MMR is a secret number that determines who you play against in LoL. So, how can you increase this number?
MMR refers to the matchmaking rating system. This score determines which players you face and how much LP you either win or lose after a game. It’s an important score and something to keep in mind when playing a ranked match and wanting to increase your elo.
So, what even is MMR, and how can you increase your LoL MMR? That’s what we’re going to be taking a deep dive into. You want to rank up as fast as you can, right?
How to Increase Your LoL MMR?
Win Games Consistently
This might seem like a no-brainer to anyone who has played any type of competitive game before, but yes, staying consistent and winning consistently is one way to increase your MMR. Going on a win streak will gain you more LP, increasing your rank and your ranked MMR will also rise.
How can you do this, though? You can become a one-trick on a specific champion, or you can play what is meta. Sure, even if you think Yorick looks neat, and you enjoy his playstyle, if Camille is the better meta choice, then pick her to have an increased chance at winning a ranked game.
So, by being consistent and doing everything you can to win ranked games, you’ll increase your rank and MMR.
Duo Queue with Someone Better Than You
We know you’re not a professional player, and you’re about to play placement games as a hardstuck silver – since 2014 – and now you finally want to make it to Gold? Well, you’ll need the right LP gains to climb out of elo hell and what is so important to gaining LP? MMR!
So to gain a higher MMR we suggest duoing with a friend who is better than you – as the Korean League community says 'Ride the Bus'. League of Legends is a team game, play it like one.
How does duoing with a friend increase MMR though? Well, the game takes the average MMR of your squad into account when making a match. Now, if you win a game, you’ll be gaining a lot more MMR than if you were alone. Also, if you lose the game, you lose less MMR. It’s a win-win. For you. Not your higher-ranked friend who has a better matchmaking rating.
What is the Difference Between Elo and MMR?
Matchmaking rating is an invisible score. You don’t actually know what MMR you’ve got. Even on the official Riot page, it is described as a secret. So, you won’t know for sure what your MMR is.
On the other hand, elo is a rating method for calculating the relative skill levels of players. It is most famously known for its usage in chess, wherein players get rated on their skill level with elo. It was also used by League of Legends until season 3. That’s when they adopted their own ranking system – the one we know of today.
So, while elo is a super-secret hidden number by Riot, elo is basically an interchangeable term for your rank. When someone asks what elo you are, they want to know what your rank is. You have League Points (LP) which basically show you where you stand within a rank.
What Affects MMR in League of Legends?
Does KDA Affect MMR in League of Legends?
KDA refers to the Kills, Deaths, Assists ratio and is used by many players to boast about their skill. Calculating one's KDA is quite simple: KDA = (kills + assists)/ deaths. By calculating your KDA, you have a solid number ratio to base your skill on. Some players also like to calculate their KD ratio (Kills/Deaths), which is less forgiving than the KDA ratio, since assists are taken out of the equation. (Editor: me being like KDA = Ahri + Kai'Sa + Evelynn + Akali = love).
Okay, but math class aside, does any of this even matter when it comes to your LoL MMR? The answer is short, sweet and simple. No. KDA does not have any effect on your LoL MMR. Whether you go 0/10 or 10/0. The scoreline of your individual champion doesn’t matter.
Since your own KDA doesn’t matter you’re able to duo queue with friends who have a better MMR rating. They can carry you over the finish line, so you gain League Points and MMR and hopefully make it out of low elo.
Does League of Legends MMR Affect Your LP Gain?
The whole point of playing ranked games is to gain LP. By gaining League Points, players are able to rank up in League of Legends. MMR, which determines the skill level of your opponents, does have an effect on how much LP you gain and lose when playing.
Since games are created by analyzing your team's average MMR and that of the other team, depending on your own personal MMR being higher or lower than the average, you gain more or less LP.
It’s just like we explained when talking about duoing with a friend: your friend is a high elo player, has a higher hidden MMR and therefore, brings up the average. You guys win your duo game, but because your MMR is lower than the average, you’ll gain more LP. (Editor: or in simpler terms: if you suck and have a friend that don't, buy him dinner next time, because he's the only reason you're in Gold and not in Iron).
How Does MMR Affect Ranked Games and League Points?
So to reiterate once more how it all works, your LoL MMR determines the strength of the opposite team and yours and unless you use a third-party MMR checker website, then you won’t ever even know what this number is.
But to create matches, Riot Games has created a system that takes the average MMR of your squad and that of the enemies. Depending on your own skill, you might be above or below the average MMR. This means that if your MMR is lower than the average, and you win, you gain more LP.
Why? Because the system will reward you for beating players who, on average, should be better than you. But as we mentioned above, you can sort of ‘cheat the system’ by queuing up with a friend who plays at a higher rank than you... or plays Yuumi. Same thing.
So, MMR will have an effect on your LP gains and losses when you’re playing in ranked mode.
Does Decaying and Dodging Affect MMR?
For players in Diamond tier and above, decaying could become a problem. Decay means that when you’re inactive, you automatically begin to lose some LP. Does it mean you’ll lose LoL MMR as well?
Decaying does not have any effect on your MMR. The only thing in League of Legends that can have an effect on Matchmaking Rating is your own gameplay. Winning and losing will have an effect and will either make the number go up or down – simple as that.
So if you don’t play League of Legends for a while then you’ll lose League Points, but you won’t lose any MMR. This will only change when the season is reset and when you win or lose games.
The same goes for dodging. Dodging a game does not mean you’ll lose any MMR. You could lose some LP if you’re a serial dodger and get locked out of queue, which then means your MMR is going to stay stagnant since you can’t play. But once again, other than that it won’t have any effect on your MMR.
Does Ranked MMR Affect Normal Games, TFT or Flex MMR?
There are multiple game modes in League of Legends, but do they have any effect on one another? No. They do not. You can play a bunch of normal games, lose them all, this won’t change your ranked MMR in the slightest.
So you don’t need to be scared when trying out new picks in normal games. You can lose as much as you want in a normal game (and be flamed for it by hardstuck iron players). Sure, your normal MMR will suck, but at least you’ll be meeting weaker opponents, right?
The same goes for Teamfight Tactics and Flex as well. Each game mode has its own hidden MMR and doesn’t have any effect on the other. So you might be Gold I in League of Legends, looking for an elo boost, while you’re managing to get into Challenger in TFT – helping boost others.
