'We are experimenting with a different approach': Valve finally adds ranked play to Deadlock, and the countdown for the first match starts now

Deadlock's been receiving loads of fantastic patches recently, and heroes get buffed and nerfed so quickly that a real meta hasn't even formed yet. However, the latest update is probably the game's biggest so far because we've finally got ranked play. 

"We've been experimenting with a different approach to ranked during early development, we expect to iterate on it in the future," a Valve developer known as Yoshi says in a blog post. "The focus of this mode will be on concentrating players into specific time windows where they can opt into games where the primary focus is game quality." 

There's an updated UI after you select Play after the recent update which, instead of just throwing you into a casual match, lets you choose between the standard mode, against bots, private bots, sandbox mode, a custom match, and soon enough, ranked play. 

Ranked play will open on Tuesday, October 15, at 7 pm BST/ 3 pm ET/ 12 pm PT, which means players still have time to prepare themselves for the upcoming challenge. You need to complete 50 matches in Deadlock before you're let into ranked play. 50 may not seem like a lot, but Deadlock matches can go on for an age (I've been in hour-plus games before), so if you haven't hit that number yet, you should probably play some Deadlock over the weekend. But if you have any "behaviour-related restrictions," then it doesn't matter how many games you've played—you're barred from entry. 

I've been eagerly waiting for some kind of improved matchmaking for Deadlock since I first joined the beta a few months ago. I still find myself in games that seesaw between crushing the other team and overwhelming defeat, so getting a system that groups players a bit better is definitely a welcome change. However, it's important to remember that it's still in development, so ranked play won't be as dynamic as most players are probably used to. 

"Every Tuesday at 7 pm BST, we will run an algorithm that calculates everyone's performance together at the same time based on the games you've played, how the opponents you played against ended up faring in subsequent games, etc," Yoshi says. "As such, medals will only be updated once per week to allow for analysis of a wide set of match data together at once for a more accurate review of your skill (rather than a fixed numerical addition/subtraction on a per-game basis)."

You will also have to play seven games if you want to get a medal the following week: "In order to make sure there is enough data to cross-reference with other players, you must play at least seven games in order to be eligible to receive a rank for that week," Yoshi explains. "If at any time you didn't have seven games played in the previous week, your medal will be marked as undefined until you play enough and earn a new medal the following Tuesday." So there'll be no rank stagnation for all the players used to climbing to a high rank and then just sitting there waiting for the next season. 

There are 11 medals in total and six levels within each of these. We don't know what these will be yet, but I'm hoping for some alchemical reference, given Deadlock's magical nature. After you get a medal, then you'll only be matched with others with the same rank as you. While better matchmaking is welcome progress, it will be interesting to see how this restriction impacts queue times—but that's a problem for another day. 

The only major problem with ranked play I have so far is that you can't group up with friends—it'll be a solo experience for now, but hopefully, we'll be able to climb with friends soon. 

You'll also only be able to queue at certain times: "[The queue] will be open from 1 pm-4 pm and 7 pm-10 pm in the respective time zones every day," Yoshi says. "Each region will have multiple time zones you can select from to find what best fits your schedule (you can only change your selection once per week). Players will be automatically assigned the server in that region that provides the best ping for the players in the match." I got to choose between West and East EU times. 

I'm excited to see what Deadlock's new ranked play will be like. I do expect some chaotic matches for the first week while everyone's still finding their footing, but hopefully, after that, we'll all be able to just stay in our respective lanes and be happy with that.