Overwatch Top 500 goes back to sorting by Rank, and grinding will not carry you anymore
Playing more still gets you on the board. It just does not move you up anymore.
Well, the grind-your-way-to-the-top era of Overwatch Top 500 did not last long.
With the recent release of Season 5, Blizzard switched the Top 500 leaderboard back to sorting by Rank instead of Challenger Score. End-of-season titles now follow Rank too, and the Heat Bonus is gone completely.
So, if you are a high-ranked player who never had the hours to farm a huge score, this season will be friendlier and a lot more fun for you.
What Changed in Top 500
Here is everything from the recent patch notes:
The Top 500 leaderboard now sorts by Rank by default instead of Challenger Score.
End-of-season title rewards are now based on Rank instead of Challenger Score.
The Heat Bonus has been removed.
You can read the full official patch notes here, or find the Top 500 changes below.
Competitive Play Updates
Top 500 Challenger System Updates
Top 500 Challenger Leaderboard sorting default changed to Rank (from Challenger Score).
End of Season title rewards are now referencing Rank instead of Challenger Score.
Removed Heat Bonus.
Developer Comments: This greater focus on Rank over Challenger Score is intended to reward our most skilled players with less of a focus on play time. Challenger Score remains only as a requirement to be on the leaderboard. Only the 500 players with the highest Challenger Score will be on the Leaderboard, but it's now possible to be Rank 1 with the lowest Challenger Score of those 500 players if you have the highest actual Rank. We believe this new direction will still prevent high ranked accounts with very low playtime from being on the Leaderboard, while now more accurately rewarding the best players that play throughout a season.
Your Score Gets You In, Your Rank Gets You Up
Challenger Score has not disappeared, though. It is now basically your ticket onto the leaderboard. The 500 players with the highest Challenger Score make the list, and from there, Rank decides the order.
That means you can be Rank 1 with the lowest Challenger Score of all 500 players, as long as your rank is the highest. Blizzard says the score requirement is still there to keep high-ranked accounts with very little playtime off the board.
So yes, you still have to play, just not more than everyone else. Definitely a big win!
Top 500 Has Come Full Circle
The Challenger system arrived in Season 20 back in December 2025 and turned Top 500 into a season-long race. Wins earned Challenger Score based on your rank, and the Heat Bonus made every win worth 5% more each week, so late-season games counted for more.
Players were not fully sold on it. In a Director’s Take after that season, Blizzard said the Heat Bonus tuning felt too hidden and that it wanted rank to count for a lot more. The Top 500 name came back first. Now the leaderboard order is back too.
Without the Heat Bonus, late-season wins no longer earn extra Challenger Score.
Good News for Top Players With Day Jobs
If you play a lot but your rank is lower than others on the board, those extra games will not carry you past them anymore. Once you are on the list, climbing in rank is the only way up!
If you are a top player with limited time, this is great news. You no longer need to keep up with the grinders to place where your skill says you should (as long as your score gets you onto the board, of course).
Less grinding, more climbing. We will take it.
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