Battle.net seasons organize division tournaments.
Seasons are periodically locked before a new season begins. Players can still move up and down within a division but cannot jump from one league to another, and bonus points will no longer accumulate. However, their "hidden" rating will still be able to change (which affects the AMM and can result in a league jump in the new season). Season milestone rewards will be locked in at this time, and bonus pools will start over. Hidden skill ratings used for matchmaking and league placement will carry over from the previous season. Players will need to play a single placement match in the new season.[1][2]
A player's career page lists their placement in previous seasons.[3]
As of season 7, Blizzard has "relaxed" the AMM requirements, causing players to face opponents of somewhat higher and somewhat lower skill levels.[4]
As of September 2012, seasons are named with a year as well as a number. For instance, season 8 is referred to as 2012 season 3.[5]
Timeline
Season 1 was locked on March 22, 2011 and season 2 began March 29 of that year.[2]
Season 2 was locked on July 5th, 2011.[1] Season 3 started Tuesday, July 26, 2011.[6]
Season 3 was locked on October 10th,[7] and season 4 started October 25th.[8]
Season 4 was locked on December 13, 2011[9] and season 5 started December 20, 2011.[10][11]
Season 5 was locked on February 7, 2012[12] and season 6 began February 14, 2012.[13]
Season 7 began on April 10, 2012[14] and locked Tuesday, June 5, 2012.[15]
Season 8 started on June 12th.[16] The grandmaster league would start one week later.[17] As of October 2011, each season will now last for approximately two months, and Grandmaster league placement time will be reduced to one week (from two weeks) to account for the reduced season length.[7]
Season 8, now referred to as 2012 season 3, closed September 6, 2012. On September 11, 2012 season 4 starts, and a week later, the grandmaster league will open for it.[5]
2012 Season 4 closed Wednesday, October 24 and the next season opened Thursday, November 1st.[18]
2012 Season 5 was locked December 26, 2012.[19] 2013 Season 1 opened January 3, 2013.[20]
2013 Season 1 was locked March 5th and 2013 Season 2 opened March 11th.[21]
2013 Season 2 was locked April 23rd and Season 3 opened May 1st.[22]
2013 Season 3 was locked June 4th and Season 4 opened June 10th.[23]
2013 Season 4 was locked August 19 and Season 5 opened August 26.[24]
2013 Season 5 was locked on November 4th and Season 6 opened November 11th.[25]
2013 Season 6 was locked on December 26th and 2014 Season 1 opened January 3rd, 2014.[26]
2014 Season 1 was locked on April 7th, 2014[27] and Season 2 opened April 14th.[28]
2014 Season 2 was locked on June 23, 2014, and Season 3 opened July 7, 2014.[29]
2014 Season 3 was locked late in 2014, and Season 4 opened November 10, 2014.[30]
Map Pools
Two of the winners of Teamliquid's 2015 map contest will be included in this season's map pool.[31]
2015 Season 1 Pool
Complete 1v1 Map Pool for 2015 Season 1
New maps are in bold
- Deadwing LE
- Overgrowth
- Catallena LE
- Expedition Lost
- Inferno Pools
- Secret Spring
- Vaani Research Station
The following maps were removed
- 1v1
- King Sejong Station
- Foxtrot Labs LE
- Merry go round
- Nimbus[32]
2014 Season 4 Pool
This map pool was generated by voting.
- Cloud Kingdom
- Metalopolis
- Daybreak
- Ohana LE
- Shakuras Plateau
- Akilon Wastes
- Xel'Naga Caverns[33]
2014 Season 3 Pool
In June 2014, several new maps were previewed.
- 1v1
- Foxtrot Labs LE
- Deadwing LE
- Catallena LE
- Nimbus LE
- 2v2
- 3v3
- 4v4
The following maps were removed
- 1v1
- Habitation Station LE
- Frost LE
- Alterzim Stronghold LE
- Waystation
- 2v2
- Geosync Quarry
- Reclamation
- 3v3
- Temple of the Preservers
- Sands of Strife
- 4v4
- Fallout Zone
- Writhing Morass
Complete Map Pool for 2014 Season 3
- 1v1
- Foxtrot Labs LE
- Catallena LE
- Nimbus LE
- King Sejong Station LE
- Overgrowth LE
- Merry Go Round LE
- Deadwing LE[34]
2014 Season 2 Pool
In April 2014, several new maps were previewed.
