Ranked Play in both Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone has been a hot topic throughout Season 1, and not for the best reasons. Changes are promised for Season 2, and for now, Ranked Play is down in both game modes.
As of midnight Pacific time on January 28, Ranked Play matchmaking has been taken offline, so whatever position you hit on the ladder, that's as far as you're going until Season 2. The buttons for the playlists have been disabled, so you can't even try or accidentally go into the mode.
Here's what you need to know for the new season.
When does Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Warzone Ranked Play come back online for Season 2?
Ranked Play is offline until the start of Season 2 and currently that is planned for 9 a.m. Pacific (12 p.m. Eastern, 5 p.m. UK) on January 28. This could change should the developers encounter any issues, but as it stands, that is when we expect Ranked Play to go live again. There will also be a game update to download since Season 2 introduces significant changes.
New for Season 2 Ranked Play will be an option for console players to opt-out of crossplay with PC. While upgrades to the Ricochet anticheat are part of Season 2, there's no guarantee these will have any kind of effect, and console players are at least being given the option now to play only with other console players.
There will be three options; Full crossplay with PC, console only crossplay between Xbox and PlayStation, and console platform specific crossplay. Players are warned of potentially increased matchmaking times by eliminating PC players from their pool, but it could be worth it.
There are new rewards to be earned during Season 2 in both Black Ops 6 and Warzone, but also the news that some of the previous rewards will keep rolling into the new season. Ranked Play win rewards will keep on going so you haven't lost the chance to get them. It's only the seasonal rewards that are now gone.
Ranks will also be reset to some degree, but unless you're at the highest tiers, you won't be suffering too much. Bronze and Silver ranked players won't be reset at all, leaving you free to pick up where you finished Season 1. Gold or Platinum ranked players will be reset to the first tier of those ranks, respectively. Anyone at Diamond or above will be reset to Diamond I.
There are also changes promised to SR gain and loss across Black Ops 6 and Warzone, and players will begin Season 2 with three loss protections, and will get one to use every day.
Ranked Play in Season 02 📃: The Bounties and Competition will be fierce. Stay informed with this Season 02 #BO6 Ranked Play rundown. 👇 pic.twitter.com/pWcI1rXsKsJanuary 27, 2025
Ranked Play wasn't a great time during Season 1, with Warzone, in particular, a hotbed for cheaters. Much is promised for Season 2, but only time will tell what kind of impact these will have. On paper, though, it all sounds good. Let's get back into it.
