How Match Ratings Work in Wrestling GM
Updated · 1.2.1 Beta preview (source reviewed)
Mechanics checked against the 1.2.1 Beta preview source on 7 July 2026. Public and older builds can differ; use the values in your own save. Screenshots show earlier beta interfaces and may differ in appearance.
Why did my match get that rating?
The reviewed 1.4.0 preview calculates a talent-based core, adds optional bonuses, then caps the final rating at 10. The winner and the rating answer different questions: a preferred booking outcome does not by itself make a match highly rated. Start with the result breakdown rather than treating the final number as a judgement on your storyline.
The talent core
The skill input averages strength, agility, technical ability and charisma across the match's wrestlers. That average, on a 0–100 scale, becomes a 0–10 value and receives a 60% weight. Average popularity becomes a 0–10 value with a 20% weight.
For example, an average relevant skill of 60 and average popularity of 40 produce 6 × 0.60 + 4 × 0.20 = 4.4 before optional bonuses. Stamina is still something to manage, but it is not one of the four stats in this particular skill-average formula.
The core can contribute at most 8.0. That explains why good talent matters while leaving room for the booking situation to improve the result.
Optional bonuses
| Factor | Reviewed contribution |
|---|---|
| Rivalry heat | Heat divided by 10, multiplied by 0.35 |
| Production | Production level × 2, capped at 10, multiplied by 0.0875 |
| GM Creative Booking | Skill level from 0–10, multiplied by 0.0875 |
| Match type | The type's configured bonus multiplied by 0.0875 |
| Championship prestige | Prestige divided by 10, multiplied by 0.0875 |
Absent optional factors contribute zero; they do not subtract a penalty in this preview formula. A standard match still has its configured type value of 1, adding 0.0875. Higher-cost choices should be considered alongside finances and the story, not just their rating contribution.
A complete example
Take the 4.4 core above. Give the match rivalry heat of 50 and a standard match type, with no active production, GM or championship bonus. Heat adds 5 × 0.35 = 1.75 and the type adds 0.0875. The raw result is 6.2375, displayed as 6.2 after rounding to one decimal.
With those same inputs and no rivalry, the result is about 4.5. This comparison isolates the heat contribution; it does not promise that changing one booking will create 50 heat automatically. The separate rivalry system determines that.
Why does the number stop at 10?
Optional contributions can push the internal total above 10, but the final rating is capped. Once a match is at the cap, additional spending cannot make the displayed score exceed 10. Consider whether those resources would help another match or protect next week's finances instead.
Older saved match results are historical records. A formula change does not mean those results should be recalculated using this explanation.
Promos and show ratings are different
Promo ratings use charisma instead of the four-stat match average. The strongest speaker carries more of the charisma input, while the group still matters. A whole show's score combines its matches and segments through a separate system; it is not simply this formula applied to all wrestlers at once.
Common mistakes and next steps
Do not assume an evenly matched pair is a separate guaranteed rating bonus, that every hot rivalry gives exactly one extra star, or that costly stipulations fix every weak roster. Compare the factors shown in your build and record what changed between two cards.
Continue with booking and rivalries, roster comparisons, or the finance guide.