Originally Posted by Drysc

Q: Why do the weapons and shoulders require a personal rating?
A: We found that many high end PvE players felt extremely compelled to obtain the weapons, as given enough time, and without a rating requirement, they’re guaranteed. There’s of course no guarantee that you can obtain the same weapons in PvE for use in PvP, and that discrepancy is the main reason for the change. With the personal rating system we can ensure that there is a milestone or achievement that one has to reach and that they can’t be obtained purely through a slow but steady acquisition of arena points. For the shoulders, they are in our opinion, the most visually impacting item and we wanted something visual that can distinguish those who are performing well in the arenas. They’re also not substantial stat-wise, and for those without the shoulders the set bonuses can still be achieved.