Season S42 is getting serious; the matchmaking system is more transparent, and the season skin is missing a marksman. (Part Three)

A rank, with a broad scope, is divided into five levels. The publicly displayed rank takes priority. As the name suggests, it finds teammates and opponents of equal level and skill. The lane matchmaking remains unchanged, but new rules have been added. Matchmaking time will be longer, and the system will be more lenient in its management, asking players for their consent before filling in roles. In short, rank fairness is the most important thing.

Pre-selection route control is not strict enough

The matchmaking system has become more "transparent," which is welcome news. In the past, wins and losses depended almost entirely on luck. Undeniably, the pre-selection of lanes ensures that everyone gets their preferred position, emphasizing the importance of your main hero. Even solo queue matches have changed accordingly. Several versions ago, the system constantly encouraged summoners to expand their hero pool, practice other positions, and learn related knowledge, rather than blindly focusing on a specific lane. For example, a newbie who loves using Tank to climb from Platinum to Challenger is a successful example, and the user themselves didn't complain. The definition of a main hero should be the one you are most proficient in, most skilled at, and most frequently use. Taking them into battle will result in a 50/50 win rate. If you force people to practice heroes in ranked matches, wouldn't that be demotivating?

Matchmaking visualization reveals teammate data before matchmaking.

Honing skills and awareness can be done in casual matches, but who really cares about the mentality of other teammates? This has led to the pre-selection lane setting becoming a gray area again. Today you want to play your strengths, tomorrow you can switch lanes to familiarize yourself with the new environment. As long as you're proficient enough, the system will allow you to enter. Season 42 brought a new look by directly visualizing the matchmaking progress, showing proficiency, win rate, data, etc. If you feel something is wrong, you can cancel the match at any time. This approach can indeed alleviate the anxiety of waiting.

Furthermore, the plan includes a new "Challenge the Strong" gameplay mode. As mentioned earlier, the matchmaking time has been extended, but players can choose to compromise, similar to filling in for other roles. Of course, the win rate will reward more points. This "challenge" works on the same logic. If you want to face a strong team and win, you will get more Brave Points. Even if you lose, you will be willing to accept it. It's better than the system forcing you to fight against powerful players in a tough ranked match. We would all feel resentful.