What you need to know and improve in MMR

Dota 2 for newbies: What you need to know and improve in MMR

Dota 2 is widely regarded as the most challenging multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game to master. Developed and published by Valve Corporation, it was a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. It is where matches between two teams of five players battle each other’s heroes in player vs player (PvP) combat to defend their respective bases on the map.

Over the years of brilliant Dota 2 gameplay among players across the world — in particular to competitions played in prestigious esports tournaments like The International (TI) — it is no wonder that the game is divided into casual play and ranked matches. This is where the Elo rating-based matchmaking system called ‘matchmaking rating’ (MMR) comes into play. Learn what it is, and why it is one of the most coveted stats. 

MMR (matchmaking rating) explained

The Matchmaking Rating, or MMR, is a number that defines each player’s skill level, where winning a game raises a player’s MMR, but losing lowers it. In Dota 2, players may obtain seasonal ranking medals depending on their MMR using Ranked Matchmaking. On the global Leaderboards, the players with the highest ratings are listed.

Understanding Dota 2’s bracket system/medals

Each level and tier that a player achieves earns them a medal. They are eight in total, each of which is divided into five tiers. Even if players with medium to low ratings are not found on the global Leaderboards, everyone can still see your precise ability level because medals are always visible on profiles. They are as follows: 

  1. Herald 
  • ~0 MMR
  • ~154 MMR
  • ~308 MMR
  • ~462 MMR
  • ~616 MMR
  1. Guardian
  • ~770 MMR
  • ~924 MMR
  • ~1078 MMR
  • 1232 MMR
  • ~1386 MMR
  1. Crusader
  • ~1540 MMR
  • ~1694 MMR
  • ~1848 MMR
  • ~2002 MMR
  • ~2156 MM4
  1. Archon
  • ~2310 MMR
  • ~2464 MMR
  • ~2618 MMR
  • ~2772 MMR
  • ~2926 MMR
  1. Legend
  • ~3080 MMR
  • ~3234 MMR
  • ~3388 MMR
  • ~3542 MMR
  • ~3696 MMR
  1. Ancient
  • 3850 MMR
  • ~4004 MMR
  • ~4158 MMR
  • ~4312 MMR
  • ~4466 MMR
  1. Divine
  • ~4620 MMR
  • ~4820 MMR
  • ~5020 MMR
  • ~5220 MMR
  • ~5420 MMR
  1. Immortal
  • Placed
  • Top 1,000
  • Top 100
  • Top 10
  • Top 1

How does MMR calibration work?

When rated matches are already on, the system allows players to calibrate their account by playing 10 games. Once completed, a medal is awarded and the MMR is calculated. Before you get adjusted, here are some tips to keep in mind: 

  1. Choose only heroes who can do a lot of damage and kill many opponents.
  1. If you have trouble choosing, you can make it easier by picking heroes like Dragon Knight, Wraith King, and Viper, among others.
  1. Winning a match is a critical component in achieving a high MMR value. So, follow your teammates’ lead, because well-organized collaboration is crucial to Dota 2 victory. 

The importance of Dota 2 Leaderboards

Dota 2 leaderboards ranks players who have climbed into the Immortal league. The top 5,000 or so come from each of the four major areas represented: Europe, North and South America, China, and Southeast Asia. In order to become as such, you must meet the following standards that are as follows:

  1. Become a top solo MMR in the region where you play. 
  2. You must have played a total of 300 matchmaking games.
  3. You must achieve 100 solo rated games in a lifetime.
  4. In the previous 21 days, you must have created at least 14 single rated games in the same league.

Tips to help improve your MMR

MMR is a measurement of a player’s Dota 2 ability, and it goes up and down by 25 points with each victory or defeat. So, if you are looking for ways to increase your rating, keep reading for some useful advice.

  1. Focus on improving your skills

Since MMR is a representation of your abilities, it’s best to concentrate on improving your game rather than worrying about your rating.

  1. Keep in mind the bracket system

If you have carefully assessed the bracket system above, you must know by now that its spacing gets less as you move upwards. The difference between a player in the 6k bracket and one in the 7k bracket, for example, is that the latter can perform the identical tasks three seconds quicker.

  1. Work well with your team

It is easy to become sidetracked towards achieving a higher MMR. Players who think they should be in higher brackets frequently blame their teammates for losses and being held back. Even if the outcomes aren’t good, it is vital to give encouraging remarks because repeatedly criticising them will erode their confidence, resulting only in further defeats. Remember that the dream can only come true if everyone works together.

  1. Keep up-to-date with Valve’s frequent Dota 2 updates

Dota 2 is an ever-changing sophisticated game with a lot of elements affecting every battle in different ways. In other words, the longer you play, the more you can absorb these aspects and incorporate them into your gameplay. 

When learning a new hero, for example, you must concentrate on last hitting, the best regions of the map for that hero, things to equip, and how the opponent might damage you. Staying focused while learning new components of the game will expand your learning curve and help you become a better player.

  1. Learn new skills from the best of the best

Dota 2 is a game in which watching other people play is equally as crucial as playing itself. Try to learn from anybody who is doing well, whether they be broadcasters, content providers, and professional gamers. In fact, the world’s biggest and richest-funded Dota 2 esports tournament The International is a terrific place to start this practice. 

  1. Losses are part of the process

The sensation of being rated can be distressing. You’ll frequently find yourself in circumstances when you or your teammates aren’t performing than expected or practised, the enemy team is unstoppable, or you are just stuck in an unwinnable predicament for most of the game. Meaning to say, it is better to embrace as early as now that losses are part of the process.

Summing up

The supremacy of Dota 2 lies in its global influence, sophisticated gameplay, and frequent updates. It is a fast-paced and highly competitive video game where there is always someone or some team somewhere in the world doing impressive feats. They are so significant that they redefine the game’s meta and global esports tournaments.