It's perfectly fine to play in casual Dota 2 games, but if you crave the challenge of a competitive environment, ranked matches are for you. Ranked games allow you to move up a rank up to Immortal. However, the game mode is locked until you meet certain conditions.
If you finally take a brave step and want to play in ranked games, look no further. We'll help you understand the requirements to help you unlock the mode sooner.
Dota 2 Requirements to Play Ranked
Before we get into the methods, let's start with the basics.
Ranked mode
In Dota 2, ranked games involve players choosing specific roles on a team, such as Carry and Support. While you can't select roles before playing in Classic Ranked, you can do so in Ranked Roles.
Only three game modes are available in ranked games:
- Ranked all choices
- Captains Mode
- Random draft
Players can choose to match only solo queued players or groups. The former can result in relatively fairer games, as no one communicates with each other outside of the use of in-game methods. Matchmaking with parties can be disadvantageous, but it does not guarantee losses.
Anyone who plays rated games will have a Matchmaking Rating (MMR). This system allows the game to calculate everyone's skill level and only match players whose skills are close to each other.
With those basics in mind, let's get to the requirements.
Requirements to Play Ranked
There are three main requirements to access ranked mode. Without completing them, ranked matches are impossible to play.
- Link a phone number to your Steam account.
Dota 2 requires players to install Steam, and Steam allows players to link their phone numbers. Since 2022, Valve has made it mandatory for gamers to connect a unique phone number to their Steam accounts. Failure to do so will result in ranked matches being ineligible.
Phone numbers must be linked to a SIM card. Unfortunately, Google Voice numbers and those connected to online services cannot be linked to Steam accounts.
You can also change your phone number once you've linked it, but there's a three-month cooldown for the last number on the account. You cannot reuse the previous issue on a Steam account for three months.
- Play the game for at least 100 hours.
It is crucial to have a good understanding of the mechanics of Dota 2 before meeting seasoned players on the battlefield. This is why Valve has implemented such a requirement for anyone wishing to play ranked matches. Any game mode in Unranked Matches will count towards the requirement.
By the time you hit 100 hours, you should understand the basics of Dota 2 game mechanics. If you tap the mark, you'll be prompted to associate a phone number with your Steam account.
- Play 10 calibration matches.
There are no more prerequisites after completing these three. Once you've encountered them all, queuing for ranked mode becomes possible.
Calibration matches are mandatory, as the game uses hidden formulas to calculate your MMR. After playing all 10 games, you will receive your MMR based on your performance. From there, you'll finally be able to match players of your skill level in ranked matches.
Requirements to Play Ranked
There are three main requirements to access ranked mode. Without completing them, ranked matches are impossible to play.
- Link a phone number to your Steam account.
Dota 2 requires players to install Steam, and Steam allows players to link their phone numbers. Since 2022, Valve has made it mandatory for gamers to connect a unique phone number to their Steam accounts. Failure to do so will result in ranked matches being ineligible.
Phone numbers must be linked to a SIM card. Unfortunately, Google Voice numbers and those connected to online services cannot be linked to Steam accounts.
You can also change your phone number once you've linked it, but there's a three-month cooldown for the last number on the account. You cannot reuse the previous issue on a Steam account for three months.
- Play the game for at least 100 hours.
It is crucial to have a good understanding of the mechanics of Dota 2 before meeting seasoned players on the battlefield. This is why Valve has implemented such a requirement for anyone wishing to play ranked matches. Any game mode in Unranked Matches will count towards the requirement.
By the time you hit 100 hours, you should understand the basics of Dota 2 game mechanics. If you tap the mark, you'll be prompted to associate a phone number with your Steam account.
- Play 10 calibration matches.
Calibration matches are mandatory, as the game uses hidden formulas to calculate your MMR. After playing all 10 games, you will receive your MMR based on your performance. From there, you'll finally be able to match players of your skill level in ranked matches.
There are no more prerequisites after completing these three. Once you've encountered them all, queuing for ranked mode becomes possible.
Dota 2 How to play ranked?
To switch between casual game modes and serious ranked modes, you will need to go to the matchmaking screen. From here you can check the modes you want to play in. Here's how :
- Launch Dota 2.
- Go to the main menu.
- On the right side of the screen, open the Matchmaking menu.
- You will see 'Ranked' between 'Training with bots' and 'Unrated'.
- Click on “Ranked” and choose which of the three modes you want to play.
- Click "Find a Match" to queue.
- Wait for a game.
Depending on the region and time of day, searching for certain games may take some time. Classic Ranked is the easiest way to find matches, as the majority of players play this mode. Ranked roles are an option if you insist on choosing your role up front, but finding games this way can take longer. However, enabling the Role Queue can speed up queue times in Ranked Roles.
Can you play ranked without a phone number?
The short answer is that you can't because of the anti-smurf measures. Without a unique phone number tied to your Steam account, you still won't unlock ranked modes even after 100+ hours of play.
Smurfing refers to highly skilled players creating new accounts for various purposes. Since new accounts will have a lower MMR, they match newer or less skilled players and more often than not beat them solidly. Valve does not endorse smurfing, so associating a phone number is absolutely necessary.
The reason why you have to wait three months after deleting a number from an account is also to avoid smurfing. Without this limitation, any player can instantly remove a number from their main account and immediately create a smurf account.
Since Google Voice and other virtual numbers cost little or no money, Valve does not allow them. Anyone with a Gmail account would be able to create multiple Smurf accounts this way.
Overall, the reason for requiring a phone number is to prevent players from smurfing. The majority of the Dota 2 community dislikes smurfing, and Valve is always striving to improve the game experience.
Is there a way to play ranked Faster?
Unfortunately, just like phone numbers, there is no way to speed up the process of unlocking ranked games.
The queue doesn't count towards the hours which can be frustrating if the wait times are long. The only way is to play Ranked Classic, which makes it easier to find available games.
There is a misconception that playing Turbo mode can help speed up the process, but that doesn't help either. Turbo mode or not, you still have to play the 100 hours in real life.
Additional FAQs
How is MMR in Dota 2 calculated?
The exact formula for calculating MMR is not public information, although it is assumed that it has been changed several times in the past. So far, there are only two known factors that contribute to your MMR. These are wins and losses.
Naturally, if you win your games, you earn MMR. Losing games will reduce the number instead. How exactly this works is still a mystery today.
What is MMR in Dota 2?
MMR stands for Matchmaking Rating; a system designed to calculate a player's skill and assign a number. Players with similar MMR can play against each other in ranked matches. However, Valve never disclosed how the MMR calculation works.
All players need to know is that winning increases your MMR and losing decreases points.
Competitive matches only
Chances are that if you love ranked mode in Dota 2, you also love staying in the competitive arena. If you are very good at the game, it is even possible to compete against your favorite players. This is after unlocking ranked matches and you've made your way there.
What is your current MMR right now? Do you think the requirements to unlock ranked games are fair? Let us know in the comments section below.
