Make every step count with HTB XP: Our new unified progression system

Stay tuned: this week, we are launching the HTB XP system. This is a foundational shift in how you track your growth, your skills, and your standing in the community. Every action you take on HTB will contribute to a single, cumulative score that stays.

We know how much effort you put into every solve, and we believe your profile should reflect your entire journey on Hack The Box. 

What is changing?

A single source of truth for your growth

The core of this update is the new HTB XP system, a permanent, cumulative score that reflects your entire career and learning history across the ecosystem. Your growth will be fueled by Machines, Challenges, and HTB Academy Modules and Paths. The reward matches the effort: the more difficult the content, the more XP you earn for your profile.

To give your climb an extra boost, completing Active Labs will automatically grant you a 1.3x XP multiplier, rewarding you for tackling the latest threats before walkthroughs exist. This is only the first chapter. Soon, your XP will also be fueled by other content types, making it an even more comprehensive map of your progress.

Here is exactly how much weight each milestone carries based on its difficulty level:

HTB Labs: Machines and Challenges

HTB Academy: Modules and Paths

Note: Optional exercise questions also award XP at the same rate as standard questions.

New rank grades: more milestones for your climb

To better showcase your specific level of expertise, we have added a new ranking structure. Instead of broad jumps between ranks, we have introduced a more granular system, featuring three distinct sub-grades: I, II, and III, and more than 100 levels. See below the new ranking structure:

Note: The Grandmaster rank features extended infinite scaling, allowing the most dedicated hackers to continue their climb indefinitely.

Fuel the momentum with updated Streaks

Consistency is the bridge to expertise. To help you maintain that momentum, we have updated our Weekly Streaks. A streak advances when you earn the required 200 XP within a calendar week, which runs from Monday 00:00:00 UTC to Sunday 23:59:59 UTC. If you miss the target, your streak resets to 0.

We know life gets in the way of the grind, so we are introducing Streak Savers on HTB Labs subscriptions to protect your momentum, as they were previously only available to HTB Academy annual subscribers. You can hold up to 3 savers at a time, and they are granted automatically to our subscribers. 

How to earn Streak Savers:

• HTB Labs: Monthly and Annual VIP+ subscribers get 1 saver per month.

• HTB Academy: This benefit is already exclusive to Annual Subscriptions. You will receive 1 streak saver every month. New annual subscribers get their first saver the moment they join.

Frequently Asked Questions

What will happen to my streaks on HTB Academy?

Users with existing streaks will retain the number of streaks they have already accumulated when the system changes.

Will the old ranks on HTB Labs disappear?

As of the date of this release, XP points will co-exist with our Legacy Ranks on HTB Labs, which remain the high-prestige proving ground for Active Labs, and our Seasons for short-term competitive sprints.

I am an Enterprise Platform user. Will I earn XP for the content I complete there?

The progression does not stop at our HTB Labs and Academy platforms. For those hacking on HTB Enterprise, if you have connected your accounts, every solve also contributes to your global HTB XP score. Learn more about setting up your HTB Account for progression sync here.

Why you will love HTB XP

We listened to your feedback, and now HTB XP will ensure your professional legacy only goes one way: up. It is a system built on rewarding your grit, where points scale directly with the challenge. The harder the flag, the bigger the payoff, ensuring your profile accurately reflects the effort you put into our content.

This is just the beginning of the new era of progression at Hack The Box. We are building a system that respects your time and validates your skills at every level. The path to Grandmaster will be open soon; stay tuned!