Do I need to actually be ranked before matchmaking will work properly?

ZaldynAtreides·Oct 22, 2015·3 votes·531 views

If I were to ever work up the bravery to play ranked and get placed, I know I'd be put in Bronze V. I'm just terrible at this game. Full stop. Like, Riot would need to make a new tier below Bronze called "Participation (at least you tried)" tier, then put me in the "Garbage" tier below that. I'm that bad.

I still play for fun though, and for some unfathomable reason I'm consistently matched with, for example, one silver, a gold, and two un-ranked vs 2 Gold and 3 Platinum! In what reality would matchmaking think that any team with with a Bronze player on it be any match for a team of 2 Gold and 3 Platinum??

My question is this; do I need to play ranked and be given my Bronze before matchmaking will realize that I am actually bronze and start giving me opponents more my skill level? Or does matchmaking just hate me? :(

6 Comments

Deep Terror NamiOct 22, 20153 votes

Normals and Ranked matchmaking is completely separate. Whatever Rank you achieve will never affect your MMR (matchmaking rating) in Normals which determines who you get matched with.

https://support.riotgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/201752954-Matchmaking-Guide

ZaldynAtreidesOct 22, 20151 votes

Really?? Then what the heck is going on? There is no conceivable way my normal MMR is good enough for me to be matched against Gold and Plat players!?! T_T

Deep Terror NamiOct 22, 20151 votes

If you want to be matched more accurately you'll want to just play Ranked. It's far less common for someone to have a very high MMR in Normals but very low in Ranked.

SalidfingersOct 22, 20151 votes

Those plat and gold players in normal's have the same MRR as yours in normal's. Which is why i don't play normal's at all even when i try out new champions.