Deadlock MMR and Matchmaking System, Explained

Valve’s 6v6 third-person MOBA, Deadlock, has been one of the biggest surprise games in 2024. Players enjoy experimenting with the different heroes and ultimately getting better at the game. The game is still in its playtest, which means there isn’t any seasonal content or ranked system yet. However, there is still a hidden MMR mechanic in the game’s matchmaking system, and that’s how players will get queued up for quick matches in Deadlock. Here’s how the matchmaking system works in Deadlock’s playtest.

Does Deadlock Have A Ranking System? -Answered

Deadlock does not have a ranking system or the ranked game mode available in its playtest. We can assume that they would follow the path of their previous games like Dota 2 where they invite everyone for the playtest and use it to further balance the game before introducing the ranked system.

However, Deadlock does use a hidden MMR mechanic in its matchmaking system. This hidden MMR system means that players have a secret MMR attached to their account based on their wins, losses, and performance. This is often seen in competitive games so that the unranked game modes are still fairly balanced. You don’t want to see a Divine, Immortal, or Global Elite (Dota 2’s and CSGO’s highest ranks) play against low ranked players because that just isn’t fun and balanced.

In Deadlock, a player’s performance is tracked and has a corresponding MMR to their account. There’s a lot of theories surrounding the hidden MMR as players are always looking to get a headstart in their grind when the game comes out. Some players suspect that the hidden MMR is actually tied to individual heroes rather than your overall performance on the account.

Others think that there are roles tied to each of the heroes and each role will have a different MMR similar to popular games like Overwatch or Dota 2. Most of these are purely speculative, but one of these theories should be true.

Is There a Way to Check Your MMR in Deadlock?

As of now, Deadlock does not have a way to check your MMR. Some third-party websites were able to put a tracking system on the player’s MMRs, but Valve quickly shut those down by putting out patches. Valve doesn’t want players to be too competitive just yet.

The game is still in its playtest, which means there’s a lot of balancing to do. I mean, you’ve seen those Shiv players, right? It is safe to say that Deadlock’s time in the sunlight is rapidly approaching. Valve has a ton of data with how wildly successful Deadlock has been, and it’ll play a crucial role in Deadlock’s release date.

If you still haven’t gotten Deadlock yet, here’s how you can get a code to join the playtest. You can also read up on Deadlock’s list of heroes and their abilities so you can start preparing for when ranked finally shows up.