Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon is getting an update to introduce ranked online battles later this week.
The update is coming in hot, dropping on all platforms tomorrow, December 19. Ranked online matches, with all the matchmaking tools you'd expect, is the headline feature of the Armored Core 6 update, but it'll also include new leaderboards for the ranked mode.
『ARMORED CORE VI FIRES OF RUBICON』最新アップデートにて、オンライン対戦に「ランクマッチ」を追加します。アップデートの配信は12月19日（火）を予定しています。どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。https://t.co/FWUjOr7VEW pic.twitter.com/MB0wTd3CG5December 18, 2023
How will these leaderboards shake out, you ask? The answer is, I have no idea. It could be like a boxing record, where users have their wins and defeats tallied for the best overall result. Alternatively, there could be leagues like in Overwatch 2's competitive online mode, for example.
From the looks of the new trailer, it seems like online battles won't be limited to one-on-one confrontations. We can see a clip of three Armored Cores duking it out in one segment, which makes it seem like the 3v3 battles of the more casual PvP mode might carry over to the ranked mode.
There'll also be brand new AC components in the update. We don't yet know what these parts will be, but it's very likely they'll be more parts for the big mechs themselves, rather than actual weapons - FromSoftware has been near-constantly rebalancing weapons since Armored Core 6, so you'd think more weapons would only mean a bigger headache for the developers.
Back in October, for example, a big balance patch nerfed the infamous Zimmerman shotguns and buffed the awful handguns. That's just one example of how FromSoftware has been listening to and reacting to Armored Core 6 player feedback since launch, changing the whole online dynamic as it goes.
No matter what it does or doesn't add, this is sure to add a whole new layer of cheese to Armored Core 6's online battles. The aforementioned Zimmerman shotguns dominated the meta early on, and that was before people were fighting tooth and nail for rankings. This could get very interesting very quickly.
Check out our full guide on the best Armored Core 6 weapons for a rundown of the best guns and equipment.
