Overwatch 2 rank distribution: Season 9

We're putting together the pieces of the ranked puzzle.

Ana shoots a healing dart toward Zarya.
Screengrab via Blizzard Entertainment

Now that Overwatch 2 has revamped its Competitive structure, players are hungry for all the statistics they can get their hands on, from hero pick rates to rank distribution. Knowing how Overwatch 2 rank distribution works can be the key to knowing where you stand compared to the rest of the player base.

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Here’s everything we know about Overwatch 2’s competitive rank distribution.

What is the rank distribution in Overwatch 2?

Screenshot of the ranking system within Overwatch 2.
Screenshot via Dot Esports

Blizzard seldom releases actual data for Overwatch 2’s true competitive rank distribution. The last accurate data we have is from season eight, so we can only speculate on the data for season nine. Exact numbers are likely to change from season to season, but general trends of rank distribution have stayed stable within the game for years.

That said, here are the official statistics given for Overwatch 2’s rank distribution for season eight.

  • Bronze 10.2 percent
  • Silver 19.2 percent (Above 10.2 percent of players)
  • Gold 26.7 percent (Above 29.4 percent of players)
  • Plat 26.2 percent (Above 56.1 percent of players)
  • Diamond 12.2 percent (Above 82.3 percent of players)
  • Master 3.9 percent (Above 94.5 percent of players)
  • Grandmaster 1.6 percent (Above 98.4 percent of players)

Here’s a rough estimate of the percentage of players in each rank based on the sizes of bars in the chart. Blizzard failed to provide players with exact values, so these might not be perfect, but they should be accurate within one percent, give or take.

Blizzard revealed the competitive rank distribution for PC players in Overwatch 2 as a part of a competitive play update posted to the game’s official website. The chart doesn’t include precise figures, but based on the graphic, it is likely that the 50th percentile is somewhere around the upper Gold ranks (i.e., Gold 3 or Gold 2).

A chart that shows the competitive rank distribution of Overwatch 2's PC players. The top of the bell curve is the Gold rank.
More than half of ranked Overwatch 2 players are either Gold or Platinum. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Here are the rank distribution percentages that Kaplan shared with players from 2018:

  • Bronze: 8 percent
  • Silver: 21 percent
  • Gold: 32 percent
  • Platinum: 25 percent
  • Diamond: 10 percent
  • Master: Three percent
  • Grandmaster: One percent

In a post to Blizzard’s forums, Kaplan disclosed what percentage of the game’s players were in each tier. That was the last time players received any definitive distribution statistics. Though we don’t know the exact percentage figures for the current distribution of active players in the game, the chart shared for season eight seems close to what Kaplan shared five years ago.

OW2 new competitive play progression in season 9
Overwatch 2’s new competitive progression. Image via Blizzard Entertainment.

Blizzard made notable adjustments to competitive progress in season nine, including new estimations for bonus EXP from ranked matchups and win streaks.

What is considered a good rank in Overwatch 2?

Given the chart and its numbers, players seem, on average, to hover around Gold 3 within ranked play. Going off this, a rank of Gold 3 is good or average. Anything above that, like Diamond and Platinum, is generally considered above average, and so on.

We’ll continue to update this article when we learn more about Overwatch 2’s rank distribution and if Blizzard releases more definitive information.

What is the average rank for an Overwatch player?

The average Overwatch player is around Gold 3, according to our figures. This means those in Diamond or higher are in the top fifth percentile in Overwatch 2’s ranking system, while those in Platinum are considered above average.

Author
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Emily Morrow
Emily is a staff writer covering Apex Legends, Overwatch, Pokemon, and general gaming for Dot Esports. Her other bylines include Digital Trends, Screen Rant, and GameSpew. She also works as a narrative designer in games. Get in touch with her on Twitter @thepokeflute.
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Max Miceli
Senior Staff Writer. Max graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a journalism and political science degree in 2015. He previously worked for The Esports Observer covering the streaming industry before joining Dot where he now helps with Overwatch 2 coverage.
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Dominique' McClain
Dominique' McClain is a passionate writer on anything Esports and video games. She has 4+ years of experience covering games in the industry and enjoys Overwatch 2, Fortnite, and Elden Ring.
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Austin Ernst
Austin is an Updates Writer and Fallout Fanatic. He founded his podcast channel, Shared Screens, and his words can be found at Six One Indie and TheGamer on top of writing for Gamurs. Austin is recently married as of October 2022, and has two Aussie dogs.
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Nadine Manske
Nadine is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She covers VALORANT and Overwatch with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region and marginalized genders in esports. Before joining Dot Esports as a freelance writer, she interned at Gen.G Esports and the Star Tribune in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Her favorite Pokémon is Quagsire.