different things in the sample. Added checks that the opponent is another player, plus season length, access method, mode state, leaderboard eligibility rules, a ban on tautological dependency, and a split between publisher-run and community-created external layers.

• Version 0.2Adoption date not recorded

  First written module version: concept, implementation types, assessment scope, seven components, final-level rules, usage signals, external layer, classification errors, and minimum evidence.

Versions used for recorded assessments

This list is based on assessments, not version history. Versions with no recorded assessments are omitted. Reassessment replaces the previous record, so zero for an older version would misleadingly imply that it was never used.

• Version 0.3:209 assessments across 200 games