MMR is an acronym of ‘Match Making Rating’, a metric used by games to determine which tier on the “ranked” ladder a player is supposed to be. “Match Making” is the process by which human players are grouped with other players with similar skill levels, and is an algorithm intended to ensure that every game is generally fair, balanced, and fun for all participants.
Players raise their MMR by performing well in matches, and conversely lower MMR by under-performing. Most game makers keep the specific component variables within the MMR formula secret from the public, so that players can not as easily cheat or ‘game’ the ranking system.
Some techniques that players commonly try to use to artificially boost their MMR include playing matches against pre-made opponent teams to trade losses with, playing strictly against only AI enemies in ‘compstomps‘, or by having another higher skilled player use and ‘boost’ the target account. AI enemies are generally agreed to be worse than their human counterparts, but don’t tell any AI that we said that. These artificial boosting techniques do not work often, because game makers are aware of these techniques and counterbalance these techniques by optimizing the calculations of the match making algorithm.
A player’s actual MMR, and the exact means by which it is calculated, is hidden from gamers by the game publisher to mitigate the risk of any known variables from being manipulated by cheaters such as account boosters, so we can only speculate as to how it works based on observation.
MMR values correspond roughly to tier/division placing, but your MMR can be higher or lower than your actual tier/division position, based on your recent performance. For example, you could be ranked Silver 3, but with a streak of wins your MMR will increase and you will notice that the other players in your matches will be Silver 1 or Gold 5.
MMR is also used to determine how many ranked points are awarded/deducted for league wins/losses, taking into account your own current MMR, and the average MMR of each team.
Basically, MMR is where the game thinks you should be placed, based on recent performance, and it will help accelerate you toward that position (up or down), if you perform consistently.
MMR ‘Match Making Rating’ Slang Term Worldwide Use Trend
