Splinterlands, one of the oldest blockchain games in the genre of collectible card games (TCG), has recently updated its ranking battle system, making significant changes to improve accessibility and fairness in the game. The innovations include the abolition of league restrictions, the introduction of a flat rating system, and other aspects that make Splinterlands more appealing to a wider range of players.

Main Changes

• Abolition of League Restrictions: Now all leagues except for Novice serve only as a visual indicator of the current range of players' ratings. This means that leaderboards have been abolished, except for the Champion league. Also, there are no maximum level restrictions for cards and penalties for low-level cards.
• Unified SPS Reward Pool: Instead of dividing the SPS reward pool by leagues, there is now one common pool for the modern format and a separate pool for the wild format.
• Flat Rating System: The ELO system has been replaced by a flat rating system in which players gain or lose 20 rating points regardless of the opponent's rating. Bonuses for winning streaks will continue to apply in all leagues except for the Champion league.

These changes only affect ranking battles and do not affect guild battles or tournaments, which will remain the same. In addition, developers have updated the energy cost, rating ranges, and end-of-season resets, details of which can be found in the official announcement. Future changes are also promised, including a revamped reward system.

These updates make Splinterlands more accessible and fair for players of all levels, promising a new level of engagement and competition in the game.