I voted for Academy. Although all the names have merit, "Academy" checked all the boxes for the UX on that screen:
Fantasy theme - after successfully completing 12 chapters in Waer Medge Academy (Campaign Mode), a new player will already understand how "academy" fits into our world (and their place in it). I like the resulting immersion.
Format mechanics - it supports the gameplay for that specific format. It's easy for new players to connect the mental dots that the Foundation cards rewarded in Campaign Mode (ie, Waer Medge Academy) are the cards to be used in the Academy format. As such, it's that much easier for a new player to grasp and remember the purpose of the format.
Parallel Construction - the name fits linguistically and stylistically with the other format names in a manner that feels natural.
Starting Point - since Ranked Play will not be unlocked until the new player completes the basic chapters for Campaign Mode, a new player will intuitively identify the Academy format as the natural "starting point" for Ranked Play. When a new player first approaches ranked play, we want them to immediately identify the "safe place" from which to start this new game mode.
Linear Progression - the name Academy suggests that the matches are at a "school level" (like high school or college games). In other words, this is not the "pro level", which is exactly what we want to imply. Additional earnings happen at the "pro level" formats. As such, Academy sounds cooler than "Basic" while still preserving a sense of progression (in the same way that Bronze league leads to Champion league).
Like I said, all the names have merit. Some of the other names check off some of these boxes, but I thought Academy checked them ALL. So thank you for whoever first suggested that name (maybe JediElf?). Whoever it was, good job!
RE: Which name best represents our new 100% free-to-play format?