MTG Arena finally added a ranked play mode a little while ago, though unfortunately the developers made it so only best-of-one games counted for your progression. This meant that, much like Hearthstone, the best decks to climb the ladder with were ones that were so aggressive they would either win or lose in a couple of turns. Not exactly ideal for a competitive mode.

As such, I am very happy to say that the latest update has now also added best-of-three matchmaking. This not only makes surprise tactics a lot less relevant, but due to the presence of a 15-card sideboard, you can now also adapt your deck to each opponent so hard-counters are less of an issue. However, if you don't like best-of-three games, or you simply don't have the time to play them, worry not as the best-of-one mode will not be going anywhere! Best-of-three is merely an additional option.

Besides the addition of best-of-three ranked play, this update has also reworked how draft matchmaking functions. Instead of the matchmaker choosing your opponents based on your rank, win/loss record and your overall rating, it will now primarily choose from players with a similar win/loss record. A seemingly small tweak, but one that pretty much brings back the original draft matchmaking and makes things a lot more fair for everyone involved, be they pro or completely new.

There's a couple of other minor changes to ranked play in this update as well, so if you're interested in all of the details, you should head on over to the official website. Have fun with the new season!