ELO Rating System
Your skill, quantified. Beat the best, climb the fastest.
How Ratings Work
CobbleRanked uses a proven rating system that rewards skill:
- Beat a stronger player → Big ELO gain
- Beat a weaker player → Small ELO gain
- Lose to a stronger player → Small ELO loss
- Lose to a weaker player → Big ELO loss
The system finds your true skill level fast. Upsets are rewarded. Playing it safe yields less.
Rating Systems
CobbleRanked supports two rating algorithms:
Pokemon Showdown (Default)
The same system used by Pokemon Showdown. Features dynamic K-factors based on your rating and experience level.
Glicko-2
A more advanced system that tracks rating uncertainty. Better for servers with irregular play patterns.
Rank Tiers
| ELO | Tier |
|---|---|
| 2100+ | Cherish Ball |
| 1900-2099 | Beast Ball |
| 1700-1899 | Master Ball |
| 1500-1699 | Ultra Ball |
| 1300-1499 | Great Ball |
| Below 1300 | Poke Ball |
New players start at 1000 ELO. Win your way up or fall trying.
K-Factor Bands
The K-factor controls how much your rating changes per match. CobbleRanked uses dynamic K-factors:
| ELO Range | K-Factor | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| New players (first 30 games) | 50 | Fast calibration |
| Below 1500 | 48 | Larger swings |
| 1500-1699 | 36 | Moderate changes |
| 1700-1999 | 24 | Balanced |
| 2000-2499 | 18 | Stable ratings |
| 2500+ | 12 | Very stable |
Higher K-factor means bigger rating changes. New players calibrate quickly, while established players have stable ratings.
Win Streak Bonus
Consecutive wins reward your momentum with a small K-factor boost:
| Win Streak | K-Factor Bonus | Example Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 3+ wins | +3 | Base K=25 → Effective K=28 (+12% Elo gain) |
| 5+ wins | +5 | Base K=25 → Effective K=30 (+20% Elo gain) |
This bonus is automatically applied to winners and helps faster progression during hot streaks. Losing resets your streak.
The Math (Simplified)
New Rating = Old Rating + K × (Result - Expected)Example: Even Match
Two 1500-rated players face off. 50/50 odds.
- Winner: 1500 → 1510 (+10, K=20)
- Loser: 1500 → 1490 (-10)
Example: Upset Victory
A 1400 player beats a 1600 player. Big reward for the underdog.
- Underdog: 1400 → 1424 (+24)
- Favorite: 1600 → 1592 (-8)
Example: Expected Win
A 1700 player beats a 1400 player. Small gains for the favorite.
- Favorite: 1700 → 1704 (+4)
- Underdog: 1400 → 1392 (-8)
Rank Rewards
Players receive one-time rewards when reaching a new tier. Configure in rewards.yaml.
| Tier | Example Reward |
|---|---|
| Great Ball | 10 Poké Balls |
| Ultra Ball | 10 Great Balls |
| Master Ball | 10 Ultra Balls |
| Beast Ball | 1 Master Ball |
| Cherish Ball | 3 Master Balls |
See Rewards Configuration for full setup.
Configuration
# elo.yaml
ratingSystem: POKEMON_SHOWDOWN # or GLICKO2
startingElo: 1000
floorElo: 1000
pokemonShowdown:
newPlayerGames: 30
newPlayerKFactor: 50
kFactorBands:
- maxElo: 1500
kFactor: 48
- maxElo: 1700
kFactor: 36
- maxElo: 2000
kFactor: 24
- maxElo: 2500
kFactor: 18
- maxElo: 999999
kFactor: 12
streakBonus:
enabled: false
threshold3Wins: 3
threshold5Wins: 5
glicko2:
startingRD: 150.0
startingVolatility: 0.06
systemConstant: 0.5
rdDecayDays: 30
maxRatingChange: 100
rankTiers:
- name: "POKEBALL"
displayName: "Poké Ball"
minElo: 0
- name: "GREATBALL"
displayName: "Great Ball"
minElo: 1300
- name: "ULTRABALL"
displayName: "Ultra Ball"
minElo: 1500
- name: "MASTERBALL"
displayName: "Master Ball"
minElo: 1700
- name: "BEASTBALL"
displayName: "Beast Ball"
minElo: 1900
- name: "CHERISH"
displayName: "Cherish Ball"
minElo: 2100Key Settings
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
startingElo | 1000 | Starting rating for new players |
floorElo | 1000 | Minimum possible rating |
streakBonus.enabled | false | Enable win streak K-factor bonus |
Season Resets
Optionally reset ratings when a new season starts:
# season.yaml
onSeasonEnd:
resetElo: false # Hard reset to starting ELO
softResetElo: true # Partial reset
softResetFactor: 0.5 # How much to reset (0.5 = halfway to starting)Soft reset example: A 1800 player with factor 0.5 resets to 1400 (halfway between 1800 and 1000).
Check Your Rating
Open /ranked and view your stats. See your ELO, win rate, and ranking across all formats.
Related: Ranked Battles | Leaderboards | Seasons