​The Cycle: New Ranked Mode Now Available

The new Ranked Mode for The Cycle dials player competition up to a whole new level! 

Ranked Mode is a more deterministic, more competitive way of experiencing The Cycle, where motivations outside of the match win condition are removed or at least kept to a minimum – no random drops, no story missions, it’s just about who comes out on top. This adds a new edge to the game and leads to a very different game experience.

The feature status as of today represents the most recent design version – the shape it will eventually take depends on player feedback and gameplay stats. This doesn’t mean the feature is glitchy or incomplete, but subject to regular balancing tweaks in order to continually improve player experience. 

At first, ranked matches are unlocked for the Squad mode only. One week later the new Ranked Mode is available exclusively for all Duo Mode players. Single player matches remain unranked for the moment. Which game modes are ranked in the future depends on the player feedback. 

How it works: 

All players start with the same Prospector rank when they join a ranked match for the first time. To increase this rank, they have to finish the match in the best spot they can. Players are, currently, not matched by their rank. How the matchmaking will work in the future depends on fan feedback.

After each successful round, all competitors receive points that eventually increase their rank. Once a player reaches the last level, they become a Prestige Prospector and unlock exclusive banners that mark them out as Prestige player. This rank can be increased infinitely.

With this update, YAGER also releases the first iteration of the Space Station. There players can move around in a 3D lobby, meet and interact with other players. This is the first step to bring the Space Station to life, which will grow into a central player hub in the future with many social features, crafting spaces, shops and much more.

Do you want to take a look for yourself? Feel free to download the game from Epic Store.

The press kit for the game can be found here.