Valve to Overhaul Deadlock Matchmaking System After Player Feedback

Valve has announced plans to overhaul a crucial background feature of Deadlock in an effort to fix the game's current matchmaking issues. In response to a fan's question about how players are matched together, one of the developers confirmed on Discord (via Reddit) that the existing hero-based MMR (Matchmaking Rating) system "doesn’t work very well" in its current state.

The developer went on to explain that the system will be much more effective once a full rewrite of the matchmaking system is completed. However, Valve has not provided specific details on how Deadlock's Closed Alpha groups players behind the scenes, leaving it unclear whether skill-based matchmaking is also a factor.

Judging by the community's reactions, the changes can't come soon enough. Many players have expressed frustration with the current skill imbalance. One fan noted, "Glad to hear. The matchmaking has been taking a toll on my enjoyment. Hopefully, once they polish it, it’ll be fairer." Another added, "It was pretty clear something was off. I’ve had tons of well-balanced matches, but I’ve also had matches where it’s clear my opponent was leagues better than me or vice-versa."

Valve hasn't clarified whether the upcoming rewrite will completely replace the hero-based matchmaking system with something entirely new or simply improve the existing system. Given that the game is still in development, it's likely that more changes will be made as progress continues.

Following a significant balance patch on August 29, Valve released another update on September 1, which included several hero adjustments, such as notable nerfs to Viscous.