Why did the MMR system implemented in Season 42 backfire, leading to a serious problem of players giving up? (Part 2)

The ELO system—where's the promised happiness? Where did it go? Why are so many players arguing and quitting the game because of it? Team battles, in theory, should involve finding players of similar skill levels. This idea is correct, like a group of top students in school. No one wants to be dragged down by a student with poor grades. Synchronized thinking and keeping up with the pace are essential for mutual progress and success. However, it cleverly manipulates the definition of "balance," grouping players with vastly different win rates together and then calculating an average for their teams.

For players in the low to mid-tier ranks, congratulations, you've got someone carrying you! But this is tough on the high-level pros, because they're the ones who struggle the most. Put yourself in their shoes: you're so close to victory, almost winning the game, leaving and returning to your rightful rank, only to be forced by the system to carry others. The skill level, observation, and reaction time are worlds apart, resulting in near-zero teamwork. During team fights, while teammates are pushing lanes or ganking from bushes, he exposes his vision. When they're focused on taking down objectives like dragons, the enemy escapes, luring them in. If things don't go smoothly, he throws a tantrum, lacks sportsmanship, his mentality collapses, and things get worse, eventually leading to a losing streak after a winning streak.

MMR mechanism, assessing hidden MMR and rank.

It is said that in Season 28, the matchmaking system was changed from ELO to MMR, both of which are hidden MMR systems. The latter will give the system a rating for your account, say from 1 to 10. If your skill level is around 5, then your teammates' scores are expected to be between 4 and 6, with little skill difference, further improving the experience. On the downside, if your initial hidden MMR is too low, you will be labeled as a low-level player and end up in an unsuitable environment, likely leading to a losing streak.

The promotion for Season 42 constantly emphasizes the optimization of the algorithm. Before entering a match, the average rank is displayed. Simply put, the current MMR mechanism, in addition to checking a player's hidden MMR, also shows their actual rank. It should be a fair and just matchmaking system, with pre-selected lanes and ideal heroes. Unfortunately, online public opinion is in uproar, negative reviews of the matchmaking system remain unchanged, and the phenomenon of "tanking" is found to be more serious than before, especially in the Diamond rank. This makes people wonder, is it because the players' skill level is low? Or is Season 42 just a packaging to beautify the ELO system? The season has just begun, and we need to observe further. We continue to wait for everyone's feedback.

Image source: Internet