Proposal: Prohibiting Duos in Ranked Matches

Asmodeus566​ 

Thank you for your detailed response. Here are my thoughts on your points:

Points I agree with:

・It's possible the number of players queuing for Ranked as duos would decrease if this change were implemented.

・Playing in a full party can indeed involve fatigue.

・The root cause of cheating and malicious behavior lies with the individual perpetrators.

Points I disagree with, and my reasons:

・Decrease in player count and revenue: 

Casual modes already offer duo-specific content, so the opportunity for duo play wouldn't be entirely lost. Instead, by improving the fairness of Ranked matches, it's highly probable that participation from solo and full-party players would increase, potentially more than compensating for any decline in duo numbers.

・Slower matchmaking and wider skill gaps:

If duos were removed, the matchmaking algorithm would be simplified, which should actually improve both matchmaking speed and quality. The current rank distribution, with 33% in Diamond and 22% in Platinum at the end of Season 25 Split 1, suggests that ranks might not accurately reflect true skill. A clearer representation of genuine skill differences (i.e., a healthier ranking system) would be a desirable outcome, not a drawback.

・Fatigue in full parties:

In competitive Ranked play, forming a full party necessitates schedule coordination and consistent, close communication via voice chat. The accompanying mental and time-based fatigue from this is unavoidable.

・Duos not encouraging boosting or undermining fairness/competitiveness:

Structural issues that facilitate illicit activities shouldn't be ignored. Duos inherently have a structural advantage over solo players in terms of coordination. While full parties are prioritized to match against other full parties, duos are often matched with solo players. This "duo + solo" mixed party composition in matchmaking is what creates a sense of unfairness for solo players and easily facilitates boosting and smurfing, making it a fundamental structural problem.

SuperMcDIRTnAsTy​ 

Thank you for your concrete proposal.

I thought that your idea offers a positive approach by providing solo players with a new option. Here are my thoughts on your proposal:

Points I agree with:

1. Unfair team compositions are indeed causing players to quit.
2. Your proposal could avoid a decrease in the number of players queuing for Ranked as duos.
3. It could generate new opportunities for player interaction.
4. The LTM was well-received.

Points I disagree with, and my reasons:

Creating a new mode:

Introducing any new content, regardless of its nature, requires development resources and cost. This could also lead to player populations being split across different modes, potentially affecting matchmaking times and quality in each.

Improving current issues:

While addressing the feeling of unfairness is important, that's not the only problem. Duos in the regular Ranked mode facilitate boosting and smurfing, which contributes to the devaluation of rank, increases the number of players quitting early, and hinders matchmaking efficiency and quality.