The world of games covers many different terms. Some of them have been in the vocabulary of gamers from the very beginning, while others are less known and not commonly used.
Today in our guide we are going to talk about one of them – MMR. Which category does it belong to? We leave that decision to you.
However, we can assure you that for a real player every piece of information is worth its weight in gold. So don’t hesitate and find out what MMR is!
MMR Meaning in Video Games
So what is the MMR for? It is extremely important, especially for players who prefer team-based gameplay. Why is that? Thanks to the MMR system, players of similar skill levels are paired up before the match starts.
It doesn’t matter if they are on the same team or if they are rivals – either way it makes the matches more balanced and rewarding.
Interestingly, MMR is a hidden number because you don’t set it, the game automatically determines your level. This is great because players who are just starting out and are not very skilled will not be playing with experts. On the other hand, more experienced players won’t get bored playing at too low level.
How Does MMR Function in Games?
In addition to saying what does MMR mean, we have something more. Just as games have rules, MMR has a few key principles. We’ve listed the most important ones below, and they are:
- Each player starts the game with a base MMR.
- When you defeat an opponent, your MMR value goes up, and when you lose, it goes down.
- The MMR value increases much more when you beat a higher skill player than when you beat a lower skill player.
- MMR often changes for those who start a game because it does not know their exact skill level.
- MMR in some games is invisible to players and, in some of them, is displayed as a rank or ranking.
- MMR in team games balances the level of both teams, so there is not a huge difference between the skill levels of the players.
- In some systems, MMR can be assessed on the basis of individual performance, not just wins and losses.
How Did the MMR in Gaming Concept Originate?
As you may have guessed, MMR is not a new concept. In fact, you’ll be surprised because a similar way of rating skills called “Elo” has already been used since the 1960s in chess.
So how did the MMR come about? The term became popular in the early 21st century. The main driving force, as with many terms of the time, was the growth of online games, particularly those in the MOBA genre. With titles such as Dota and League of Legends, MMR had already become an integral part of the gaming world.
The Most Popular MMR-Based Games
As we already mentioned, MMR is a typical indicator for games based on competition. To make it easier for you to find out exactly which ones, here are the most interesting classics:
- League of Legends – this is the game everyone knows, where MMR is used to rank players fairly.
- Dota 2 – where the MMR is visible to each player in a special ranking.
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive – where players are selected based on a modified Glicko-2 system.
- Valorant – where the system for determining the MMR value is validated, but then displayed in visible ranks.
- Rocket League – where MMR is used to select players according to their skills.
MMR: What Else You Should Know
To ensure that you are already a total master of MMR knowledge, we have prepared a list of related words for you below. Read and remember some of them to stand out in conversations:
- Elo – a ranking system for chess players, which was a model for the MMR.
- Glicko and Glicko-2 – a very accurate way of assessing a player’s skill by checking the certainty of that assessment.
- Smurfing – is the creation of new accounts by well-qualified players to beat the weaker ones.
- Boosting – a process of increasing your MMR by temporarily lending your character to a player with higher skills.
- Calibration – a process of determining the MMR of a player just starting out. This is often determined by a series of qualifying matches.
Final Thoughts on MMR Meaning Video Games
That’s it! You’ve just learned a new term for your gamer’s dictionary.
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