Dota 2 update brings back strict solo matchmaking

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Dota 2 fans can rest easy when queuing up for matches now because Valve has added strict solo matchmaking back into the client after months of updating the regular fast queue. 

This comes months after the developers began testing the feature as a toggleable option in the client to help improve long wait time for matches, which has been one of the main complaints around the game since Valve began experimenting with new options. 

Originally, Valve decided that solo queue was a detrimental aspect to the matchmaking system because it led to so many solo players being thrown into matches against teams with players actually working together to win. The developer hoped that removing that option would allow other players to be evenly distributed in fairer instances, but it actually hurt queue times by making them much longer. 

Those long wait times have improved as more updates have come to the game and continued to iterate on the original idea, but this addition should cut those times down again. This option is only available for the fast queue games, however, not any other mode or type of matchmaking. 

Here are the exact changes added in the last update:

• Added the Strict Solo Matchmaking option back for fast queue games.
• For players with large spreads between their core and support MMRs, there’s now a one medal (five stars) max delta clamp. When the ranks for these players are maximally apart, the two ranks will fall and rise together.
• Increased the variety of party combinations that are valid, to help improve matchmaking quality and queue times in some cases, in part as a result of the strict solo queue addition (for example, this means that makeups like 2-2-1 will valid).

If you want to activate the solo queue, you’ll need to do so by going into your settings and making sure the option is turned on. 

All you need to do to enable it is head to your settings in the Dota 2 client, select options, go into advanced options, and in the miscellaneous tab within the advanced options, you’ll see a box labeled “Strict Solo Queue Matchmaking.” Just make sure you have that box selected and you should be good to play by yourself in a relatively balanced team comp. 

The reason the option is so out of the way is that Valve still wants to promote the option to play the game with friends or a team rather than through solo queuing. But at least the option is still in the game again for those who want to use it.