Valve overhauls Deadlock matchmaking and launches a full ranked mode

Valve detailed how Deadlock's matchmaking will work going forward, splitting it into Standard and Ranked playlists. Valve says the rollout could be bumpy at first, with long queues and inconsistent matchmaking possible during the launch period. The full patch notes are available in a Steam news post.

Standard Mode is the relaxed option. It has no party-size restrictions or skill-spread limits, and matchmaking also takes experience on the chosen hero into account when looking for a suitable team.

Ranked Mode comes with a much stricter entry bar. Players need to win 60 matches in Standard Mode, unlock at least three heroes, and get 15 wins on each hero they want to use in ranked. The first ranked season has already started and will run until October 7, with eight calibration matches at the beginning.

After calibration, Ranked Mode is limited to solo or duo queue only. Valve also added a preparation phase before ranked matches, where players can swap heroes once and adjust lanes, while the number of bans has increased from two to three.

Valve also raised the bar for the global leaderboard: players now need to play 75 matches over the last 30 days instead of 50. With the new system just going live, queues may be long and matchmaking may still be inconsistent for a while.

Will Deadlock's new ranked rules feel fair once the launch-week roughness settles down?