Welcome to the Arena

Welcome to The Arena (Blatant Borrow for Bungie, I'm sure they don't mind)

It’s go time. Gone are the traditional rankings of the past online Halo experiences, in are Seasons and Divisions. Do well here and you will be grouped into flights of players featuring the best of the best, at the end of each Season your stats will be carved into your Service Record for all eternity* and subsequently refreshed in anticipation of the new Season to come.

The Arena is a brand new Matchmaking experience incorporated into Halo: Reach, aimed directly at competitive players who value competitive play and bragging rights above all else. Halo: Reach still features a wealth of other Playlist offerings, ranging from social to competitive (and everything in between), but the Arena is all about competition.

Its rules are simple:

1. Play three games each day to be rated.
2. Get rated on ten days in a Season and you will be placed in a Division amongst your peers.
3. At the end of each season, everyone who has placed in a Division will receive a breakdown of their Division placement and their individual performance in each Arena Playlist.

Simple to Play...

...difficult to master. Though the Arena playlist is a breeze to enter, in order to understand the complexities found within it's Ratings and Divisions systems, you'll need to buckle up and brush up on your math. Nothing says bloodbath like advanced level statistics.

Getting Rated

This player has not played any qualifying games this Season. Notice the ellipses on the nameplate.

To get rated, you need to complete three games in an Arena playlist on the current day. Each “day” begins at 3AM PST. As you complete qualifying games, your progress will be charted and displayed on your nameplate in the Arena playlist lobby.

Again, the Daily Rating progress is tracked on the nameplate. One down, two to go.

Once you’ve successfully completed your games, your Best Three will be displayed on your nameplate. This rating is determined by an average of your three best individual performances. But remember: all of your games count, wins and losses alike, so the Best Three is just for bragging rights.

1704. Not bad. Tomorrow, the process will begin again.


The image above indicated that "0 more days" are required. You'll need to do better.

Rating, Explained

When the game ends, the players are ranked by their game rating, regardless of team. Contrary to what you may have heard, bigger is better. Of course, being on the winning team improves your rating, but we respect a heroic effort for a losing team too. These rankings are submitted to Xbox LIVE to determine if you should move up or down in Division, so play to maximize your rating by killing them, not dying, and helping your teammates with assists.

During a game, you're active rating is displayed on the scoreboard. Press back at any time for details.


You can also view each player's rating in the Post Game Carnage Report.

Note: For a more complete breakdown of the Ratings mathematical DNA, scroll to the section at the bottom of this article, penned lovingly by our very own Onyx designer, Tyson Green.

If your head is swimming right about, grab hold with both hands and try the simple version of all of this madness, listed below.

Division Qualification and Placement

To be assigned and placed into a Division of your peers, you will need to be rated on no less than ten days in a Season.

Divisions are never set in stone. Stop playing and you may forfeit your lofty perch to another hungry player.


Status updates keep you informed on Seasonal days remaining.

The Divisions

Almost as if by magic, this player currently has a friend in his party representing each Division!

Onyx – Only the best of the best will thrive in this Division. Access is extremely limited.
Gold – Great players who demonstrate excellent aim and well executed teamwork.
Silver – Like most players, your aim is true, but you’re not quite ready to take on pro players.
Bronze – You are not yet instilling fear in your opponents, but you are no easy mark.
Iron – You’re just getting warmed up. Keep honing your skills and you're bound to improve.

Player population is not divided equally between each Division. For example, only five percent of all players will qualify for the Onyx Division.

When you qualify for a Division, you will be notified in game. At the end of each Season, you will be sent a summary of your Seasonal performance, the Division rosters will be reset, and a new Arena Season will begin.

Many skilled players may find themselves in the Silver Division.

Each new Season, the Divisions are reset and your current slate is wiped clean.


To chart your course, make sure you're checking into your Service Record and following along from Bungie.net.

Still have a hankering for more complex mathematics? Strap on your pocket protector, pull up your khakis, and click the image for the full article, now on display in our Halo: Reach guide. Once you're there, scroll down to the second half for some light learning!

Everyone else...see you in the Arena!

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