In this Dev Update, we’re excited to discuss updates to our Ranked MMR distribution and how these changes are affecting your climbing experience this year.
Our main goal is to create a fair and competitive environment for all players. To achieve this, we’re actively banning cheaters, improving detection for troublemakers, and creating better systems to move alternate accounts out of low-skill matches. We’re also focused on pairing players with others of similar skill levels to keep games enjoyable and balanced.
When we launched Ranked in 2010, most players had similar skill levels. However, over the years, players have improved significantly, especially at the top ranks. While we’ve made adjustments, like introducing Iron and Grandmaster tiers, it was time to reassess how MMR is spread across ranks.
We want players in all ranks to have a similar understanding of the game. For instance, players in Gold IV to Gold I should grasp basic strategies, like pushing lanes when the jungler is spotted nearby. Our review revealed that the distribution wasn’t quite right, especially for players at the highest and lowest ranks. We want newcomers to learn without feeling overwhelmed, and that’s what Iron should be for.
Historically, about 14% of players fell into Iron, often stuck between Iron and Bronze. These players usually have a decent grasp of gameplay mechanics but may struggle to apply them consistently. This year, we’ve adjusted the MMR-to-Rank correlation to better reflect experience and help players find their footing in Iron.
On the flip side, there’s been a vast performance gap among players in Diamond. Last year, the skill difference between Diamond IV and Diamond I resembled the difference between Bronze IV and high Silver. To rectify this, we reassigned some players to Master based on their true skill level. While we’re seeing positive results, we’re observing a broader skill gap now, so we may introduce an expansion in Apex tiers in the future.
We also need to consider how LP (League Points) requirements have shifted with these adjustments. Despite keeping the same number of players in Grandmaster and Challenger, the LP needed to rank up has increased, which we’ll address next season.
Looking ahead, we see ongoing improvements as essential to the integrity of League. We’re focused on enhancing autofill systems and ensuring fair matchmaking. A rollout for these changes is planned, starting with EUW, followed by OCE and VN.
We’re also tracking players’ LP gains in Master+ games, especially notorious cases of imbalanced LP like +10/-30. We’re hopeful to resolve this soon. Lastly, we aim to make performance metrics more reliable across different champions and roles, creating a smoother experience for everyone.
Overall, our efforts are geared towards making Ranked a vibrant and fair gaming experience for everyone. For more information on player statistics, you can check trusted sources like Statista or Riot’s own reports.
