Why are Season 8 ratings much higher than previous seasons?

**jacelkos** · 10-07-2013, 02:50 PM

Hi all,

I was just having the look at the current ratings, and realized that a 270+ rating was enough to get you to the top 100 last season, while you currently need 320+ to reach the same spot currently.

Is there a reason for this change? Is this because people loose ratings when the season becomes longer?
I can't imagine that there are so many better players than before :-)

**Zhou86** · 10-07-2013, 03:04 PM

Hi there, this is because its still fairly early into the season.

And yes, the average rating will drop as the season grows longer.

Cheers.

**Peithoson** · 10-07-2013, 03:05 PM

Originally Posted by Zhou86

Hi there, this is because its still fairly early into the season.

And yes, the average rating will drop as the season grows longer.

Cheers.

This ^

The average rating will probably end up somewhere between 270-260.

**jacelkos** · 10-07-2013, 03:20 PM

Thanks for the replies!

Out of curiosity, what causes this decrease in ratings?
Is this a technicality or is this because of other players adjusting to the meta and bringing the top spots down?

**Alzorath** · 10-07-2013, 03:48 PM

Technical reasons... the way the rating system works basically.

Though I disagree about the idea of it dropping below 300 rating needed to place this season... especially if we stick with the new 1-month system.

**Warr Byrd** · 10-07-2013, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by jacelkos

Thanks for the replies!

Out of curiosity, what causes this decrease in ratings?
Is this a technicality or is this because of other players adjusting to the meta and bringing the top spots down?

If you are playing against people who are roughly equal in terms of skill and deck strength, and one deck isn't a direct counter to the other, your win rate will be roughly 50%. However, you get punished more for a loss than rewarded for a win. So, if you keep playing, your rating will slowly decline. This is why, in early seasons, players would make the top ratings and then camp, not playing any games with that account so that it wouldn't lose any games and therefore lose rating. Which is why rating decay was instituted.