What is Rank Disparity in Rocket League?

Playing Rocket League alone is fun, but it's even better when you're tryharding with your friends. This is where Ranked Disparity comes into play, but what is it, and how does it work?

Rocket league rank disparity
What is rank disparity in Rocket League, and what has changed? | © Psyonix

Just imagine you're in Diamond 3 right now and your buddy is unfortunately only Platinum 2 in the Rocket League ranks – then you two can't queue a 3v3 Standard Match or 3v3 Standard Tournament together. The reason for this is Rank Disparity... Psyonix introduced some changes to this system in Season 4 of Rocket League. Meanwhile, we are in Season 6, so it's been quite a while...

Well, back then we didn't just get a new Rocket Pass, a new arena and some brand-new items, but also an upgraded Rocket League Rank Disparity system. In this article, we'll explain how it works since then and what Rank Disparity in Rocket League actually is. Just keep reading, and you'll be a lot smarter than before. Guaranteed!

What Is Rank Disparity In Rocket League?

Rank Disparity is a system in Rocket League's competitive mode that sets specific criteria for those who can enter a Competitive Mode Tournament, based on Player Ranks. However, if you only play casual and just want to see your new decals in the battle arena, then the feature is not relevant for you.

It is a system meant to balance Competitive Play, so that when parties compete against each other, the games are as fair and balanced as possible. With the introduction of 2v2 Tournaments in Rocket League Season 4, major changes have come to Rank Disparity in Rocket League, and we're here to explain how it works.

How Has Rocket League Rank Disparity Changed In Season 4?

In Rocket League Season 4, Rank Disparity restrictions have been introduced to stacks of two players attempting to enter a 3v3 Tournament queue. In 3v3 Tournaments, "Undersized Parties" of two players must be within three ranks of one-another, and must be able to play together. These changes have been introduced "to help preserve balanced competitive play". The changes came into effect in Rocket League Season 4, and coincide with the introduction of 2v2 Tournaments. Additionally, the Rocket League Rank Disparity changes will not apply to Extra Modes Playlists or Casual Playlists.


Here are a few examples, provided by the official Rocket League Support website, to help you understand the changes to Rank Disparity in Rocket League:

  • Examples of allowed undersized parties:
    • Gold 3 + Platinum 3 (three ranks apart)
    • Diamond 2 + Champion 1 (two ranks apart)
  • Examples of disallowed undersized parties:
    • Gold 3 + Diamond 1 (four ranks apart)
    • Silver 2 + Grand Champion 2 (fifteen ranks apart)

So, there you have it. You now not-only know what Rank Disparity is in Rocket League, but how it has changed in Season 4. Isn't that just neat? Isn't that just insanely exciting? Isn't that just-enough to get you hyped? Are you hyped enough to jump into Rocket League Competitive Play? Yeah? Okay. Jump in, and after that... eat a pizza...

... or you can stay a little longer on our beautiful EarlyGame website and check out some of our other guides. No idea what Ranked Rewards await you right now? And how do you even get better in Rocket League? You'll find all the answers to these questions right here. Cheers.

Marco Kilian

Hi, my name is Marco and please let’s not talk about my Gaming Pile of Shame, cause it’s veeeery embarrassing. Okay? Thanks and Bye!...