Since shortly after the release of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, we've been regularly sharing Top 200 lists to help people keep track of the performance of the best players in their region. With the release of StarCraft II patch 1.2, we're launching a new league designed to give the best players in each region a new arena in which to prove their skill: the Master League. While the existing Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond leagues each encompass 20% of the active players in a region, only the top 2% of players will be promoted into the Master League. In other words, this is a league for the best of the best.

Wondering out it works? Here's a brief Q&A to help answer some of your questions.

Q: Why are you introducing the Master League?
A: The Master League is designed to provide a more competitive arena for the top 2% of StarCraft II players in a region, and to help recognize the talents of the most skilled StarCraft II players. The skill gap between the top and bottom players in the Diamond League is fairly wide, and we wanted to acknowledge that distinction. In addition, the Master League provides us with a natural pool of players for determining placement in the upcoming (and even more exclusive) Grandmaster League.

Q: How do I get into the Master League?
A: Only the top 2% of active players in each region will be elevated to the Master League. Because the Diamond League accounts for 20% of all active players, even the #1 ranked player in your Diamond division may not necessarily be promoted to Master League. Our automated placement system compares your player skill to that of all players in your region by way of matches played, just as we do with the Top 200, to determine eligibility.

Q: Will the Master League start with the launch of the patch?
A: The top 2% of players from the Diamond League (as determined by our system) will be promoted to the Master league starting with patch 1.2. As with all promotions, Master League placement can only occur after winning a match.

Q: I'm in the Master League! What else you got?
A: First, congratulations are in order -- you're really good at StarCraft II! Beyond the Master League, we have plans for a Grandmaster League, encompassing the top 200 players in each region. We'll have more details to share in the future.

Q: Are you ever going to reset the leagues?
A: Yes, and we'll be sure to let you know before we do. Note that we will not reset your skill rating when we reset the leagues, so don't expect to rocket beyond or drop well below where you were before when you're placed after a reset.

It's important to us that the StarCraft II matching system provides fast, fair, and fun competition for everyone, and we'll continue to improve the league and ladder system to provide a great gameplay experience for all of our players. We hope you've been enjoying yourself so far, and we look forward to sharing more of our plans in the future.