Climbing the Ladder: How to Earn a League Promotion

by Blizzard Entertainment Nov 15, 2011 9:00 AM PST
346

Each new ladder season, we see many players on the community forums asking, “What do I need to do to earn a League promotion?” This post should provide you with enough information to answer that question.

One way to almost guarantee a promotion by next season is to earn the number of division ladder points given in the corresponding table entry below by December 13, in anticipation of a December 20 season roll.*

Q: Is this the only way to be promoted?
A: No, this is just one fairly reliable way. Some players may be promoted before reaching this number, and a rare few may remain in their current league after reaching the value. This rare few can expect a mid-season promotion if they maintain their skill level during the next season.

Q: How do I get my ladder points that high?
A: The only way to gain these points is to win more than you lose for a sustained period. For example, if you look at your match history and have won at least 12 of your last 20 games, you’re on the right track. Keep it up!

*Note:This assumes season 4 ends the week of December 19. This date is subject to change.

Target ladder point values for next season promotion, by region:

 

NA 1v1 2v2 Random 2v2 Arranged 3v3 Random 3v3 Arranged 4v4 Random 4v4 Arranged
Bronze to Silver 1200 1100 1000 1000 900 1000 900
Silver to Gold 800 800 700 700 700 700 700
Gold to Platinum 800 700 700 700 700 700 600
Platinum to Diamond 800 800 700 700 700 700 700
Diamond to Master 900 900 800 800 800 800 700
Master to near Grandmaster 1400
EU 1v1 2v2 Random 2v2 Arranged 3v3 Random 3v3 Arranged 4v4 Random 4v4 Arranged
Bronze to Silver 1150 1090 1000 970 890 940 830
Silver to Gold 770 740 700 690 650 670 620
Gold to Platinum 710 690 650 640 610 630 590
Platinum to Diamond 770 740 700 690 650 670 620
Diamond to Master 890 850 790 770 720 750 690
Master to near Grandmaster 1340
KR 1v1 2v2 Random 2v2 Arranged 3v3 Random 3v3 Arranged 4v4 Random 4v4 Arranged
Bronze to Silver 1170 980 910 910 830 850 790
Silver to Gold 780 690 660 660 620 630 600
Gold to Platinum 720 650 620 620 590 600 570
Platinum to Diamond 780 690 660 660 620 630 600
Diamond to Master 900 780 740 740 690 700 660
Master to near Grandmaster 1350
SEA 1v1 2v2 Random 2v2 Arranged 3v3 Random 3v3 Arranged 4v4 Random 4v4 Arranged
Bronze to Silver 1090 960 930 890 840 860 780
Silver to Gold 740 680 670 650 630 640 600
Gold to Platinum 690 640 630 610 590 600 570
Platinum to Diamond 740 680 670 650 630 640 600
Diamond to Master 850 770 750 720 690 710 650
Master to near Grandmaster 1280
CN 1v1 2v2 Random 2v2 Arranged 3v3 Random 3v3 Arranged 4v4 Random 4v4 Arranged
Bronze to Silver 1000 940 880 900 830 880 830
Silver to Gold 700 670 640 650 620 650 620
Gold to Platinum 650 630 610 620 590 610 590
Platinum to Diamond 700 670 640 650 620 650 620
Diamond to Master 790 750 720 730 690 720 680
Master to near Grandmaster 1200

 

