DOTA 2 is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to Defense of the Ancients (DotA), a mod for Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion pack, The Frozen Throne. DOTA 2 has become one of the most popular esports titles in the world, with millions of players competing in tournaments every year. It features a unique blend of strategy, action, and teamwork, making it an exciting and challenging game.
Patch updates are one of the most critical aspects of this popular strategy game. The game’s developers use patch updates to ensure that the game remains up to date and that players get a chance to experience new features. Updates are released regularly to ensure the game remains balanced and enjoyable for all players. Patch updates can affect the game in various ways, from changes to heroes and items to new maps and features. Understanding how patch updates work is essential for any DOTA 2 player who is competitive, as it can help them stay one step ahead of their opponents.
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What did Valve say about the Update?
With the New Frontiers Update, or what we know as Patch 7.33B – Valve added a short statement while releasing the update to everyone. The announcement read,
“Sometimes Dota gameplay patches are small. Sometimes they can get pretty big.
This one… is huge.
It’s got all the things you were probably expecting — balance changes, new items, hero reworks, UI improvements. But we also included a few changes you probably weren’t expecting, like a new hero attribute type and — brace yourself — the map is now 40% bigger.
But all these new gameplay features won’t matter if the match you get into isn’t a good one. So we’re also shipping some much-needed matchmaking improvements.”
Valve being Valve, they only released a teaser named “Riddles in the Dark” before releasing the update, and since the update, we have witnessed complete silence. The map is now bigger, the rank system is entirely changed, and it seems we will figure this out on our own. Again. So let’s get started.
What does the update mean?
For the majority, it means shock. Every time Valve releases a game-changing Dota 2 patch, the entire Dota 2 community goes into shock, and this time it is no different. How do you know if someone is in shock? Well, the most common sign you will see is that people affected by these shockwaves often call the game Dota 3 or 4, or 5. Just kidding!
On a serious note, Valve tried implementing something new to fix the “getting stuck in the trenches” problem. Is it good? Is it bad? We don’t know yet. But eventually, we will see how it goes. Honestly, it’s not a massive problem, but Valve made considerable changes to the map and balanced the patch simultaneously is the reason behind the chaos. Once you get used to the map changes and the general update, the ranked rework itself is not a huge issue.
How does the Rank System work now?
Until this update, Valve used the ELO system to calculate players’ MMR or Matchmaking Rating. However, even though the ELO system was pretty accurate for the majority, it did make the matchmaking system a slippery slope in which most players’ MMR decreased over time rather than increasing.
This system also seemed unfair to players returning from a long break because, in this system, their rank will not increase as fast as their skills are growing. Returning players adapt to the game and meta quickly, but because of the ELO system, it’s not easy to get out once they drop to the lower trenches because DOTA is a team game.
With this update, Valve replaced the ELO system with the Glicko system. If you open DOTA, go to your profile, and then go to stats, you will see an indicator of rank confidence.
What is rank confidence? And when can you see your MMR? Before, all you needed was to complete ten games to see your MMR. Now in this new system, you get to see your MMR when the rank confidence is at least 30%. Until your rank confidence reaches 30%, the system will not assign you a rank.
So how many games do we need to play to get 30% rank confidence? Nobody knows yet. In my personal experience, my rank confidence jumped from 0% to 7% after a single Turbo match. Yes, just a turbo, not even an all-pick. On the other hand, after playing and winning a ranked game, it grew from 7% to 8%.
How does Rank Confidence work? Well, with a full rank confidence where both teams have equal MMR, the MMR gain or loss will be +25 or -25. So, in short, the lower your rank confidence is, the higher the gain and loss of MMR will be.
If you hover your mouse over Rank Confidence in DOTA 2, a small pop-up will tell you that Rank Confidence goes up with each game and down if you stop playing DOTA 2. The more and more regularly you play, the easier it will be for the system to decide your rank. If you go inactive, the system will not be confident in the rank you still have when you choose to return. Which ultimately makes sense.
Conclusion
DOTA 2 community has dealt with more significant changes in the game before, and they can happily deal with this one. From what we can see, it looks like a positive change to the game for now. Ranked System was one thing about DOTA 2 that Valve never reworked, and it makes sense that after almost a decade, the Ranked System is getting updated.
Some players will probably complain about the system until they get used to it, but even with the older system, there were a lot of complaints. So at the end of the day, Positive Mental Attitude will help you through this.
