Being curious about the League of Legends matchmaking and ranking system is actually an advantageous trait for LoL players.
And that’s because knowing how the system works helps you exploit its weak points, come up with better strategies, and rank up faster in solo queue.
Two different ranking systems determine a player’s position in League of Legends. League Points (LP) are well-known, but there’s also a Match Making Rate, or MMR, which is less prominent.
In League’s early seasons, MMR was much more accessible to players. However, this has changed since the introduction of LP.
And nowadays, there’s no easy way to find a player’s MMR since not even third-party websites can provide 100% accurate data.
But with this post, I’ll do my best to explain to you just how you can check your MMR and how the matchmaking system works for ranked League of Legends.
I’ll give you tons of important info, so make sure to read until the end.
Let’s begin!
How Does the Matchmaking Work in League of Legends?
To ensure that premade teams and solo players match up evenly, Riot Games uses a series of formulas to make each gameplay fair.
The system in LoL calculates a player’s skill level based on their victories and defeats, which determines the matchmaking rating (MMR).
Players with close MMRs to each other are matched together.
However, a 2-player premade can be matched against slightly higher MMR opponents.
Even though the matchmaking system works with numbers, it can’t always balance the teams perfectly.
For example, sometimes one team ends up having three players with 55% win rates while the opposing team has three or four players with 47% win rates.
Moreover, because the system works with numbers, it can’t always predict what will happen in a game.
For example, a player with a 45% win rate may suddenly perform better than all nine other players and carry the game to victory even though the odds were against him.
Things like role availability and the time you play also influence the matchmaking in League of Legends.
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How Does the Matchmaking Rating (MMR) Work in League of Legends?
League’s matchmaking is heavily influenced by the MMR or Matchmaking Rating. MMR is a number used by Riot to evaluate your skill and the skill of your enemies when determining a match.
When you join your first queue, your MMR is at the same level as everyone else’s. When you win, it goes up, and when you lose, it goes down.
In order to put you in a game, the system will seek other players whose numbers are similar to yours.
Because you have a different MMR for each queue, you can move up in one without affecting the others, which is very convenient.
League of Legends isn’t the only game to use the term MMR, which stands for Matchmaking Rating. It’s a metric used to calculate the player’s overall proficiency.
Matchmaking and team selections in a variety of online games rely on this number.
In general, winning raises MMR, while losing lowers it.
It’s a simple calculation that shows the system where you’re ranked in relation to everyone else. In most cases, MMR is used to identify players and place them in the exact match, thus making the game fairer.
An individual player’s MMR is used to evaluate their skill level and is used as a basis for matchmaking. This is true for both ranked and non-ranked modes.
Even though their division and LP would suggest that they shouldn’t, Silver players in ranked can find themselves matched against Gold or Bronze opponents. This is happening because of their MMR.
MMR as a concept is simple, but its precise calculations and works have still not been made public.
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Here’s How MMR Works in LoL:
Your MMR increases when you win and decreases when you lose.
If you’ve lost ten games in a row in League of Legends, this system will move you to a lower division where you can play against players of your skill level in a fair game.
But suppose you win ten consecutive matches. In that case, League of Legends recognizes that you are superior to your current rank and will raise your level to ensure that you are matched with other players of the same skill.
Normal and ranked games use the same MMR, and the numbers tend to be similar. Even in normals, you’ll face opponents of an equal rank to your own.
It is unfair to have a Diamond player in a match full of Bronze players, so this ensures that the game remains balanced.
That’s how MMR and matchmaking work in League of Legends, at least on paper.
How Does the Matchmaking Work with Party in LoL?
Playing with friends also affects the matchmaking process in LoL.
When you queue up with a friend in League of Legends, you may notice slightly higher ranking opponents and lower LP gains in your games, as the system considers these factors when creating your games.
Using MMR ensures an equal playing field for everyone. League of Legends compares the team’s MMR to the MMRs of five additional players. So even though the players’ ranks differ, the match is still balanced this way.
For example, one Platinum and four Silver players can sometimes face off against an all-Gold team in LoL.
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Is the Matchmaking in LoL Rigged?
League of Legends already has an automated matchmaking system that places players together and pits them against one another.
There is no rigging because the system gradually learns how strong of a player you are and tries to match your MMR with that of other players as closely as possible.
It is the goal of the game to match players with similar skill levels to ensure that each player has a 50% odds of winning.
However, more than enough League of Legends players can tell you that they feel like the system is rigged.
They assume that the game aims to keep most accounts at a 50% win rate just so it appears fair for as many people as possible.
And even though I’ve experienced “loser queue” too, I couldn’t find unbeatable evidence for this claim.
What is a Good MMR in League of Legends?
Your MMR can be determined based on the amount of LP you lose or gain per match and your rank relative to other gamers in your ranked games.
Here’s what this means:
- Promotions between divisions will be avoided if your win rate exceeds 40 LP per game.
- If you get more than 25 LP per game, you’re still decent, but your matchmaking rating is beginning to equalize.
- If you get 20 LP per game, you don’t have to worry about anything because your MMR matches your rank. Right now, you’re exactly where you need to be.
- If you get 15-20 LP per game, your MMR is down and will likely improve once you win or demote 10-20 matches in a row.
