Dota 2 ranked system is a battleground for each player to prove their skills. After playing their calibration matches, players get placed in a bracket close to their skill level and try to improve their rank by getting better at the game.
In addition to improving as a player, there are other factors that can help players increase their rank in Dota 2. Decent manners and attitude can often be a difference maker, especially in higher ranks. When tensions rise, players who can keep their cool can accumulate more wins over time while the ones who give up may see their MMR tank.
Former pro and Dota 2 caster, syndereN, recently encountered an individual who made him question the current state of ranked matches in Dota 2.
During a public match, syndereN’s team, the Dire side, was trying to farm more items before trying to outmaneuver the Radiant squad. Members of the Dire failed to synchronize, however, and lost a couple of unlucky fights.
The Radiant team clearly had the Dire’s number for the time being, and syndereN finally decided to tell his team to focus on farming until he could get his Black King Bar (BKB,) an item that grants its user spell immunity.
Right after syndereN’s call, a member of his team, Ember Spirit, got caught by the Radiant team under his second-tier mid lane tower.
SyndereN, as Dawnbreaker, quickly responded to the situation and used his ultimate, Solar Guardian, to fly to the location. SyndereN was the only member of the Dire who came to Ember Spirit’s help, and the two ended up dying under their second-tier tower.
He was ready to write off the situation, but Ember Spirit decided the game was over and proceeded to avoid helping his team until the end of the match. Considering how little it took for Ember Spirit to give up on a close match, syndereN expressed his frustration and stated “Dota pubs are the worst they have ever been in 15 years.”
SyndereN couldn’t pinpoint the reason behind the sudden decline of quality in his Dota matches and what could have changed over the past three years to worsen the overall experience in the game. The state of the matchmaking in Dota 2 has been a hot topic recently within the community as another former professional player, Fear also expressed his thoughts in a Tweet regarding the matter.
While syndereN plays on European servers, Fear generally queues on US East. Fear shared the same thoughts with syndereN and said how everyone was too quick to sell all their items and grief the entire match due to one mistake.
Though Dota 2 has a punishment system in place for griefers and alike, it doesn’t seem to be stopping players from ruining the fun of others.
The issue may be more apparent in higher tiers, but it exists in all skill brackets.
