Attention, StarCraft II ladder competitors! 2012 Season 5 is now locked.

At the end of each ladder season, leagues are “locked,” which means players can no longer be promoted or demoted out of their current league or division, and bonus pools will stop growing. That’s no reason to quit playing: even after leagues are locked, players will still be able to play out their remaining bonus pool and compete for standing within their divisions until the season ends one week later. The matchmaking skill ratings which determine league promotion and demotion will also continue to update during the lock, so games played during the lock still count toward 2013 Season 1 league placement.

Now that the lock is in effect, 2012 Season 5 will soon come to an end. We’ll be turning over to 2013 Season 1 on January 3, and the Grandmaster League will start one week following the season roll. Season milestone rewards will be awarded and bonus pools will reset with the beginning of the new season. Hidden skill ratings used for matchmaking and league placement will carry over from the previous season, though, so players who have completed placement matches in a previous season will only need to play one new placement match after 2013 Season 1 starts.