There could potentially be a new MMR system making its way into Dota 2 to change the way players gain or lose points.

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Mention of New MMR System Found in Dota 2 Files

Sadakshi Kalyan Ramun
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Highlights
There could potentially be a new MMR system making its way into Dota 2 to change the way players gain or lose points.
Data miners claim to have found information about the Glicko-2 rating system being introduced into Dota 2.

Dota 2 may be getting a new Matchmaking Rating (MMR) system similar to the one currently used in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Data miners claim to have discovered a new MMR system in the making from the Dota 2 game update files. As per the leaks, Dota 2 may be looking to add this new method of calculating MMR called the Glicko rating system. This was first shared on Reddit, where one user posted, “Glicko rating system is coming to Dota 2” and shared a GitHub link that has details about the new rating system in the code. 

However, players should note that Valve has not confirmed this development and this information has to be taken with a pinch of salt. Having said that, let us see what the Glicko rating system is, how it works, and some of the games that use this system for their MMR.


Glicko rating system: What is it? Is it coming to Dota 2?

The Glicko rating system and the Glicko-2 rating system are used to assess players’ strengths in games of skill. It was invented in 1995 by Mark Glickman as an upgrade to the already-existing Elo rating system and is best known for its use in Chess. In the past, the Glicko rating systems have been used in multiple games including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Team Fortress 2, Dota Underlords, and Guild Wars 2, among many others.


How does the Glicko rating system for MMR work?

The Glicko-2 rating system uses two factors to calculate a player’s skill level. One is the player’s actual MMR and the other is something that is usually called a “rating deviation (RD)” (referring to the uncertainty of this MMR.)

A high deviation implies that the rating is unreliable. It indicates that a player may not be competing frequently or that the player has played only a small number of games. This in turn means that MMR gains from wins or MMR drops from losses will be high. 

On the other hand, a low RD tells us that the player competes frequently and that the rating is reliable. This means that the MMR gains from wins or MMR drops from losses will be low.


How will the MMR system in Dota 2 change?

Assuming that the Glicko rating system is introduced by Valve in Dota 2, players will no longer have a constant point change. A Dota 2 player said on Reddit that the Glicko system might be very close to the rating system the game had back in the day before the introduction of the current system. Earlier in Dota 2, winning against weak opponents gave fewer MMR and winning against stronger opponents awarded more MMR. 

While this didn’t really affect lower ranks where there is an abundance of players, in higher ranks like the Immortal tier, sometimes players could only gain a meager MMR if they faced and beat weaker opponents while they would lose a drastic amount of MMR if they lost that match. It was one of the reasons why players found it difficult to hit 10,000 MMR back in the day.

If Valve confirms this claim, this new MMR system could affect new accounts and smurfs and also players returning to the game after a long hiatus.


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Sadakshi has been a gamer throughout her life and has followed League of Legends since Season 3, immediately falling in love with the esports scene. Bringing in her print journalism experience, she focuses on content that is both informative and innovative. While her heart still remains with League, her love for competition has pushed her to explore other titles such as Valorant and Apex Legends.

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