World of Warcraft FAQs -- Arena Ladder

The Arena Ladder is a competitive ladder system for players participating in team-based player-vs.-player (PvP) combat. The system will rank teams against other teams in one of three brackets: 2-vs.-2, 3-vs.-3, and 5-vs.-5. Teams will earn arena points based on their current team ranking. Accumulated arena points can be used to purchase items and other rewards.
How are rankings determined?

Rankings are determined based on your team's wins and losses against similarly ranked teams. Wins against higher ranked teams will increase your ranking while victories against lower ranked teams might yield smaller positive gains. Losing against a lower ranked team will decrease your ranking. The basic idea is similar to the Elo rating system used for professional chess.
How long is a season?

Each season lasts several months.
What is the Arena Hall of Fame?

The Hall of Fame recognizes the best teams of each Arena Ladder season – those teams that finished in the top 0.5% of their team bracket in each battlegroup. Their achievements are recorded here for all to see at the end of each season.

Click here to view the Hall of Fame.
At what level can I participate in the Ladder?

You and the members of your team must be level 70 in order to create a ranked team and participate in the Arena Ladder system.
What are the team rank requirements for the end-of-season Arena titles?

At the conclusion of each Arena season, team members who played in at least 20% of a highly-ranked Arena team’s matches for the season are eligible for special titles commemorating their achievement. These titles persist through the following season. Here are the special titles along with their ranking thresholds:
Merciless Gladiator: 1st place team in each bracket
Gladiator: Top 0.5%
Duelist: 0.5% - 3%
Rival: 3% - 10%
Challenger: 10% - 35%