How arena opponents are matched

The arena picks an opponent using two measures: level and rating. Level decides who can be matched at all, and rating decides which of them is closest to you in strength.

Level: no more than ±6

• Heroes of level 1–59 meet within ±6 levels: a level 30 hero gets opponents from level 24 to 36. This is a hard limit — the window never widens further.
• Level 60 heroes are a separate tier: they only meet other level 60 heroes.
• For a party the window is measured from its average level.

1v1 arena: ±20 ranks by rating

1. All fighters of your tier are lined up by rating.
2. Your opponent is picked at random from the 20 ranks above and 20 ranks below you in that list.
3. Your last 10 opponents are skipped, so you don't meet the same hero again and again. A repeat only happens if there is nobody else to pick.
4. If there are few heroes in your level window, world residents near your level fill the gap.

Team arena and battleground

• Alone: the fight starts at once, and world residents matched by level fill the free seats on both teams.
• As a live party: first the game spends 45 seconds looking for a live enemy party of a suitable level. If one is found, you fight live players; if not, you fight world residents.

Who residents are and how they play is covered in World residents.

Newcomers

Heroes of level 1–59 with a mode rating of 1,000 or less get gentler matchmaking: opponents are never above your level, and residents wear ordinary gear. Details in Arena for newcomers.

FAQ

Why did I get an opponent above my level?

Below level 60 a gap of up to 6 levels either way is allowed. If you are an arena newcomer, you never get an opponent above your level.

Why is my opponent stronger at the same level?

Matching goes by rating, not by gear. Heroes in a full PvP set can stand next to you on the ladder — and beating them earns you more rating.