Many people play Dota 2 for fun and do not care whether they win or lose. However, most players are interested in the Dota 2 ranks and want to reach their desired ‘medal’ as soon as possible. Hence, they spam their favorite hero and want to win as many games as possible.
Speaking of the Dota 2 ranking system, not that many people are familiar with it and how it works. Valve made a significant change a couple of years ago that introduced the ranks themselves. There haven’t been that many changes since then, but some users still have problems figuring it out. Hence, it is time to go through the ins and outs of the Dota 2 rank system and learn everything about it.
Contents
Overview
Even though people may use different names for the Dota 2 ranks, we can divide the ranking system into 2 big groups. The first one consists of MMR, whereas the second one is often referred to as Medal Ranking. The latter became popular several years ago, and it changed a lot of things.
Speaking of medals, at the time of writing this article, Dota 2 has the following options based on your MMR:
- Herald
- Guardian
- Crusader
- Archon
- Legend
- Ancient
- Divine
- Immortal
What’s interesting is that each medal has five starts of progress that you have to go through. Once you complete it, you will be promoted to the next rank medal. Needless to say, the only way to advance through the levels is by winning games.
Once you reach Immortal, you no longer have to get 5 stars to progress. Instead, you will receive a number that will show you where you are on the leaderboard for the specific region.
As mentioned, the only way to earn medals is by playing in ranked games. What’s interesting is that these things will be visible to other players before, as well as during the match.
Calibration, the Medals, and MMR
Your MMR is critical in Dota 2 because it also determines the Dota 2 ranks. To gain MMR, you must play ranked games (either solo or in a party) and win. Usually, winning a ranked game alone will grant you 30 MMR, and you will get 20 MMR if you win in a party. In case you don’t know, MMR stands for matchmaking rank, and it is a score that determines your rank. The Dota 2 MMR should represent your in-game skill because it depends on wins and losses.
Your initial MMR, once the season begins, is based on the calibration. The latter requires you to play 10 games, and the game will show your MMR after you complete them. No one knows whether the system considers your wins and losses, but it is definitely better to win and show everything you’re capable of.
Speaking of the calibration, before you get the chance to do so, you have to play Dota 2 for around 100 hours. There are loads of other options you can choose from besides ranked games, such as the standard All Pick in casual mode, as well as Turbo. The latter is fun because the games end faster.
The seasons in Dota 2
One of the first things you have to know when reading more about the Dota 2 ranks is that the game has seasons. Usually, a season lasts for around 6 months, after which players have to calibrate again. Even though there are some exceptions, the majority of people get the same rank as they were before the rest.
The bad news is that Valve is inconsistent with the seasons, meaning that some will last longer. It seems like the company is aware of it, which is why it added the option for you recalibrate once per season. All you have to do is go to options and find the one that will allow you to do that.
The Dota 2 ranks and their MMR
As mentioned several times, your MMR in Dota 2 is related to your rank in the game. There is a list of the Dota 2 ranks and their medals, but we are not sure if it is official. That said, the numerous tests in the last couple of years proved that they are more or less the same.
The Herald rank is from 0 to around 770 MMR, which is when you reach Guardian 1. Once you get to 1540 MMR, you will go to Crusader, and you will need 2310 MMR to reach Archon 1. After that, you have to get 3080 MMR for Legend 1 and 3850 MMR for Ancient 1.
Players who want to reach the Divine bracket have to get 4620 and those who want Immortal need to be more than 5420.
Dota 2 Ranks Distribution
Image Credit: eSports talesMany statistics over the years show the distribution of Dota 2 players depending on their rank. Even though it depends on a lot of things, usually, the majority of Dota 2 players are between Crusader 1 and Legend 2. This MMR range is where you will find a lot of players who understand the basics of the game and what they need to do to win.
Feel free to check the table below with the Dota 2 ranks to learn more about it.
Tips & Tricks to reach the highest Dota 2 ranks
Even though some people think that reaching the Dota 2 rank they want is like a walk in the park, this is not the case. You will have all sorts of problems along the way, which often force some people to give up. That said, there are several tips we’d like to share with you that will come in handy.
Follow the meta
The first important thing you should consider when playing Ranked Dota 2 matches is following the meta. Every patch has its best heroes, so using them should allow you to win your games much easier. Of course, you should only play with them if you know how they work. Never pick a hero just because it is good if you have no idea how to play.
Do not pay attention to the haters
One of the worst things about Dota 2 is that there are tons of haters. People like to flame for no reason and ruin your games, so expect this to happen a lot. The bad news is that you can’t do much about it, so you must focus on your game and try to carry them.
Keep in mind that players with higher behavior scores are less likely to team up with such players. So, try to be nice to your team.
Watch the best players in action and try to steal a page from their book
Watching some of the best Dota 2 players in action can be advantageous, especially if you are new to the game. You will learn tons of new things that will allow you to win your games much easier. Although it takes time, people who keep an eye on the best usually succeed.
