Balance Patch: Rankings Edition
start.gg has consolidated over a decade of competitive ranking data into a redesigned ranking framework, according to the platform's own release notes.
The update touches profile display, event seeding, and cross-site integration — effectively converting rankings from a static list into load-bearing infrastructure. The change lands alongside balance shifts in Slay the Spire 2 and a Quick Play Hacked update in Overwatch, closing out a dense patch week on the competitive side.
Ranking pages, rebuilt
The new ranking surfaces ship per-player customization: custom images and text, a dedicated "Ratings" field for Elo scores, panel votes, or in-game rank inputs, and per-player timelines covering recent placements, historical rank movement, and upcoming tournaments. start.gg frames the system as scaling from premier lists — SSBMRank and UltRank — down to local school and city power rankings, with the same UI serving a 300-deep panel ranking and a 12-player locals sheet. On the registration side, multi-ticket checkout can now auto-form a team without invites, and the Manage Registration flow moved to a dedicated page.
Rankings now surface inside player profiles, attendee lists, and event seeding pages. For Super Smash Bros. Melee players, Lucky Ranks are live on the platform, sourced daily from luckystats.gg via a community-tuned Elo algorithm. start.gg flags deeper event-seeding integration and site-wide player statistics as the next phase — implying rankings are now a primitive the rest of the site will lean on.
Slay the Spire 2 reverts, small numbers
Per GamesRadar+, Mega Crit's v0.110.0 beta patch walks back the 0.109.0 reworks: Mirage and Pillar of Creation return to their pre-0.109.0 baselines, with Pillar of Creation receiving a small buff and Mirage a small nerf. The cleanest delta in the notes is Pael's Relax card: Block value moves from 15(17) to 16(18) — a +6.7% lift at base, ~+5.9% upgraded. The patch also introduces a keyboard-only control option, lifts the appearance rate of Uncommon cards "as intended," and removes shuffle-order discernment in certain scenarios.
Overwatch Quick Play Hacked, and what to watch
A July 30 patch indexed by players.com.ua lists 6v6 balance changes for Overwatch's Quick Play Hacked mode. Full patch text wasn't available in the indexed source, so specifics remain pending Blizzard's official note. The format framing suggests a sandbox branch rather than a ranked-axis change — competitive viability on the ladder should be unaffected unless the format is escalated into matchmaking.
Practical impact, in order of magnitude. Smash players see the immediate delta: rankings now feed seeding and attendee lists, so TOs and panel organizers should expect the new format at the next major. Deckbuilder players should watch Relax's block curve — small in absolute terms, but enough to shift the breakpoint at which the card clears incoming Act 2 damage thresholds. For Overwatch, treat this as an isolated queue experiment until Blizzard clarifies scope.