How FACEIT ranking works
FACEIT is a third-party platform for Counter-Strike 2 with its own matchmaking, its own anti-cheat and its own rating. That rating is Elo, a number that rises when you win and falls when you lose, and FACEIT turns it into a skill level from 1 to 10. Your level is the number most teams, leagues and scouts look at, which is why FACEIT matters even to players who already have a high Premier rating.
Unlike Valve's Premier rating, FACEIT publishes its level brackets. Everything in this guide is taken from FACEIT's own support pages, checked in October 2026.
Every FACEIT level and its Elo range
| Level | Elo range | Points to the next level |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 to 500 | 401 |
| 2 | 501 to 750 | 250 |
| 3 | 751 to 900 | 150 |
| 4 | 901 to 1,050 | 150 |
| 5 | 1,051 to 1,200 | 150 |
| 6 | 1,201 to 1,350 | 150 |
| 7 | 1,351 to 1,530 | 180 |
| 8 | 1,531 to 1,750 | 220 |
| 9 | 1,751 to 2,000 | 250 |
| 10 | 2,001 and up | none, Elo keeps rising |
| Challenger | Top 1,000 Level 10 players |
Two details in the table matter for planning:
- Levels 3 to 6 are the narrowest. Each is 150 Elo wide, so a good week can move you a full level there.
- Levels 7 to 9 get wider. Level 8 is 220 Elo and Level 9 is 250, so the climb to Level 10 takes noticeably more wins than the middle of the ladder.
Elo has no ceiling. Level 10 covers everyone from 2,001 upwards, so two Level 10 players can be hundreds of Elo apart.
What Challenger is
Challenger is the tier above Level 10. It goes to the top 1,000 Level 10 players, and it isn't permanent: drop out of the top 1,000 and you lose it, climb back in and you earn it again. The top three players also get Gold, Silver and Bronze badges.
Level 10 players outside Challenger see their country and region ranking on the Elo widget instead, so even at Level 10 you can track how far you are from the top 1,000.
Your starting Elo
Where a new FACEIT account starts depends on its Premier history:
- With Prime and enough Premier wins, FACEIT converts your latest Premier season into a starting Elo using its own formula. FACEIT doesn't publish the exact number of wins needed.
- Everyone else starts at 1,000 Elo, which is Level 4.
So a strong Premier player can skip the lower levels from day one, while a new player starts in the middle of the ladder.
How Elo is calculated after each match
FACEIT's Elo is based on how likely your team was to win, not on a fixed number per game.
- Before the match, FACEIT rates both teams. The team rating isn't just the average Elo: it also weighs each player's level, whether the team is a party or solo players, how many matches each player has played, and how spread out the team's skill is.
- The favourite gains less and risks more. If your team was expected to win, a win gives you fewer points than an upset would, and a loss costs you more.
- Levels 1 to 9 get a small performance adjustment. Since FACEIT's 2024 formula update, accounts below Level 10 get small extra gains or reduced losses for notable individual performances. The core of the system is still win or lose. Level 10 accounts don't get this adjustment.
The practical result is that there is no fixed Elo per match to plan around. Evenly matched games move you a moderate amount, and lopsided games move you more or less depending on which side you were on.
Leavers and Elo
FACEIT protects the players left behind when someone leaves a match:
| What happens | Your Elo | The leaver's Elo |
|---|---|---|
| A teammate leaves and your team loses | You lose half the usual amount | They lose twice the usual amount |
| A teammate leaves and your team still wins | You gain the usual amount | They gain half the usual amount |
One exception: if you queued in a party with the player who left, you lose the normal amount, not half.
Seasons, soft resets and placement matches
FACEIT now runs CS2 in seasons, and each new season applies a soft reset rather than wiping everyone's Elo.
- Season 8 began on 22 April 2026 with a soft reset and 10 placement matches. Elo was hidden until all ten were played. The top of Level 10 was compressed the most, and inactive accounts were adjusted down further.
- Season 9 began on 5 August 2026 with a lighter reset. It is based on your activity, win rate and FACEIT Rating across your last 50 games, and accounts with fewer than 20 wins in Season 8 got an extra inactivity adjustment. Players above 2,500 Elo usually start a little lower, and placements no longer swing your Elo by hundreds of points per game.
Between seasons, FACEIT doesn't describe any ongoing Elo decay. Being inactive matters at the reset, so play a reasonable number of matches each season if you want to keep your level.
Party limits
FACEIT limits how far apart party members can be. In the Premium and Super Match queues, a Level 10 player can't queue with a Level 3 player, and those limits apply even while Elo is hidden during placements. Wider Elo spreads inside a party are also weighed in the team rating, so a stack with one much stronger player is rated as a stronger team.
How to climb FACEIT levels
FACEIT rewards consistency, and because Elo depends on your team's expected chance of winning, a steady win rate above 50% is what moves you.
- Queue with a regular party that communicates. A coordinated party wins more often than solo queue, and FACEIT already accounts for parties in the team rating.
- Play a small map pool. Two or three maps you know well beat a rotation of everything.
- Fix your economy decisions. Forced buys and broken saves lose more rounds at mid levels than aim does; the CS2 economy guide covers when to buy, save and force.
- Never leave a match. A leave costs you twice the normal loss.
- Use the Level 1 to 9 performance bonus. Below Level 10, standout games earn slightly more, so playing your strongest role pays off twice.
If you want help with the climb, BoostingXP's FACEIT level boost raises your level from where it is now to the one you choose, up to Level 10. A FACEIT win boost secures a set number of wins without a level target, and a FACEIT placement boost plays the placement matches that decide your starting level. Elo keeps moving with results afterwards, so holding a level depends on how you play from there.
FAQ
What Elo is FACEIT Level 10?
Level 10 starts at 2,001 Elo and has no upper limit. The top 1,000 Level 10 players are shown as Challenger.
What Elo do you start with on FACEIT?
1,000 Elo, which is Level 4, unless you have Prime and enough Premier wins, in which case FACEIT converts your latest Premier season into a starting Elo.
How much Elo do you get per FACEIT win?
It depends on how likely your team was to win. Underdogs gain more for a win, favourites gain less, and Levels 1 to 9 get small adjustments for strong individual performances.
Does FACEIT Elo decay?
FACEIT doesn't describe ongoing decay. Inactivity is taken into account at each seasonal soft reset instead, which can lower your starting Elo for the new season.
What happens to my Elo if a teammate leaves?
If your team loses, you lose half the usual Elo and the leaver loses double. If you were in a party with the leaver, you lose the normal amount.
What is FACEIT Challenger?
The top 1,000 Level 10 players. It is lost if you drop out of the top 1,000 and earned back when you return.
