In League of Legends, there's this hidden score known as MMR. Ever wondered what factors contribute to this score and how Riot figures it out? Let's dive into the details.
MMR, an acronym you often encounter, might leave you puzzled. League of Legends is full of perplexing abbreviations, but in this article, we'll demystify one of them. What exactly is MMR, and how does it relate to concepts like LP gain and elo hell?
Thankfully I've been playing this game for almost 10-years already and while I'm by no means a high MMR player, I can try to break it down for you and explain why MMR is such an important aspect of the game.
LoL MMR Explained: What is MMR Even?
MMR refers to a player's Matchmaking Rank. So the name basically explains what this score is used for. Your LoL MMR is the reason why you've matched up with specific players. It’s the score Riot Games uses to create games that should be evenly matched.
MMR is a value that is given to each player. Those players that have a similar MMR will be matched together. This is completely and utterly independent of your visible rank. So even if you’re in Gold III you can still get matched up with a bunch of Silver I players – well that’s due to your MMR – Riot didn’t make a mistake there.
How Does MMR Work?
MMR is an invisible score that players are not aware of. Unlike with LP – League Points – where a player can see their gains and losses after each match. LoL MMR works a little different, but is influenced by your LP in a way as well.
How come it’s also influenced by LP gain and LP loss? Well, easy, if you win, you gain LP, if you drop a game you lose LP. MMR is based on your wins and losses, which means that if you win a lot of games in a row, then you’ll have a higher MMR, which means you get matched up with players of a similar skill level.
The same happens when you lose a lot… only that you get matched up with people slightly worse, which is why you might be playing with Silver players even though you're in Gold.
How do LP and MMR Coincide?
So, your MMR does not only decide which players you go up against. It also decides whether you gain a lot of LP – after a match – or also lose a lot of LP. So keep an eye on the amount of LP you win or lose after a match because that way you can also tell a bit about your MMR and you can use this as a type of self-MMR checker.
| LP | At Victories | At Defeats |
| 19 or more | MMR higher than your Elo | MMR lower than your Elo |
| 16 - 18 | MMR and Elo are Equal | MMR and Elo are Equal |
| 17 or lower | MMR lower than your Elo | MMR Higher than your Elo |
So, if I play a game and gain around 22 LP, then it likely means I was matched up with players that have a higher MMR than is usual for the elo/skill level I am in.
On the other hand gaining only 10 LP after a win likely means that I was matched up against players with a lower MMR than my own. Unfortunately, if you get matched up with lower players, then it'll be harder to climb out of your elo.
Want to gain some MMR? Then try out these picks:
LoL MMR Smurf Queue Explained
For those of you who have been playing League of Legends for a while the term "smurf queue" might be something you've heard before. This refers to a matchmaking system designed to detect and separate experienced players from newcomers or lower-skilled players.
So if I, someone who has been playing LoL since 2014 decides to make a new account, then I will get expedited to higher MMR queues, because the game will realize that even though I am playing on a new account, my skill level is too high for that of a brand-new player.
This system aims to prevent experienced players from dominating less experienced opponents, ensuring a fairer gaming experience for newcomers. Smurf queue helps maintain a competitive balance in matches and discourages experienced players from exploiting their skills against less-skilled opponents on new or low-level accounts.
What is the Difference Between Elo and MMR?
The matchmaking rank, as already explained, is an invisible score which helps create game lobbies of similar skill levels. By calculating wins and losses, a score is made which should coincide with your skill.
| 💡What Does Elo Refer To?"Elo" refers to a rating system originally designed for chess by Arpad Elo. In gaming, it's used to measure a player's skill level. Players gain or lose Elo points based on their performance in matches. A higher Elo signifies higher skill, while a lower Elo indicates lower skill, facilitating balanced matchmaking. |
Elo is a term from that comes from chess and is now commonly used to refer to skill level in various video games, like League of Legends.
Players who are in Silver or Gold are often referred to as 'low elo players'. Most of the player base is considered low elo, since the largest part of the community sits in Gold or Silver.
On the other hand, anyone in Master, Grandmaster and Challenger is referred to as a high elo player. These are the best players with the highest skill in League of Legends. They also have much higher MMR than those players in lower elos.
So, while a player might be in Master, they can still end up in games against Diamond players, due to the invisible League of Legends MMR which has been assigned to them. If a Master player loses a lot of games, they will have a low MMR, which means they will be matched with players in lower elos as well. Of course, the same goes for players who win streak and have a higher MMR.
Does Playing Normals Have an Effect on Ranked MMR?
For each game mode, you will have your own MMR. This means that players who might not play many normal games, but rather spend most of their time playing Solo Queue, will have a lower MMR in normals than in solo queue.
Players who often grind the elo ladder will be matched up with players in much lower tiers when playing normals. They’ve got much higher MMR values in solo queue, where the matchmaking will be much more precise, in comparison to their normal MMR which is based off much fewer games.
So if you’ve ever wondered why you’re matched with a bunch of platinum players when playing a normal, it’s because they usually spend their time grinding solo queue and not much time playing normals.
So by playing a lot of normals, you also won’t affect your ranked MMR nor any ranked matches in the near future.
How does MMR Work in Duo Queue?
Duo Queue refers to you playing together with a friend. This is possible in lower elos, but has been taken out of the game in higher Master+ tiers. But if you’re a mid elo or low elo player, you can still play duo queue. How does MMR work then, though?
Well, the average score of both your MMR’s will be calculated and taken for the matchmaking rating in the games. So if your MMR is extremely low while that of your partner is very high, you’ll likely play way above your skill level, but you could also gain a lot of League points if you do succeed.
Does LP Decay Affect MMR?
Decay does not have an effect on MMR. As explained before, players who might not play a lot of normals, still have a matchmaking ranking from the games they’ve played before. The same goes for those who play solo queue. Even if you don’t play for a while and your LP decays, your MMR won’t be affected.
MMR is only going to change when you play a game and either lose or win. So you can go on vacation, go for a walk or just take a break from the toxicity that is League of Legends and when you come back, you’ll still have the same MMR as when you left – because you haven’t been playing.
Does Queue Dodging Affect MMR?
Pre-season finally ended, and you’ve logged in, gotten into champion select and are ready to play some placement games, but realize that your main champion has been banned. Quickly, you dodge out of there, but does this move have any effect on your MMR?
No, it does not. You might lose some League Points due to dodging, and you could be locked out of ranked queue for a while if you dodge a second time, but dodging games won’t have any effect on your overall MMR.