Calibration in Dota 2 is a process that new players or those playing ranked mode for the first time go through. It determines the player’s initial rating, which reflects their skill level and is used to match them with opponents and allies of equal strength.
MMR (Matchmaking Rating) is a numerical indicator used in Dota 2 to determine the skill level of a player. It helps the system select opponents and allies of equal strength so that matches are balanced and interesting.
- 0–700 — Recruit;
- 700–1400 — Guardian;
- 1400–2100 — Knight;
- 2100–3000 — Hero;
- 3000–3700 — Legend;
- 3700–4500 — Lord;
- 4500–5500 — Deity;
- 5500–8800 — Titanium;
- Over 9000 – Titan with the number of place in the ranking in the region.
At the moment, among the players of the Europe region, the first place is occupied by Egor Nightfall Grigorenko and has 16178 MMR. But as Danil Dendi Ishutin said – MMR is just a number.
How to access calibration
Access to ranked games is opened on an account that has played the game for more than 100 hours. This is an important point, so you will have to play regular games or turbo first.
If you are a newbie, the game assumes that during this time you will understand the important elements of the game, such as: farming, last hitting creeps, collecting items, map control, what a tower is and what roles there are in the game. And also this way you will be able to try out different heroes and roles.
By the time the rating opens, you either already know your role in the team, or you should understand what position you are more comfortable playing. You will also figure out which characters you should take and which ones are better to abandon, for example, due to complexity.
How to pass calibration
You need to play 10 ranked matches for the system to determine your MMR. It takes into account not only wins/losses, but also your personal game: damage dealt, KDA (Kill/Death/Assist), participation in team actions, map control and other indicators. After calibration, you will receive an initial rating, which will depend on your results.
Adviсe
Choose 2-3 heroes that you know well and play them. Don’t experiment with new heroes in ranked games. Try to focus on team play: help your allies, place wards, participate in fights, defend towers.
Try not to argue with your team, as this may lead to reports in your direction, which will significantly lower your rating. Toxicity is one of the main elements of Dota, but it is better not to indulge in it during calibration.
Try to analyze your mistakes if the game was lost. Review the replay of the game, if now it seems to you that it is a waste of time and you better start the next game, then this is not so. You will be able to look at the game of other people and learn something new for yourself.
Example of heroes
These are the characters that are best suited for MMR calibration. We have divided them by roles:
- Carrie : Wraith King, Juggernaut, Phantom Assassin.
- Mid laner : Zeus, Templar Assassin, Queen of Pain.
- Support : Crystal Maiden, Lion, Ogre Magi.
- Offlaner : Tidehunter, Bristleback, Axe.
After completing 10 matches, you will receive your initial MMR. Don’t be upset if it does not correspond to your psychological rating, because you will be able to increase it by winning matches. It is worth putting in a lot of effort to increase your rating, but the main rules for winning can be considered the following factors: follow the meta, the games of professional players and try not to argue with teammates.