Recently, we announced an exciting partnership with start.gg that has already packed the RCS with community events receiving prize money and league points. We recognize that this influx of events could leave people with questions related to how the annual Power Rankings will be determined. That’s why we’ve been working on a comprehensive system to ensure community events get their proper representation, while also keeping an eye on frequency and strength of tournaments popping up in the RCS.
It is important to note that while all events that qualify for a RCS tier will receive points and prize money, there are additional requirements to be considered for Top 50 Rankings at the conclusion of Season 7. Qualifications for Top 50 Rankings are detailed below:
Player Requirements:
For players looking to qualify for Power Rankings in Season 7, we have some simple requirements. Players must enter a minimum of four (4) PR eligible events with at least two (2) of them being within the RCS Premier tier. This season, Top 50 PR will be decided based on data from every eligible tournament.
Event Requirements:
Events must meet one of the following tier qualifications:
- RCS Premier events.
- Online RCS Gold level events.
- Local RCS Bronze or greater level event with at least 32 attendees, including at least 5 current or previous Top 50 competitors. Events such as these should have a significant presence of players from other regions.
In addition, to be PR eligible all events that meet the above criteria must also follow specific guidelines to ensure players are judged fairly on their performances:
- Events shall apply and appear on the RCS Season 7 Schedule.
- Events shall follow the standard RCS Ruleset for Rivals of Aether Singles.
- Events shall not have a barrier of entry based on perceived level of skill.
- Events shall follow the official RCS banlist. If players are banned on a local or private level separate from the official list, their involvement is up to the Tournament Organizer’s discretion.
- Tournament Organizers must provide and execute a safe and fair environment for players, whether that be related to local venue conditions, online lag checks, or otherwise.
A reminder of the tiers in RCS Season 7.
Event Weighting
When putting together the rankings, events that qualify for Top 50 Power Rankings must be weighted properly to consider a player’s overall accomplishments for the year. Events are typically weighted by the power rankings panel based on various points. This year we will state ahead of time which events are weighted highest based on our own grading system. This system is as follows:
- Highest Weight:
- All RCS Premier events.
- Online Gold events that reach 300+ attendees.
- Local RCS Silver or Gold events with 20 or more current and former Top 50 players.
- Average Weight:
- Online Gold events with 200-299 attendees.
- Local RCS Silver or Gold events with 10-19 current and former Top 50 players.
- Lowest Weight:
- Online Gold events with 100-199 attendees.
- Local RCS Bronze, Silver, or Gold events with 5-9 current and former Top 50 players. Minimum attendance of 32 players.
Behind the Requirements
When deciding which events could and could not qualify for Power Rankings, we considered things such as region sizes, concentrations of top players, accessibility to events, and much more. For local events specifically, our guidelines are slightly more strict than achieving bronze status to help ensure that stacked regions won’t see inflated results. Whereas for online events, requirements are higher to account for quality and frequency.
Regarding rules, we feel that a standardized rule-set among a wide range of Tournament Organizers and regions can clearly define what is expected of players when competing, allowing for a fair playing field when an event has ascended to the level of Power Ranking contention.
Regarding a unified ban-list on eligible events, it is our number one priority to do everything in our power to ensure attendees are safe and see fair tournament play when encouraged to attend tournaments. A unified ban list ensures that individuals that have incurred serious infractions will remain out of public spaces that should be lifted up and celebrated by our community at large.
We encourage every T.O. to strive for the absolute best when running events, and we cannot wait to see what the community has in store for us in Season 7. Good luck everyone, and happy hunting for those wins!
