How The MMR System Works

Matchmaking rating (MMR) refers to the metric that Dota 2 uses to compare player skill levels and organize games between roughly evenly matched opponents. Although different variants of this system are used for both ranked and normal matches, it is especially important in the former. Unlike in some other titles, ranked play MMR in this game connects directly to the competitive ladder. Raising it is necessary to both advance on the ladder and encounter more interesting opponents. This system has undergone several significant reworks, with the last one happening in September 2020. Read on to find out how it works today.

Rating Basics and Hidden Values

When you first begin to play Dota 2, you will only have access to normal games. Although no MMR is displayed at this time, it is nevertheless tracked in secret and used to assign your non-bot opponents. This hidden MMR also serves as your initial skill assessment for ranked play. However, the ratings for ranked and unranked play diverge after you finish your first competitive match.

The basic rule behind MMR of any kind is simple: it rises by approximately 25 points when you win a game and falls by a similar amount when you lose it. The exact formula for the change is unknown. Upon starting your first normal game, you are assigned an average player rating, which is used to match you with other beginner-level participants. In your first few matches, this starting rating will be heavily affected not only by the final outcome but also by various stats such as kills, deaths, and gold earned. That results in a more dynamic MMR that can quickly shift in either direction.

MMR changes might not be added if there are serious connection issues affecting the game, in which case a warning should show up in advance. They also get waived if a non-party teammate abandons the match before the five-minute mark or the death of the first hero.

One more complication is that for both ranked and unranked play, there are separate ratings for Core (first three hero positions) and Support (last two hero positions) roles. Each victory or defeat raises or lowers the role-appropriate MMR by the full amount and the other MMR by half that amount. It is one of those ratings that is used for matchmaking, depending on the role you want to play.

Ranked Matches MMR

As with the Battle Cup, accessing ranked play requires that you first play Dota 2 for 100 hours in any available modes. Afterward, you will need to submit a phone number that is connected to a Steam account and has not been blacklisted for any reason. That is a security measure used to punish those who abuse either Steam’s or Dota 2’s terms of conduct, used because both are owned by the same company. Although you can change this number later, you will not be able to return to it for three months.

Finally, you must complete ten calibration matches to determine your initial ranked MMR. The first of them is assigned using your hidden MMR, but subsequently, you form a separate rating. Like the early normal matches, calibration effects on the MMR can be prone to major swings. Once the matches are complete, you will be able to take part in regular ranked play with more stable changes tied mainly to victories and defeats.

Note that you can queue up for the calibration and regular ranked matches by yourself or in a party of up to five people. The first approach will let you earn solo MMR, while the second will give you duo MMR or the equivalent for larger groups. Playing on your own will result in MMR changes of 30 points based on match outcome, while party games have increments of 20.

Matchmaking System

Which players get assigned to a match is determined by several considerations, of which MMR is the most important:

• MMR parity. The total MMR for both teams should be roughly equal. Their best players should be as close to each other as possible. The gap between the best and worst players in terms of MMR should be minimal;
• Experience. There should also be a minimal gap in the number of games played;
• Cohesion. Full parties must be matched with other full parties, while solo players are matched with each other and duos;
• Language. All players should share at least one preferred language;
• Speed. All other things being equal, the game should load quickly.

To queue up as a party, its members must be within a 2500 MMR range of each other. Low priority players can’t compete in ranked matches, and the same restriction is extended to all members of their party unless they are excluded.

Because they usually have a greater capability for coordination, parties have their unified MMR adjusted upwards for the purposes of finding a match. Their rating is raised further if they have a high discrepancy in skill levels. Individual party members whose solo MMR exceeds the party rating also have their effective MMR adjusted upwards.

The extent to which your MMR influences matchmaking is itself affected by your Uncertainty. Players who repeatedly overperform or underperform compared to the system’s expectations tend to have a High Uncertainty, as do those who are just starting out. Performing more consistently will lower Uncertainty, as your results stabilize. While most long-term players tend to have low Uncertainty, dramatic, overwhelming victories or defeats can change that. Higher Uncertainty means that you are more likely to be matched with players whose MMR is much higher or lower than yours. Ranked and unranked ratings are affected by separate Uncertainty metrics.

Seasonal Rankings

In contrast to normal game MMR, the rating for ranked games is prominently displayed. In addition to a number, it also connects to a seasonal rank in a hierarchy consisting of several tiers and sub-divisions. While the exact boundaries are not clear, most of those ranks appear to have an MMR range associated with them. The highest rank, Immortal, goes to players who have reached the leaderboard in one of the following regions:

Getting to the leaderboard has the following requirements:

• One of the highest solo MMR in the region;
• 300 matches played against human opponents, including normal games;
• 100 matches played in the solo queue;
• 14 solo queue matches in the last three weeks within the same division. Not playing ranked matches for that much time will cause you to forfeit the spot;
• Legitimate, active account with the required player information (requested on reaching the leaderboard for the first time).

Although there is no official information on the population distribution between the ranks, enough data has been datamined by dedicated analysts to estimate it along with the MMR range:

This distribution serves as proof of the MOBA’s high skill ceiling. The majority of players can be found around the Archon tier, while only very few contenders manage to reach Divine and Immortal. The steep climb to that point requires a superb understanding of the meta and excellent teamwork. Players who have such ambitions should seriously consider getting coaching, especially as there are systems in place to support it.

In addition to the satisfaction of victory, all named ranking tiers unlock special emoticons. So do the different gradations of the Immortal rank (for the best 1,000, 100, 10, and 1 player). Moreover, every individual rank and gradation comes with its own medal. Those medals can be seen on player profiles.

Seasons in Dota 2 have variable length. While earlier seasons lasted for approximately seven months, Season Four went on for just over a year. At season end, there is no mandatory hard reset, although you can choose to reset your MMR completely through the settings menu. Otherwise, you will just need to play another ten calibration matches with your current MMR. However, it is likely to change more drastically due to the greater importance of your performance.

Conclusion

The MMR system of Dota 2 is rather more forgiving, simple, and transparent than those of many similar titles. While some parts of it, like the MMR formula itself, are opaque, experienced fans have long since managed to study its mechanisms. As a result, players can have a pretty clear picture of the ranked climb that awaits them. Though challenging, a lot of people clearly find it worthwhile due to the superior quality of play at higher levels.