- 1v1
- 2v2
- 3v3
- 4v4
The following maps were removed
- 1v1
- Polar Night
- Yeonsu
- Daedalus Point
- Heavy Rain
- 2v2
- Greystone Ravine
- Hunting Ground
- 3v3
- Queen’s Nest
- Vault of Secrets
- 4v4
- Celestial Bastion
- Volcanic Ridge
Complete 1v1 Map Pool for 2014 Season 2
- Alterzim Stronghold TE
- Frost LE
- Habitation Station LE
- King Sejong Station LE
- Overgrowth LE
- Merry Go Round LE
- Waystation[35]
2014 Season 1 Pool
In December 2013, several new maps were previewed.
- 1v1
- 2v2
The following maps were removed
- 1v1
- Bel’Shir Vestige LE
- Star Station TE
- Derelict Watcher
- 2v2
- Reflection
- The Bone Trench
Complete 1v1 Map Pool for 2014 Season 1
- Alterzim Stronghold TE
- Daedalus Point
- Frost LE
- Habitation Station LE
- Heavy Rain LE
- Polar Night LE
- Yeonsu LE
Complete 2v2 Map Pool for 2014 Season 1
- Avalanche
- Crooked Maw
- Geosync Quarry
- Graystone Ravine
- Isle of Slaughter
- Reclamation
- Resupply Tanker
- Hunting Ground[36]
2013 Season 6 Pool
In November 2013, several new maps were previewed.
- 1v1
- 3v3
- 4v4
- FFA
- Whirlwind LE
- Red City LE
- Frost LE
- Alterzim Stronghold TE
The following maps were removed
- 1v1
- Akilon Wastes
- Whirlwind LE
- 3v3
- Green Acres
- Silent Dunes
- 4v4
- FFA
Complete Season 6 1v1 Map Pool
- Alterzim Stronghold TE
- Bel’Shir Vestige LE
- Derelict Watcher TE
- Frost LE
- Polar Night LE
- Star Station TE
- Yeonsu LE[37]
2013 Season 4 Pool
In June 2013, five new maps were previewed.
- 1v1
- Red City LE
- Korhal Sky Island LE
- Newkirk Precinct TE
- 4v4
The following maps were removed:
- 1v1
- Klontas Mire TE
- Zerus Prime TE
- 4v4
2013 Season 1 Pool
In late 2012, four new maps were previewed.
- (1v1) Akilon Flats
- (1v1) Newkirk District
The two 1v1 maps were tested in the StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm beta.
- (3v3) Backwater Complex
- (3v3) Twisted Vern[39]
2012 Season 4 Pool
For 2012 season 4, Blizzard changed Tal'darim Altar LE slightly, removing some of the destructible rocks.
The following maps were added:
- (3v3) Silent Dunes (new map)
- (3v3) Monsoon
- (4v4) High Ground
- (4v4) Megaton
The following maps were removed:
- (3v3) Arakan Citadel
- (3v3) Frontier
- (4v4) Extinction
- (4v4) Toxic Slums[5]
Season 8 Map Pool
Blizzard experimented with a larger number of 1v1 maps, 8 in total. The maps were available June 8th, a week before the start of season 8.
The following maps were added:
- 1v1
- 2v2
The following maps were removed:
Season 7 Map Pool
The following maps were removed:
The following maps were added:
- Metropolis (later removed due to performance issues)[42]
Season 6 Map Pool
The following maps were removed:
The following maps were added:
Season 5 Map Pool
The following maps were removed:
- (4) Abyssal Caverns
- (4) Nerazim Crypt
The following maps were added:
- (2) Arid Plateau
- (4) Entombed Valley[43]
Season 4 Map Pool
The map pool underwent significant changes in season 4.
The Shattered Temple and Metalopolis returned to the map pool, with close spawn positions disabled. Two non-tournament maps -- Abyssal Caverns and Nerazim Crypt -- were be included. Players can veto these two non-tournament maps and still have a single veto remaining for the remaining maps, just as a player would in a major tournament.
The following maps were removed: Backwater Gulch, Searing Crater, and Typhon Peaks (1v1), Khaydarin Depths and Tempest (2v2).[44]
The new pool consisted of these maps:
1v1
- Abyssal Caverns (non-tournament)
- Antiga Shipyard
- Metalopolis (close spawns disabled)
- Nerazim Crypt (non-tournament)
- Shakuras Plateau
- The Shattered Temple (close spawns disabled)
- Tal’darim Altar LE
- Xel’naga Caverns
2v2
References
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