Matchmaking (MMR/Elo)
What is matchmaking, MMR and Elo in games? How online games pair players by skill, from Halo 2's TrueSkill to League of Legends.
Matchmaking is how an online game puts players together in a match. Skill-based matchmaking pairs players of similar ability using a rating, often called MMR (matchmaking rating), and many ratings derive from the Elo system first made for chess.
Where the term comes from
The earliest online games such as Doom made players exchange IP addresses to play together. Halo 2 launched with TrueSkill, a rating system from Microsoft Research.
Examples
Each game links to the source that describes it using the mechanic.
- Halo 2
- League of Legends
- StarCraft II
- Rocket League, made with Unreal Engine
- Call of Duty: Black Ops, made with IW engine
Related terms: Netcode, TTK (time to kill), The meta, Live service game.
Genres: MOBA, Battle royale, Hero shooter.
Sources
Checked .
- Matchmaking (video games) — Wikipedia
- Skill-based matchmaking — Wikipedia
- Elo rating system — Wikipedia