It’s been 3.5 years since Timi introduced the 1600 sticker reward in season 2.
>Then, from season 24, Timi changed two things for ranked 1400+: the points system has been adjusted so that you need to win more than you lose to actually lose to actually climb (around 60% winrate), and they removed the hidden MMR matchmaking as well: if you go on a losing streak, you just keep losing. The games won’t get any easier, not anymore. You’ll have to carry every game from now on.
Both of the changes sound fair in theory, but the actual experience it creates in the post-1400 climb is just a miserable slog of sweat and try-harding.
Make no mistake, the current game right now is ‘’fair’’. It’s just that, when everything is equal, those who get the advantage win. Jungler mains get the advantage. People who grovel to the meta and pick heal-sluts get the advantage. You, however, get no advantage for playing a mon that you like to play.
The mechanical depth is really shallow in this game. Individual skill will always be beaten by coordinated teamwork. And even if you're lucky enough to get two teams where everyone is good, it all comes down to who makes a mistake first, or whoever wins the coinflip at the Rayquaza fight. Winning is a 50% chance at best.
>None of this would have mattered if there wasn’t such a heavy emphasis on winning now.
Sure, in the old system, if you win too much, you get punished by being paired with subpar shitters. But the inverse is also true. If you lose a lot, things get easier for you. It’s not fair, but it does a lot to take the sting of losing several games.
>Now, there’s no mechanic to compensate for losing anymore. You just lose, and lose some more. And now you just have to do more work to make up for it. That's life now, kid.
