Zenith and ranked PvP

Zenith is the ranked mode where you face players using the same breathing style or blood art as you, and it is the route players take towards the Hashira and Upper Moon titles. Next to it, 1v1 and 3v3 have a ranked switch of their own, and 2v2 keeps a ranked record too. All of them start from the PvP menu, and a ranked 1v1 win pays well.

How to queue

Open the PvP menu: five tiles, 1v1, 3v3, Ouwigahara Normal, 2v2 and Zenith.
For Zenith, pick the tile and press QUEUE. There is nothing else to set.
For 1v1 or 3v3, turn Ranked On before you queue; with it off, the match is unranked. 3v3 also has a Fill switch.
When a match is found, a countdown runs and you load straight into the arena.

The PvP mode grid with 1v1 selected and the ranked queue running — Five tiles: `1v1`, `3v3`, `Ouwigahara Normal`, `2v2`, `Zenith`. With `1v1` picked: `Ranked On` and `IN QUEUE`.

The same grid with Zenith selected and a single queue button — `Zenith` picked: just `QUEUE`, no Ranked or Fill switch.

In the PvP arena, mounts and potions are locked and you can only change equipment between lives, so set your loadout before you queue. Each side starts a Zenith fight with three lives.

Placement, rank points and tiers

Every mode keeps its own record and rank. A new mode starts on Placement 0/5; after five games you are placed, for example Placed: Diamond · 450. From then on each win adds points and each loss takes some away; gains reportedly vary from about 17 to 40 a win (+27 in the frame here).

Hover a tile to see your record and standing: wins, losses, your tier and points, and either your place (#20) or your percentile (Top 20%). Diamond has been seen at 450 to 505 points and Master at 715 to 827.

Do not dodge. Dodging a ranked match costs 30 points, which can drop you below your tier’s floor, plus a loss on your record, and a queue timeout of 1 minute the first time, 5 the second and 15 for every dodge after that within 24 hours.

A close-up of the Zenith tile showing wins, losses and rank — Hovering the tile: `5 Win(s)`, `0 Loss(es)`, `Diamond · 450 · #20`.

A large banner reading Placed: Diamond 450 — After five placement games: `Placed: Diamond · 450`.

The mode grid with 3v3 selected and the 1v1 record showing — `3v3` adds a `Fill Off` switch next to `Ranked Off`. The 1v1 tile keeps its own record: `67 Win(s)`, `10 Loss(es)`, `Diamond · 505 · Top 20%`.

A 1v1 tile at Master rank — Higher up: the 1v1 tile reads `Master · 827 · #10`.

The Hashira and Upper Moon titles

Zenith is what players queue to become a style’s Hashira (Slayers) or Upper Moon (demons); the title is said to buff your stats. The exact rule is not published. The V0.18 notes say only that leaderboard and ranked rewards are guaranteed for the top 100 and scale up to the top 1%, and players read that two ways: the top 100 or top 1% of the board (with 20,000 ranked players, the top 200), or the very top of your own style’s Zenith board, which is why some pick a rarely played art for it.

Ranked seasons run for a month, so the first one is expected to close at the end of September. What the titles look like and exactly what they add will be clear once the first ones are handed out.

Not to be confused with the many “Noob to Hashira” videos, which mean maxing out a breathing style, not this title.

Two sections of the V0.18 update notes — V0.18, `Leaderboards & Ranked`: `Leaderboard and Ranked rewards are now guaranteed for the top 100, and scale up to the top 1%`.

When the queue finds nobody

Queues look for players in your region first, and open up to every region after 45 seconds. A long wait past that usually means few players are queueing; some also report the queue simply not working.
Zenith only pairs you with players on your own style, so a rarely played art can wait a long time. A Zenith queue reportedly gives up after about ten minutes, though others report waiting 15; requeue, or ask a friend to switch to your style for a match.
Players report Zenith and ranked being locked on accounts that are not verified. If the button will not let you in, check your account’s verification first.

What a ranked win pays

One ranked 1v1 win paid 8,589 Wen, 5,790 Exp and 1,000 or more mastery on both bars; a placement win roughly 6,700 Wen. Matches reportedly take two or three minutes, which makes ranked one of the better Wen sources when the queue is quick. How it compares with bounties and Coin Pouches is on the Wen and Ore page, and how mastery feeds your moves on the mastery page.

A YOU WIN banner after a ranked 1v1 — `YOU WIN!` The faint line at the top reads `+5,790 Exp`, `+8,589 Wen`, `+1000 Sound and +1200 Sword Mastery`.

A rank change banner reading plus 27 Diamond — Moments later: `+27 · Diamond`.

Damage titles for PvP

You can equip three titles from the Titles menu. Each lists a Buff, which reportedly works while the title is equipped, and a Passive, which reportedly works once it is unlocked. The damage titles stack flat damage for fights:

Title	Total damage dealt	Equipped	Always
Bonebreaker Rare	500,000	+1	+0.15
Devastator Epic	2,500,000	+1.5	+0.2
Annihilator Legendary	10,000,000	+2	+0.25

The Titles menu with three damage titles equipped — `Bonebreaker`, `Rare`: `Deal 500,000 total damage.`, `Buffs` `+1 (Additional Damage)`, `Passives` `+0.15 (Additional Damage)`. Three slots, `One` `Two` `Three`.

The Titles menu with the Annihilator title selected — `Annihilator`, `Legendary`: `Deal 10,000,000 total damage.`, `Buffs` `+2`, `Passives` `+0.25`.

All three equipped add 4.5 additional damage, plus 0.6 from their passives. An equipped title also shows above your name in a match. The breathing titles you earn by maxing mastery are on the mastery page.