What’s a Mythic Percentage on MTGA? And How’s it Work?

Baron Von Count | Illustration by Jesper Ejsing

Getting to Mythic rank is the aim, or even the dream, of many MTG Arena players. However, once you get there, you’ll find that the rank works a bit differently compared to the lower ranks. You’re suddenly given a percentage, rather than a precious metal and some pips.

What’s this number for, though? And what can you do to improve it? Let’s take a look!

What Is a Mythic Percentage Rank on MTG Arena?

Mythic Proportions | Illustration by Jim Nelson

The percentage of your Mythic rank on Magic: Arena is a measure of where you are compared to all of the other players who are at any rank in the format you’re playing in (either Constructed formats, or Limited formats). Simply put, the higher your percentage number, the better you’re doing (so a player at 99% is ranked higher than one at 95%).

This percentage is based on a hidden matchmaking rank (MMR) that exists at all ranks on Arena, just you don’t see any indication of it until you get to Mythic. This MMR value goes up when you win, or down when you lose. Not only that, if you win against someone ranked much higher than you, you gain more MMR than if you beat someone at roughly the same or a lower rank. Similarly, if you lose against someone much lower than you, you lose more MMR, and therefore lose more rank.

The percentage you enter Mythic with isn’t fixed; it’s based on your MMR score at the point you enter Mythic. If you had a really good win rate, you enter in the high 90%s (or potentially even the numbered ranks). If you’ve really hit the grind to get there, you enter at a lower rank.

If you manage to rank up even further, into the top 1800 of all players, you eventually hit the ranked numbers, shown by a # followed by a number. This is an absolute value, and if you’re #1, that means you’re the top-ranked player in the whole queue!

The image above, for example, means that your Constructed rank puts you in the top 98% of all Constructed players – but not yet high enough to reach the “numbered” ranks, that's to say the top 1800 players. Your Limited rank, on the other hand, means you are the 67th highest-ranked player at that time.

How to Improve Mythic Percentage on MTG Arena

Improving your rank/Mythic Percentage on Arena is quite simple, really. All you need to do is win! As you win, your MMR score goes up, which means that your percentage also goes up. Not only that, if you win against a player with a really high rank, your own rank goes up even more! Of course, if you lose, your MMR and your rank also go down, so it’s probably best to avoid that!

However, if you stop playing, your rank deteriorates over time, so you can’t just get to a high rank, then take a break and expect to stay there when you come back!

If you want to keep track of how your deck is doing, Arena Tutor is a really good tool for doing so. You can use it to see what decks you’re strong and weak against to improve your performance and your rank even more!

How Many People Can Reach Mythic on MTG Arena?

There’s no real limit to how many people can reach Mythic on Arena. It’s not like once there’s a certain number of people in Mythic, it’ll just stop letting people in. The more players that are on Arena, the more will find themselves making their way to Mythic, as a matter of course. More people playing at the top ranks makes it harder to gain your percentage position, though.

This can be seen a little when you look at ranks in Limited. There are noticeably fewer people making it to Mythic in Limited, so you find yourself going up and down a lot more than if you’re winning and losing in the Constructed queues.

Wrap Up

Spike, Tournament Grinder | Illustration by Zoltan Boros

I hope you’ve found this article useful and understand the rankings in Mythic a little more now. It’s not completely simple to grasp right away, but once explained it becomes a lot easier to see what’s going on.

Have you made it to Mythic yet? If so, what did you get to there? Let me know about your struggles to get there, or your successes in the comments below or at the Draftsim Discord!

Good luck in your grind!