Tier list

A tier list sorts the options in a game – characters, weapons, classes, decks, cars – into ranked bands called tiers. The top tier is commonly labelled S, followed by A, B, C and lower letters. Something in S-tier is considered excellent; something at the bottom is thought to be weak or very situational.

Tier lists are made by players, content creators and sometimes professional competitors. They summarise the current meta in a single image, which makes them easy to share and argue about. The format has spread far beyond games, and people now rank foods, films and almost anything else the same way.

Reading the letters

The exact labels vary. Some lists add SS or S+ above S, others use numbers or colours instead of letters, and some split tiers by role or game mode. What matters is the order: the higher the band, the more often that option is expected to succeed in the conditions the list-maker had in mind.

How seriously to take them

Tier lists are opinions, not facts. They usually reflect top-level play, where small advantages matter a lot. At beginner or casual level, the gap between tiers is often much smaller than it looks, and a “B-tier” character played well will beat an “S-tier” one played poorly. Tier lists also go out of date quickly, since every balance update can shuffle them.

Good tier lists explain their reasoning, note which game mode or skill level they apply to, and give the date or version. Lists without that context are best taken lightly.

Using tier lists sensibly

Tier lists can help choose a starting character, but picking something you enjoy usually leads to more practice and therefore more improvement. If a tier list is being used to justify buying a new character, it is worth remembering that rankings can change with the next update.