Earlier this year we saw the completion of the first season of the epic Pantheon Tournament against the strongest Skyforge communities! Hundreds of players were put to the test: they underwent many battles and fought the most dangerous invasion creatures to bring victory to their Pantheons. The tournament identified the most united teams in Skyforge and will certainly do so again. But today, we have something different and a bit more interesting to discuss – a new battle lies ahead!

This update will see the launch of the titular Battle of Equals — a contest that will reveal the names of the most skillful MMO-players in Skyforge! The name of the contest is no coincidence, for all participants will be on an equal footing!

How to participate:

• It does not matter whether you are a veteran or a beginner! Even the youngest Immortals can enter the arena and begin their journey to the top of the rankings.
• There is no equalizing - you will play a ready-made hero with a set prestige indicator.
• Just pick an available class and enter the battle!

This is a team PvP-contest!

• Battles take place in 3v3 arena format with the usual rules for small battles, except battles are over when 3 victories are reached by a team.
• All participants will have 2 weeks to gain the maximum ranking during the qualification stage.
• You can gain ranking alone or as part of a previously formed group.
• Only the most successful players will reach the final!

And, finally, the more interesting notes!

• In these battles, you cannot use: any form of Transportation, Divine Form, Hyperion Modules, any Symbols from the regular and divine atlases, or abilities and Symbols from the invasion atlases!
• You will join the battle as a hero that only has the current Talents, Skills and weapon properties of your character. You will also receive a bonus for one of the skills which is determined by the properties of your weapon. The quality of equipment will not have an impact on the bonus value. You cannot change weapons during battle. Amulets worn will provide a bonus to abilities (regular or unusual quality amulets — to one ability, and rare or epic — to two). The bonus value is fixed.
• All other equipment (rings, trophies), as well as stat boosters from chapels, adepts, vectors, weapon or ring amplifiers do not work in the rating battles.
• You will receive up to 10 Faith points to use your Divine Healing & Willpower abilities.
• Be aware that there is a penalty for players who leave 3 matches in less than 24 hours. You won't be able to participate in the tournament for 24 hours.
• Gather your loyal friends, for only a united team and wise strategic decisions will lead you to victory!

Spectator mode

Spectator Mode is now available for those who want to watch interesting battles! Simply select the battle you are interested in viewing, or search for a player you wish to view – then join in as an arena spectator. The view will be available from several fixed points or from the view of any live character taking part in combat, with a maximum of 50 spectators per battle.

Rankings & Leagues

Before taking part in the Battle of Equals, every player must play 10 qualification games, after which they will start to accumulate rating points. When selecting opponents, the system will try and find players as close as possible to you using this indicator. When you lose, your rating goes down and when you win, it goes up. If the difference between opponents is very large, the change at the end of the battle will be minimal. If a player leaves the arena early, they will lose part of their rating points. If the arena closes due to insufficient participants, the result of the battle will be determined according to current team scores. Additionally, rating is earned during the qualification stage and does not change in the final.

Depending on personal rating changes, players will be placed in five leagues:

• Diamond Cohort (600 rating points and above, 25 players),
• Ruby Legion (350 rating points and above, 100 players),
• Gold League (200 rating points and above, unlimited number of players),
• Silver League (80 rating points and above, unlimited number of players),
• Bronze League (under 80 rating points, unlimited number of players).

Ratings will be set to zero at the start of every tournament season.

Qualification Stage and Final

For two weeks after the start of the season and the end of the first training battles, players will take part in the qualification stage. The main objective is to earn maximum points - Once that is over, teams have two days to apply to take part in the final. Sixteen (16) teams with the highest total rating will be allowed to reach the final. Solo players must join a group before applying. Once the list of teams has been confirmed, there will be a draw, and the final schedule of battles will be published. Teams are paired up against each other, and then only the winning teams will move to the next stage. Players that lose will, obviously, not participate in the final. If a team fails to show up for a battle, a technical defeat will be announced. All battles are held on weekdays. The exact time will be assigned later.

Rewards

Participation in each battle of the qualification stage and final will earn players standard rewards, similar to those previously given for small battles. In addition, moving into higher leagues will earn you a certain amount of Victor's Medals (500 medals for the Silver league, 1000 medals for the Gold, 2500 medals for the Ruby and 5000 medals for the Diamond). This reward can be received once for each league within one season of the rating battles.

At the end of the season, 9 finalists from the three teams that take the first, second, and third places will receive a special visual feature, which they can use until the end of the next season and the new victors are determined. Thanks to this visual effect around your character, other players will realize that they are looking at the most skilled PvP combatants on the server!

Additionally, all finalists will receive special titles on the forum.