Trophy vs Ranked: what's different, and why the rankings differ
Every ranking on PickStudy has separate Trophy and Ranked tabs, and the #1 brawler on the same map is often different between them. Here's why, and which tab to use.
How they differ
Trophy
Regular matches. Each brawler builds its own trophies, you pick and go, you don't know the enemy picks, and teammates are usually random.
Ranked
The competitive ladder. Since November 2026 it unlocks at 5,000 trophies and requires Power 11 brawlers at every rank. Higher ranks add bans, turn picks and best-of-three, on a fixed ranked map pool. See the November rework summary.
Why the same map ranks differently
- Picking after seeing the enemy: in Ranked you can counter-pick, so easily countered brawlers drop and hard-to-answer brawlers rise.
- Bans: very strong brawlers get banned often, so they're played less and opponents are ready for them.
- Team play: drafted lineups reward brawlers that shine with a team; trophy play rewards brawlers that can carry alone.
- Modes and maps: trophy play includes modes that aren't in Ranked (Showdown, 5v5, event modes and more).
Why PickStudy keeps them separate
Combining them would blur those differences into a ranking that's accurate for neither. So battles from the official API are split into trophy and ranked and calculated separately. The counter picker is the exception: it combines both to get enough games per matchup.
The "How we rank" box at the bottom of each page shows how much data each side currently has.
Which tab to use
- Pushing trophies? Use the Trophy tab: brawlers that win solo queue rise to the top.
- Climbing Ranked? Use the Ranked tab: brawlers that win in drafted games rise to the top.
- Top on both tabs? Those are reliable anywhere, and a good guide to which brawlers to upgrade first.
Summary
Trophy shows who wins on their own; Ranked shows who wins inside a draft. Pick the tab that matches your goal, and watch for brawlers high on both.