What changed after Season 28, and what Season 31 added
Season 28 (11 January 2026) introduced Season Ascension: Promotion Matches for Ace and above, plus a Season Series that spans three Classic seasons. Ace, Ace Master, and Ace Dominator replaced the old Ace 1–6 star climb as the named gates.
Season 31 keeps that structure and tightens the UI. The Start button now shows Promotion Match status. Loading, the jump, and the in-match HUD mark the attempt so you know the game counted. A popup warns you that switching map or mode cancels the sequence. A successful promote plays an animated notice for you and your squad, then a results recap (matches, eliminations, average eliminations). The client also flags the first time you hit the RP gate and when the Classic bonus-point cap kicks in.
Official Version 4.5 notes list Season 31 Classic from 16 July 2026, 02:00 to 11 September 2026, 23:59 (UTC+0), with 2026 H2 Season Series progress running in parallel. Krafton published the same window in the Version 4.5 announcement.
How Promotion Matches calculate in a live game
Krafton does not publish the exact RP formula. Match RP still leans on placement first, then eliminations and assists, then damage and time alive. Promotion Match credit is simpler: you either clear the placement line or you do not.
Kills still matter for the RP you bank before and after the gate. A late kill with 25 players left pays more than an early wipe at 75. During the streak itself, an 8-kill rank 16 on Erangel fails Ace. A 0-kill rank 15 passes.
Leaderboards refresh near 00:20 UTC. That timing matters more for Conqueror than for the Ace badge, because Conqueror is a moving top-500 cut, not a fixed RP number.
How to finish Ace Promotion Matches
Climb Crown until the client shows 4199 RP and offers the Ace Promotion Match. Read the panel. It lists map, placement line, and streak length.
Stay on one map and one mode for the whole streak. Erangel Top 15 is the wider line. Livik Top 8 is faster and tighter. Changing map or mode cancels the attempt.
Land for loot, not a highlight. Mylta Power, Gatka, Lipovka, Primorsk, and south Georgopol give level 2 gear with fewer openers than Pochinki, School, or Military Base.
Rotate on vehicles before phase 3–4. Hold circle-side compounds. Leave 1v4s that have no cover.
Play the streak in a 4–5 game block while you are fresh. Stop after two ugly deaths. One ranked match a week later still blocks decay; tilt queues do not.
After the third clear, take the Ace badge and the season backpack / mask / MVP badge. Path of Glory extras sit later, at Ace Dominator 30 Stars.
Crown I to the Ace gate takes 20–40 ranked matches if you hold top 10 with 2–3 knocks. The streak then adds at least three more games. Late Season 31 lobbies (now through 11 September) run hotter than week one. If the cut feels stacked, bank RP and wait for the September reset. A tired streak wastes the RP you already earned.
Crown to Ace roadmap after a reset
Classic seasons reset about every two months. Ace, Ace Master, Ace Dominator, and Conqueror drop into Platinum (I or II). Crown falls into lower Platinum bands. Platinum to Crown takes 15–25 matches for most stacks. Crown back to Ace takes another 20–40.
Week 1–2 (Platinum / low Crown): 4–6 matches a day. Hunt top 15. Skip Pochinki and School. Two or three eliminations plus a top 15 prints 20–35 RP.
Week 3–4 (Crown II): Keep the same landing plan. Add Livik only if you can hold Top 8 on a 2×2 km map. Livik games last about 12–15 minutes, so you can run three Livik queues in one Erangel window.
Week 5–6 (Crown I into Ace): Drop to 4–5 focused games. At 4199 RP, switch to placement. Vehicles, smokes, and disengage beats a 5-kill 18th.
Take one rest day a week. Decay waits seven days, then Crown / Ace / Conqueror lose 7 RP per day. One ranked match resets that timer.
Map choice for consistent Promotion Match credit
Map | Size | Typical match | Ace promo line | Use it when |
|---|
Erangel | 8×8 km | 20–25 min | Top 15 | You want room to rotate and hide early fights |
Livik | 2×2 km | 12–15 min | Top 8 | You have a short session and a squad that can win mid-game |
Miramar | 8×8 km | 25–30 min | Confirm on the promo panel | You prefer compounds and a thinner queue |
Erangel is the default Ace attempt. The Top 15 line gives you a miss or two on loot as long as you reach the late circles. Livik triples match count and triples third-parties. Peak hours (about 18:00–23:00 local) fill faster and play harder. Off-peak queues mix ranks; some players run the streak then.
Placement, KDA, and damage targets
Use KDA as a Crown training metric, not as the promo pass:
Crown III: about 2.0 KDA, 2–3 eliminations
Crown II: about 2.5 KDA
Crown I: about 3.0 KDA if you want faster RP before the gate
During the streak, treat placement as the only pass/fail. 600+ damage per match shows you took fights. 1000+ damage is a strong game if you also sit inside the line. Chasing damage after you are already top 20 is how people throw a 2-for-3 streak.
