In today’s update, we have insights regarding the recent adjustments made to the Ranked Matchmaking Rating (MMR) distribution and how these changes have influenced players’ progress this year.
Our discussion will explore the overarching goals for the Ranked system, the reasoning behind these adjustments, and what lies ahead to ensure League remains competitive, engaging, and equitable for players at every rank.
Ensuring Equitable Competition
For League to thrive as a competitive game, fairness is essential. We’re committed to tackling issues such as cheating by enhancing detection systems for negative player behavior, expediting the removal of alternate accounts from lower-skill matches, and addressing abuses created by smurfing. One of our priorities is to guarantee that players are matched with others of similar skill levels and experience while maintaining reasonable waiting times.
Since we first rolled out the Ranked system in 2010, player skill has evolved immensely. In the earlier days, differences between the bottom and top tiers were not as pronounced as they are today.
As players have improved markedly, particularly those at the upper echelons, we recognized the need to reassess the current MMR distribution across ranks, considering it has been some time since we thoroughly examined this aspect.
Refining the MMR Distribution
At the heart of our mission is the aim for players at all levels to exhibit similar skill levels and understanding. For instance, players in Gold IV to Gold I should share fundamental knowledge, like recognizing when to prioritize objectives based on enemy jungler positioning.
Upon reviewing our current setup, we identified discrepancies particularly at the ends of the rank spectrum. At the base, we want to allow newer players to compete against others at a similar learning stage, which aligns with our vision for Iron.
Historically, Iron has housed around 14% of the global player base, often comprised of individuals stuck between Iron and Bronze for years.
These players typically possess a moderate, yet inconsistent, grasp of champion and gameplay mechanics. To address this, we adjusted the MMR-to-Rank relationship, moving more seasoned players up from Iron to Bronze, thereby creating a true learning environment in Iron for those still discovering their niche.
This shift has shown promising results; however, we still see room for improvement in distinguishing between various skill levels and may explore the introduction of a new rank below Iron.
Conversely, we’ve observed considerable skill variation among players in Diamond. Over the past year, the gap between players at the Diamond IV and Diamond I ranks mirrored the varying skills of players between Bronze IV and Silver.
As we move forward, we will be assessing the balance of Master tier, particularly considering more distinct differences within the league. Adjustments in LP demands for Grandmaster and Challenger ranks are also on the table as we fine-tune these structures.
Looking Ahead for Ranked
We regard changes across all game systems, including Ranked, as part of League’s ongoing development. We have significant work planned for the future of the ranking system.
Our immediate focuses include improving autofill scenarios and ensuring fairness in secondary roles. Currently, we aim to roll out enhancements to the EUW region soon, with similar updates planned for OCE and Vietnam.
If testing is successful, we will expand these adjustments through future patches.
A plan to address LP gains in Master+ matches is also underway, as we’ve noted concerning trends in LP adjustments. We remain hopeful for a swift solution on this front.
Finally, we are committed to refining the representation of Mastery as a reflective performance metric, particularly in shorter matches across various roles, which should lead to more consistent LP fluctuations for all players.