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ShadowHunter #700
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ShadowHunter
5/1/2013
BS, was platinum + 800 points and now im again at platinum after winning by far my placement match ,wtf is this !@#$
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Infernapes #635
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Infernapes
3/18/2013
I used the system, I made it to silver trying to make it to gold league but having trouble though plat in 2v2 can't make it out of plat though
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SKTBoxeR #690
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SKTBoxeR
3/2/2013
This season I am in Platinum, Top 25, and will likely finish in Top 25 or maybe Top 8 depending on how much I can play. Last season I was Silver, and I have been in Silver League for four straight seasons. Before that I was in Bronze for four seasons. Yes, I QQ'd a lot about why I couldn't be Gold already, but all those seasons of practice has prepared me for the sudden leap I have made from Silver to Gold to Platinum this season. If they don't promote you, there is a good reason, KEEP TRYING AND PLAY AS HARD AS YOU CAN!!! YOU CAN DO IT LIKE I COULD!
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MYsTiCFLaW #758
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MYsTiCFLaW
12/11/2012
At the end of the day this is the system so live it, love it, learn it. It ISN'T hard to get promoted and if u are having problems with higher tier players dont be a douche about the loss u take, try to befriend them cause it never hurts to learn from a masters or GM if u can and when u can. I'll say this and been here since beta.... as the old saying goes *Practice makes perfect* :)
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Wendalius #232
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Wendalius
11/30/2012
This table shows it is very, very hard to get out of bronze.
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Xenocide #689
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Xenocide
9/24/2012
By points, do they mean fixed points? Like the one in the top right corner of the SC2 hub?
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Joksta #394
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Joksta
11/23/2012
@Xenocide: I dont think so, I believe those point are your ladder points
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Theb #407
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Theb
8/26/2012
Hello, does somebody know if this table is still somewhat accurate?
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TTTMacheteCM #347
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TTTMacheteCM
9/3/2012
@wXsTheb: Yeah it is, I got bumped from bronze to silver a week ago, and I had 1200 points
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IIIIIIIIIIII #1679
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IIIIIIIIIIII
11/14/2012
@MacheteCM: i from bronze to silver not even reaching 300 points
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STEPHEN #1461
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STEPHEN
12/22/2012
@IceBergZ: If you are placed in bronze and maintain a strong win rate you get out quite quickly. I skipped practice league and made it out in less than a week. bronze is simply a "Can you defend from cheese" league.
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Ozmosis #524
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Ozmosis
8/19/2012
do you need a 50 percent win rate in your total career games or just for the season? seems kind of stupid to have it for total games but idk :(
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kirakiller #755
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kirakiller
8/2/2012
damnit got 900 points and i am 1st in my division 1200 is way to much because i dont play that much
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LiquidDragom #492
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LiquidDragom
7/9/2012
Bucks, its because to get out of bronze u need a 50 percent win rate, so if lsot 100 games early on, your gonna remain in bronze for a long time
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Dragoon #872
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Dragoon
7/6/2012
What I do not undertsand is how I own almost everyone in bronze every game in 1v1 but im still in bronze. At first I was like w/e I will move up fast but then I did my 3v3 placement and got into diamon and I was like HUH??? How did this happen... Been forever sense I have done ladder and not familer with the system so any ideas how I got diamond 3v3???
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mannerless #932
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mannerless
7/29/2012
@Bucks: Bucks, Team League is way less competetive than 1v1 and your league in Team League is pretty much meaningless compared to your 1v1 league. Basically you got lucky in your 3v3 placements (good allies, terrible opponents)
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Phed #447
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Phed
7/4/2012
I've been stuck at the top of the silver league in 3v3 random for a while. No matter how many games I win, I can't seem to get promoted. I basically was placed in silver in all random formats because I endeavoured to learn Terran. I switched back to zerg and was promoted in a matter of games in all other formats. What's the deal? I haven't played for a while, but I'm typically ranked plat/diamond in team games and gold in 1v1..
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PeaCe #487
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PeaCe
7/26/2012
@Phed: You realize that team games mean nothing in respects to your skill level right? because you have teammates to rely on you can be bronze and still get masters 4v4. It angers me when people say "I'm silver 1v1 but I'm high masters 4v4"...
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DaHayNSurFaH #368
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DaHayNSurFaH
6/24/2012
this is gona be hard in bronze when u have so many people cannon rushing or 6 pooling
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Rubnub #389
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Rubnub
7/3/2012
@DaHayNSurFaH: if you can't defend those then you should be in bronze
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AkimboPandas #187
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AkimboPandas
7/16/2012
@DaHayNSurFaH: that should make it easier
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Ozmosis #524
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Ozmosis
8/19/2012
@Rubnub: how do you figure? GM's lose to that quite often. By that logic top gm's should still be in bronze lol.
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sneakycactus #936
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sneakycactus
6/12/2012
I was gold leauge in 4v4 my win to loss ratio was 7:3 i play my placement match and win and get bronze, why? And is there any hope for me to maybe get silver?
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Name #879
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Name
6/12/2012
I was number 2 bronze 650 points i win against silver casually, i win my placemeent match he gets silver, i get bronze... why?
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manmarine #870
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manmarine
6/4/2012
I am in bronze i won 17 games in a row and was at number 1 when i started the streak, Im still in bronze WTF.
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Skorne #702
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Skorne
6/10/2012
@EchoMarine: ladder is locked until the new season on tuesday
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RiotZ #260
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RiotZ
6/4/2012
I won 25 of my last 32 games, (not an exact amount,) I'm #1 in my division, and over 800 points, still in Silver, WHAT GIVES?!
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PolarBear #430
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PolarBear
6/3/2012
does this apply for all seasons?
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RebornVaporX #675
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RebornVaporX
5/28/2012
Lol ive got a promotion from silv to gold with less that 300 points..
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SCMaster #709
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SCMaster
5/14/2012
im doing pretty good (in silver(which is horrible)) - lost 7 games in the last 20 games and won 13 :D
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TheDiddler #976
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TheDiddler
5/11/2012
no it's only win or loss which counts to MMR, things like APM dont matter
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Benawesome #974
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Benawesome
5/31/2012
@Bawjaws: what is an apm?
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MASE #134
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MASE
4/21/2012
I think it is also involved with in game performance (i.e APM) as well as W/L ratio. and for apm maybe its not just how fast you are, but if you are just faster than your opponent in general. But a grey about about apm is tactical players have lower apm's as well. The better these stats are the less points you need

Just a theory
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Backpackface #695
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Backpackface
4/16/2012
I dont really mind it,
Seems I'm always in for a good game I'm in plat still but have only played diamonds for the last day or 2.

I do not understand though how im beating top diamonds on ladder and still plat though, woudlnt mind the emblem :(
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MonsterKiLL #343
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MonsterKiLL
5/13/2012
@Backpackface: i just got my rank promo from plat to diamond. you need alot of points and win alot vs diamond players. i had just over 700 points in plat before they promoted me. from the looks of it you need like 450 more points. gl bro
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RiotZ #260
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RiotZ
4/14/2012
I went like 52 and 18 and had 800 some points in 1v1, and it still placed my in Bronze... I hate this system, it should be W/L only for ranking.
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Terranship #371
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Terranship
4/4/2012
DAMmm 1200 points thats a lot!!! i got like 790
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GrIZzlY #298
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GrIZzlY
3/29/2012
I went from bronze to silver with around 750 points.. now im 1st in my silver league with 600 points
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Raider #905
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Raider
3/26/2012
do you have to be in 1st place to get promoted cause im on a 11 wins streak in 1s
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KJToss #591
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KJToss
3/31/2012
@OSGRaider: No you do not. You only have to have the points and the MMr to advance. In reality, division rank does not mean anything unless you are in grandmasters.
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