Early (0–5 min): loot and leave. Mid (5–15 min): take height, circle side, or a numbers edge. Late (top 20): crack isolated players, then reset. An open 30-second spray invites a third party.
Squad roles and callouts
A four-stack with voice outplaces random fill because rotations stay shared.
IGL: circle, fights, loot split
Scout: flank info and next compound
Two assault: damage
Support: smokes, nades, heals
A locked duo plus two fills is the next-best setup. Call grid (M6 compound, 180). In the last circles, only the IGL calls the rotate. Standard tags: cracked, knocked, finished.
Promo nights, say the line out loud: Top 15 Erangel, no ego peek. A weak teammate who lives in cover still counts for your placement. A dead fragger does not.
Mistakes that wipe a streak
Farming kills past the line. Rank 18 with 8 kills fails Ace. Rank 12 with 1 kill passes.
Full rat the whole match. You reach top 10 with no utility, no vehicle, and no compound. The last circle then deletes you.
Trusting tier protection during the streak. Protection starts after the badge unlocks. It does not cover the attempt, the season reset, or decay.
Changing map or mode mid-streak. Season 31 cancels the sequence. Stay on the map the panel listed.
Queueing angry. Close the client after three below-average games. Walk 15 minutes between matches. Stop the session at three hours.
UC that helps a rank push this season
Royale Pass on Season 31 is A20. Elite Pass is 720 UC for the full 1–100 track. Elite Pass Plus is 1920 UC and adds a 25-level jump plus Plus cosmetics. The pass returns up to 720 UC along the level track if you finish it before 11 September. That is cosmetics, missions, and a UC rebate. It is not a 10% ranked-RP multiplier. Treat any “Premium Plus = +10% RP” claim as outdated.
Season 31 rank rewards that do touch the climb:
Platinum: Season Bonus Point Cards ×2
Crown: Rating Protection Cards ×3
Ace: season backpack, mask, MVP badge
Ace Master / Dominator: helmet, cover, poses, emotes
Conqueror: dynamic avatar frame
Path of Glory (Ace Dominator 30 Stars): dynamic nickname, intro, dynamic avatar
Crate pulls (300–600 UC each) buy skins. They do not move RP. Spend the first 720 UC on Elite Pass if you will clear the track. Keep Rating Protection Cards for Crown I and the Ace streak. How to top up PUBG UC on BitTopup is Player ID only, no password.
After Ace: decay, the September reset, Conqueror
Once Ace unlocks, poor games do not drop you out of Ace. Seven days of no ranked play still start a 7 RP daily leak at Crown, Ace, and Conqueror. One ranked match a week holds the badge inside the season.
Season 31 ends 11 September 2026, 23:59 UTC+0. The next Classic Season follows the same two-month cadence (January, March, May, July, September, November). Ace and Conqueror come back in Platinum. Stock Bonus Point Cards and finish weeklies in the last days of S31. The first 48–72 hours after reset have the softest Ace race.
Conqueror is the top 500 on your region and mode. The cut sits near 5500 RP early and 6500+ late on busy servers. Play five matches after you enter the 500 to claim the frame. Daily play matters here because the line rises. Full reset and frame rules live in Conqueror Frame Rules 2026.
2026 H2 Season Series medals, trials (pick 10 of 20), and the Cycle Treasury sit on top of the rank grind. Series cosmetics stay after the reset. Ranked RP does not.
FAQ
What are the Ace Promotion Match rules in 2026?
Reach 4199 RP, then finish Top 15 on Erangel or Top 8 on Livik three times in a row. A miss below the line resets the streak. The same pattern scales to Ace Master (4699 RP, four games, Top 12 / Top 6) and Ace Dominator (5199 RP, five games, Top 10 / Top 5).
How many matches from Crown I to Ace?
Plan 20–40 ranked games to the 4199 gate, then at least three promo games. Top-10 average with 2–3 eliminations shortens the first half.
When does rank decay start?
After seven days without a ranked match. Crown, Ace, and Conqueror lose 7 RP per day. One ranked match that week stops it.
What happens to Ace when Season 31 resets?
Season 31 Classic closes 11 September 2026, 23:59 UTC+0. Ace and above drop into Platinum I or II. Platinum back to Crown takes 15–25 matches. Crown back to Conqueror takes 20–40 more, plus a new promo streak.
Can you lose Ace from a bad lobby?
After the promo clears, match losses do not strip the Ace tier. Decay and the season reset can. During the promo itself, a single bad placement can wipe the streak.
Which map is the easiest Ace promo?
Erangel. Top 15 on 8×8 km leaves more room than Livik Top 8. Confirm Miramar on the in-game panel before you treat it as an Erangel clone.
Conclusion
Ace in 2026 is an RP gate plus a placement streak. Season 31 made the streak visible on the HUD and made map swaps lethal. Hold Top 15 on Erangel, keep the same queue, and spend UC on the A20 Elite Pass and protection cards, not crates. Bookmark this page for the September reset numbers, then buy PUBG Mobile UC before the next Royale Pass window if your balance is short.
