New arena season: ratings reset, the ladder starts clean

The arena season is closed. Results are in and rewards have gone out — the letters are already in the in-game mail of everyone who earned them. — WHAT CHANGED — Ratings are reset for EVERYONE. Before, a rating was only pulled towards the middle, and the gap between people who played the whole season and people who arrived later carried on into the next one. Now everybody starts the new season on the same mark — last season's champion and someone who joined yesterday alike. Rank thresholds are unchanged. We did NOT lower them: a rank should cost what it cost. A season of active play is enough to go from the start to the top — that is by design. A season now runs 60 days instead of 90. Shorter seasons mean results more often, rewards more often, and less chance of the ladder going stale. — REWARDS — First place in the season receives the Champion's Brand, second and third the Runner-up's Brand, and the top ten the Fighter's Brand. These are unique turquoise items: one per account, passed between your own heroes, wearable from level one, and each has its own active — once per battle, clear all harmful effects from yourself and gain a shield. There are only a handful of these items in the world, and the only place to get one is here: the arena, at the end of a season. Good luck in the new season.