- If you get less than 15 LP, your MMR is now in elo hell. This is a strong indicator of a huge losing streak. You can’t get to the top that way; the best strategy is to team up with a higher-ranked player and win many games or just focus and try to win more solo games.
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Does the LoL MMR Reset Each Season?
There’s a “soft reset” each season in League of Legends. This simply means that your MMR doesn’t reset completely, but it does get lower than the previous season.
Since its beginning, LoL has never had a “hard reset” where all the accounts in the world have received an equal reset.
The way it works now is by “resetting” the rank of each LoL player based on how high they ended up during the previous season.
For example, Challenger players start from Platinum and work their way up while Platinum players start from Bronze or Silver.
Does KDA Affect MMR in LoL?
No, KDA doesn’t impact your MMR in LoL because the system only takes wins and loses into consideration.
Imagine you’re playing top lane and your KDA is 15/2/4 but you still lose the game. You were good that match, but you still lost LP because you lost the game.
So even if you only win 12 LP, your in-game MMR gets better when you win a match.
Playing duo with a player with good MMR (from higher division) enhances your MMR. But, playing a duo with bad MMR (from lower division) reduces your MMR.
How Do You Raise MMR in LoL?
Despite being a Master player, I still don’t know how precisely the MMR is calculated in League of Legends (I don’t have the formula).
But the main indicator is a high success rate over time. A high win rate appears to be a significant factor in the game.
As your win rate improves, the MMR shows that you consistently face lower-level opponents. As a result, your MMR is cranked up faster than usual.
Because of this, your MMR increases more quickly when you win many games consecutively. This is also one of the reasons why determining your MMR can be tricky since it can fluctuate rapidly.
However, here’s what I do to increase my MMR in League of Legends as a Master player.
Win Games Consistently
First and foremost, I recommend you focus on winning as many matches as possible. I know it sounds way easier than it actually is, but that’s what actually increases your MMR.
Having a winning attitude and refusing to give up when your teammates feed is essential for success in competitive gaming environments, especially League.
When you’re losing a match, analyze your plays instead of pointing the finger at your teammates and see where YOU went wrong.
And even though League of Legends is a 5v5 game, it’s possible to rise through the ranks if you consistently work on yourself and improve.
One of the most overlooked tips is to play what’s known as the “meta.” We all have our favorite champions, but carrying with Master Yi is much easier than with Kayn.
It’s essential to play the most potent and reliable champions in your role. You can get an accurate picture of the current meta by looking at the countless tier lists and win rate trackers available on the internet.
But if you have a fun champion that you often win on, spam that pick!
Read Also: Is League of Legends Still a Fun Game to Play?
Dodge Games That You Can’t Win
This, in my opinion, is the most crucial piece of advice for anyone climbing in solo queue.
Occasionally, you encounter a matchup in champion select that it’s simply impossible to win. And you must dodge this match in order to preserve your MMR.
Remember, when you dodge a game in League of Legends, you only lose LP but your MMR stays the same.
I’ll give you a scenario. Team A consists of Gangplank top, Graves jungle, Viktor mid, Twitch bot, and Brand support. And team B is made up of Sion top, Zac jungle, Vladimir mid, Draven bot, and Lulu support.
This match will be a hundred times more difficult for team A than for team B simply because of the champions selected.
So, if you or your team are hard-countered by the enemy, please dodge the game and chill out for 5 minutes.
Duo Queue with a High MMR Player
Riot uses the average MMR of the entire team as a way to match players and determine LP gains.
Thus, if you queue with someone with a higher MMR than you, your average squad MMR and the LP you gain will be higher. In this situation, you’ll also lose less LP, so keep that in mind.
Additionally, if you’re in a duo queue with someone, you have an additional dodge to work with. You can dodge a bad champion select twice a day because the first dodge for any player costs -3 LP only and -10 LP on the second dodge.
Stop Playing Ranked If You’re Consistently Losing
One of the hardest things to do in League of Legends is to quit playing when you’re on a losing streak. And we’ve all been there.
After losing a game, some of us still continue to play in the hope of winning but end up losing even more games.
As a result, our MMR gets lower and it becomes extremely difficult to regain it unless you go on a winning streak in the future.
So if you’re on a losing streak, an essential piece of advice I can give you is to take a break from ranked.
It would be best if you took a five-minute break after losing a game to refocus and begin preparing for the next one.
You can do these warm-up exercises that can definitely help you out. But you can also relax by playing ARAM or a few other lower-stakes games.
While taking rational breaks may help you avoid losing streaks, you should also think about your losses and try to find a winning formula if necessary.
Can You Reset Your MMR in League of Legends?
Creating a new profile with neutral ELO and playing the game from the ground up is the only genuine way to reset the MMR in League of Legends.
You’ll start with the MMR system’s base value since new profiles don’t have match histories.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to improve your MMR in League of Legends, all it takes is playing better and more consistently. At least on paper.
Top-level players are a great source of information about how LoL works at the highest level. So, keep an eye out for the latest League of Legends news to see just how far you can keep improving in the game.
And if you’re interested in how Master, Grandmaster, and Challenger tier works in LoL, here’s a great post from Riot Games.
Good luck!
