Learn about the Dota 2 ranks and ranking system to advance in this highly competitive game.
Dota 2 still attracts an astounding number of players every day despite being published ten years ago. Most players are there to establish their worth in ranked competition, while some only play a few casual games here and there before logging out.
Dota 2 has a high skill ceiling, like any other online competitive game, and with so many heroes to learn, it’s challenging to reach the astounding Immortal rank. But it is possible if you are clever and willing to put much effort into improving your tactical skills.
Don’t worry if you’re a brand-new Dota 2 player. To assist you, we’ve compiled some answers to the most commonly asked questions regarding the Dota 2 ranks and ranking system, including the different tiers, how Dota 2 MMR is determined, and more. It may be a rather intimidating process to enter the ranked queue.
Dota 2 in-game ranks
The intricate ranking structure of Dota 2 has eight levels, with Herald at the bottom and Immortal at the top. Except for Immortal, every tier contains five sub-ranks, with one being the lowest and five being the highest. Consequently, the renowned MOBA from Valve has 36 ranks.
- Herald
- Herald 1
- Herald 2
- Herald 3
- Herald 4
- Herald 5
- Guardian
- Guardian 1
- Guardian 2
- Guardian 3
- Guardian 4
- Guardian 5
- Crusader
- Crusader 1
- Crusader 2
- Crusader 3
- Crusader 4
- Crusader 5
- Archon
- Archon 1
- Archon 2
- Archon 3
- Archon 4
- Archon 5
- Legend
- Legend 1
- Legend 2
- Legend 3
- Legend 4
- Legend 5
- Ancient
- Ancient 1
- Ancient 2
- Ancient 3
- Ancient 4
- Ancient 5
- Divine
- Divine 1
- Divine 2
- Divine 3
- Divine 4
- Divine 5
- Immortal
- Immortal (Placed)
- Immortal (Top 1000)
- Immortal (Top 100)
- Immortal (Top 10)
- Immortal (Top 1)
As you can see from the rank badges up there, Immortal has a considerable number of them. That’s because you can only display them as badges, not as individual ranks, depending on where you stand on the Immortal leaderboards.
How do Dota 2 ranks work?
The ranking system in Dota 2 may appear complicated at first, but it functions exactly like any other competitive game. New players will need to play 100 hours’ worth of casual games before they can unlock ranked, but once they do, the grind can start.
After ranking is enabled, you must play 10 matches before receiving your first rank. This won’t be based on how well you played in the game; instead, it will solely be based on your win/loss ratio and total MMR.
Players will then experience rank loss or gain as their MMR changes over time. In contrast to Valorant ranked, the ranking system regulations do not alter as players move up the ladder. However, ranks will eventually reset when new seasons arrive.
MMR in Dota 2
MMR, or Matchmaking Rating, is a mechanism used in Dota 2 to gauge each player’s skill level. MMR’s fundamental goal is finding and pairing equal teammates and opponents to promote fair play. The method is set up to prevent more skilled players from teaming up with or competing with less skilled individuals.
As you win and lose ranking games, the number fluctuates and rises or falls. When you attain a certain rank’s value, let’s say Legend 2, your rank will change. The MMR values for each rank are shown in our table above.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that your MMR only takes into account your victories and defeats. Positive or negative individual performances have no bearing on your MMR rating.
MMR calibration explained in Dota 2
The method allows a player to play 10 matches to calibrate his account while rated matches are already accessible. A player receives a medal once the calibration is finished, and the MMR is then calculated. Below is the advice for players before calibrating:
- Choose only heroes who can kill plenty of foes and do a lot of damage.
- Avoid making life difficult for yourself by selecting playable characters like Dragon Knight, Wraith King, Viper, etc.
- Gaining a high MMR value depends heavily on winning a match to succeed in Dota 2; you should thus follow your teammates’ lead.
Ranked roles/classic
Ranked Roles and Ranked Classic are the two subcategories of ranked matchmaking. In the former, participants select their roles in advance, but in the latter, none of the five players are given a role.
Your medal tier may be lower when you queue for a match in ranked roles than what is shown on your Main Menu. Your proficiency in that specific function is the reason behind this.
Their tier will be shown as Legend 3 in the drafting stage when they queue for a support job rather than a core role, so they will have a Legend 4 medal on the Main Menu. Valve probably intended this to prevent you from queueing for your weaker roles against the hardest opponents.
Due to the significantly greater skill level and general variety of Immortal-rated players, Role Queue does not apply in the Immortal league after a specific MMR threshold. For players at the top of the ladder, this also cuts down on their total wait time in line.
Ranked roles performance matchmaking
Naturally, as one advances in the Dota 2 rankings, not everyone will be proficient in every role. Some players perform better in high-pressure positions like mid-lane or offlane, while others excel as the team’s support players.
To make up for this, Valve itself recognized the problem and developed the matchmaking system’s performance-based component. The algorithm adapts the opponents’ skill levels to match a player’s victory percentage in particular positions. This ensures that games are as impartial as possible regarding a player’s ability in their role.
The built-in radar chart, which you can discover by moving the mouse over the Role Queue information icon in the queue window, displays a player’s performance.
