Developed by Valve Corporation, Dota 2 is a popular multiplayer online battle arena video game.

Playing this eSports game casually gives you a taste of what to expect, however, the best that Dota 2 has to offer is only experienced as you climb the ranks.

Your Dota 2 rank is tied to your Matchmaking Rank points (MMR), which is a numeric representation of your skill level that changes over time depending on your performances in the game.

In essence, MMR ensures that players with similar ranks compete against each other instead of having gamers with a large disparity in rankings or MMR squaring off, which makes for lopsided, unbalanced and unfair competition.

It’s worth noting that players are more self-aware of their surroundings once they climb up Dota 2’s ranking system.

But how exactly does this ranking system work? While Dota 2’s ranking system may look simple to experienced players who are familiar with games that have a modern rating system, it could prove to be more complex for newcomers.

With that in mind, here’s all you need to know to know about the Dota 2 ranking system.

Dota 2 Ranking System

In the fifth season of Dota 2, Valve Corporation decided to change matchmaking and calibrate the MMR needed to reach a particular rank.

When playing Dota 2, a player wins or loses 30 MMR for each solo victory or loss, and 20 MMR for each party triumph or defeat.

There are a total of eight ranks in Dota 2, namely Herald, Guardian, Crusader, Archon, Legend, Ancient, Divine, and Immortal.

The MMR for each Dota 2 rank is as follows:

  • Herald ranks: - 0-769 MMR
  • Guardian ranks: - 770-1539 MMR
  • Crusader ranks: - 1540-2309 MMR
  • Archon ranks: - 2310-3079 MMR
  • Legend ranks: - 3080-3849 MMR
  • Ancient ranks: - 3850-4619 MMR
  • Divine ranks: - 4620-5420+ MMR
  • Immortal ranks: ∽6000+ MMR

In case, a player isn’t satisfied or happy with one’s Dota 2 MMR, he or she can reset it in just a few seconds.

Dota 2 players, in fact, can reset their matchmaking rank at any time they want. So if you are a player who feels that they are a part of the wrong bracket or simply a returning gamer in search of a competitive encounter, Dota 2’s recalibration option enables you to rectify your matching rank.

All you need to do to start your Dota 2 MMR calibration is go to the settings menu and click on the account tab.

Once you do the aforementioned step, a large blue Activate Recalibration button will be present under the MMR Recaliberation section. 

After pressing the button as mentioned above, the game will immediately start the recalibration process to find you a suitable match to face off against.

That said, it must be mentioned that to reset your Dota 2 MMR, one must play a minimum of 10 ranked matches. Only then will it be possible for you to recalibrate. 

Once the entire recalibration process has been completed, you will receive a new MMR value and medal. However, your previous MMR plays a big role in determining your new rank after recalibration,

Photo credit: Alamy