Tier Assignment System

Overview

The EXTREME PYRAMID tier assignment system classifies players into six distinct tiers based on their final performance scores. This system creates a competitive hierarchy that reflects both skill and participation within a season/region.

Tier Structure

The tier system uses a fixed-cap pyramid structure with maximum player limits for upper tiers:

Tier	Max Players	Description	Percentage*
S-Tier	12	The absolute best	~0.1%
A-Tier	25	Elite professionals	~0.2%
B-Tier	100	Competitive players	~0.8%
C-Tier	500	Skilled players	~4.0%
D-Tier	Unlimited	Average players	~60% of remaining
F-Tier	Unlimited	Casual participants	~40% of remaining

*Percentages are approximate for a 12,500 player region

The EXTREME PYRAMID Philosophy

Why Fixed Caps?

The tier system uses fixed maximums rather than percentages:

1. Prevents Tier Inflation: If a region suddenly grows, upper tiers don't get diluted
2. Maintains Prestige: S-Tier always means "top 12" regardless of total players
3. Cross-Region Comparability: An S-Tier player in NA is comparable to an S-Tier player in EU
4. Historical Consistency: Tier meaning remains stable season-to-season

Why 60/40 Split for Lower Tiers?

After C-Tier fills with its 500-player cap, remaining players are split:

• D-Tier: 60% of remaining (the upper half of casual players)
• F-Tier: 40% of remaining (the lower half of casual players)

This creates a natural graduation from competitive (C-Tier) to casual (F-Tier).

Assignment Algorithm

Step 1: Sort by Final Score

All eligible players are sorted by their final scores (descending):

Sorted Players = Sort(All Players, by: Final Score, order: Descending)

Step 2: Calculate Tier Sizes

1. Allocate players to capped tiers (S-Tier through C-Tier):

   • S-Tier: up to 12 players
   • A-Tier: up to 25 players
   • B-Tier: up to 100 players
   • C-Tier: up to 500 players

2. Distribute remaining players between D-Tier and F-Tier:

   • D-Tier: 60% of remaining players
   • F-Tier: 40% of remaining players

Step 3: Assign Players

Step 4: Calculate Rank-in-Tier

Each player receives both:

• Overall Rank: Position among all players (1, 2, 3, ...)
• Tier Rank: Position within their tier (1st in S-Tier, 50th in B-Tier, etc.)

Rank-in-tier is calculated by counting players within each tier as assignments are made.

Example Tier Distribution

Small Region (~2,000 players)

Tier	Players	Score Range (Example)
S-Tier	12	95.0+
A-Tier	25	88.0 - 94.9
B-Tier	100	78.0 - 87.9
C-Tier	500	62.0 - 77.9
D-Tier	879	48.0 - 61.9
F-Tier	484	< 48.0

Large Region (~15,000 players)

Tier	Players	Score Range (Example)
S-Tier	12	98.0+
A-Tier	25	92.0 - 97.9
B-Tier	100	85.0 - 91.9
C-Tier	500	72.0 - 84.9
D-Tier	8,372	55.0 - 71.9
F-Tier	5,991	< 55.0

Score Boundaries

Tier boundaries are determined dynamically each calculation:

1. Not Fixed: The exact score needed for S-Tier varies by season/region
2. Competition-Dependent: Tougher competition = higher score requirements
3. Participation-Dependent: More players = potentially higher boundaries

Boundary Examples

S-Tier:    [First Place Score] → [12th Place Score]
A-Tier:    [13th Place Score] → [37th Place Score]
B-Tier:    [38th Place Score] → [137th Place Score]
C-Tier:    [138th Place Score] → [637th Place Score]

Minimum Requirements

Players must meet participation requirements to be tiered:

Requirement	Value	Purpose
Minimum Tournaments	5	Prevents single-tournament outliers
Region Match	Must match	Ensures correct regional assignment
Season Match	Must match	Ensures correct seasonal assignment

Players with fewer than 5 tournaments:

• Are calculated but excluded from tier assignments
• Can view their "unranked" status on the website

Edge Cases

Insufficient Players for Tiers

If a region has very few players, tiers are filled sequentially until players run out. Tiers may be partially filled or empty in very small regions.

Score Ties

When players have identical final scores:

1. Both players receive the same score
2. Sorting is stable (maintains original order)
3. Tier assignments proceed as normal
4. May result in more than max players in a tier

Cross-Season Stability

Players typically maintain similar tiers across seasons:

• S-Tier players usually remain S-Tier or A-Tier
• C-Tier players might move to B-Tier or D-Tier
• Major tier jumps (F-Tier to B-Tier) indicate significant improvement

Tier Progression

Typical Player Journey

New Player → F-Tier (learning competitive)
    ↓
D-Tier (occasional competitions)
    ↓
C-Tier (regular competitive player)
    ↓
B-Tier (aspiring professional)
    ↓
A-Tier/S-Tier (professional/elite)

Tier Mobility

Players can move between tiers between seasons:

• Upward: Improved performance, more tournaments
• Downward: Reduced participation, worse performance
• Stable: Consistent performance and participation

Display and Usage

Website Display

Tiers are displayed on the website with:

• Tier Badge: Visual indicator (S, A, B, C, D, F)
• Rank: Overall position and tier position
• Score: Final performance score
• Trend: Up/down arrows indicating change from previous season

Data Format

Player tier data includes the following fields:

{
  "playerId": "player123",
  "displayName": "ProPlayer",
  "tier": "B-Tier",
  "rankOverall": 89,
  "rankInTier": 52,
  "finalScore": 81.45,
  "shrunkScore": 82.10,
  "confidence": 0.99,
  "tournamentCount": 18
}

Competitive Significance

What Each Tier Represents

Tier	Competitive Level	Tournament Performance
S-Tier	World-class Elite	Players who can be on an FNCS winning team.
A-Tier	Professional	Can contend with the best players in the world.
B-Tier	Semi-professional	Qualifies occasionally for major tournaments.
C-Tier	Competitive	Plays in competitive events regularly.
D-Tier	Semi-competitive	Participates in competitive events.
F-Tier	Recreational	Casual competitive player.

Scouting and Recruitment

Professional organizations and esports teams often use tiers for talent evaluation:

• S-Tier: Established professional players with proven track records
• A-Tier: Proven talent with consistent competitive performance
• B-Tier: Emerging prospects with competitive potential
• C-Tier: Development candidates for competitive teams

Summary

The EXTREME PYRAMID tier system:

1. Fixes upper-tier sizes to maintain prestige
2. Fills lower tiers proportionally to accommodate all players
3. Sorts by final score after Bayesian shrinkage and log volume confidence
4. Requires 5+ tournaments to ensure statistical validity
5. Creates clear competitive hierarchy for the competitive scene

The result is a robust, fair, and meaningful classification system that accurately reflects competitive standing within each season and region.

Role-Based Evaluation

Player scores are calculated using role-based performance scoring, which evaluates players differently based on whether they play as fraggers, IGLs, support, or solo competitors. This ensures fair comparison across different playstyles.