Dota 2 Ranks Explained: Medals, MMR and How to Unlock Ranked

Dota 2 has eight rank medals, from Herald at the bottom to Immortal at the top. The first seven medals have five stars each, while Immortal has no stars and shows your place on a regional leaderboard instead. Behind every medal is a hidden number, your MMR, which goes up when you win ranked games and down when you lose.

Last checked: November 9, 2026.

All Dota 2 ranks in order

That's 35 star steps from Herald 1 to Divine 5, with Immortal above them.

How accurate are these MMR numbers?

Valve has never published official medal thresholds. The ranges above come from community tables built from player data, and they agree closely up to Ancient: each medal covers about 770 MMR, or roughly 154 MMR per star. They disagree on where Divine ends and Immortal begins, with estimates of about 5,420 or 5,620 MMR. Treat every number in the table as a guide, not a rule.

How medals and MMR work

MMR decides your matches, not your medal

Valve has said that the matchmaker always matches players by MMR, not by medal. Your medal is just an easier way to show roughly where your MMR sits.

Stars and medal changes

Each medal from Herald to Divine has five stars. Valve returned to five stars per medal in October 2019, after briefly trying seven. In the same update, Valve stopped medals from acting as a permanent high-water mark. If your MMR drops more than one star below your medal, the medal moves down to match.

How much MMR you win or lose

The amount depends on how sure the system is about your skill. Valve's notes for patch 7.33c in May 2023 said players with high rank confidence gain or lose close to 25 MMR per game. When the two teams aren't equally rated, the change also takes into account each team's expected chance of winning.

If your rank confidence is low, for example because you're new to ranked or returning after a break, expect bigger swings until the system settles.

How to unlock ranked in Dota 2

Ranked isn't open to brand-new accounts. You need two things:

1. A unique phone number linked to your account. Valve has required this for ranked since 2017, to cut down on players using extra accounts. Numbers from online services that hand out phone numbers aren't allowed.
2. About 100 hours of play. Current guides agree that ranked unlocks after roughly 100 hours on the account. Spend that time in unranked matches, Turbo or bot games while you learn a few heroes.

When you unlock ranked for the first time, you also get 5 role queue tokens. After that, your first ranked games place you on the ladder. Your medal shows once the system is confident enough about your skill, rather than after a fixed number of matches.

Ranked modes and role queue in 2026

Valve's Summer Scrub update on July 30, 2026 removed Random Draft and Ranked Classic from the ranked modes. Role queue is the system to know:

• You choose which roles you're willing to play before you search.
• Some roles are in higher demand, so the matchmaker needs them more often. In 2019, Valve said this was usually Hard Support.
• Since July 2026, solo players who select at least one high-demand role don't spend a role queue token. If you pick only other roles, a token is used.
• The Ranked Play tab has an option to select all roles automatically when you run out of tokens. It's off by default.

Not sure which role to pick? Our guide to Dota 2 positions explains what each one does.

Immortal rank and the leaderboards

Immortal has no stars. Valve added it in June 2018 as a separate tier for players on the leaderboards, and it shows your leaderboard place instead.

Valve keeps four regional leaderboards: Americas, Europe, Southeast Asia and China. Each one lists roughly the top 5,000 players in that region, and the official feeds refresh about once an hour.

The 2026 Immortal MMR adjustment

In the Summer Scrub update, Valve adjusted the MMR of Immortal players so that every player now sits between 1 and 9,500 MMR. Everyone kept their relative place and leaderboard position, so only the numbers at the very top changed.

Immortal Draft

At the top of the ladder, ranked games use Immortal Draft, which adds a phase where players are drafted onto teams before the match. The rules Valve set in March 2025 still apply:

When Valve set these rules, 8,500 MMR was roughly the top 0.5% of players and 6,500 MMR roughly the top 1.5%. Valve confirmed in July 2026 that the Immortal Draft cutoff is still 8,500. Immortal Draft games don't appear in public match history, and only the players in the match can watch the replay.

How to climb in Dota 2 ranked

• Play a small hero pool. Two or three heroes per role you queue for will win you more games than trying something new each match.
• Pick high-demand roles. You save role queue tokens and usually find matches faster.
• Keep your behavior score up. Valve's matchmaker considers behavior when it builds matches, and Valve regularly bans smurfs and other accounts that break the rules.
• Don't panic after a loss streak. Your medal only drops when your MMR falls more than one star below it.
• Review your games. Upgraded post-game breakdowns from July 2026 show where your damage, healing and dispels came from, and you can filter them by game time.

New to the game? Start with our Dota 2 beginner's guide and our list of the best heroes for beginners.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest rank in Dota 2?

Immortal is the highest rank in Dota 2. It has no stars, and Immortal players are ranked by their place on one of four regional leaderboards, each covering roughly the top 5,000 players.

What are the Dota 2 ranks in order?

From lowest to highest, the ranks are Herald, Guardian, Crusader, Archon, Legend, Ancient, Divine and Immortal. Every medal except Immortal has five stars.

How much MMR is each star in Dota 2?

Community tables put each star at about 154 MMR from Herald to Ancient, so each medal covers roughly 770 MMR. Valve doesn't publish official thresholds, and estimates for Divine and Immortal vary.

How do you unlock ranked in Dota 2?

You need a unique phone number linked to your account and about 100 hours of play. Once ranked unlocks, you also receive 5 role queue tokens.

What is the average rank in Dota 2?

Community estimates put the average player around the border between Crusader and Archon. Valve doesn't publish a full rank distribution, so treat this as approximate.

Can you lose your medal in Dota 2?

Yes. If your MMR falls more than one star below your current medal, the medal drops to match. Valve added that one-star buffer in 2019.

What is Immortal Draft in Dota 2?

Immortal Draft is the ranked format for the highest-rated players, with a pre-game phase where players are drafted onto teams. Every ranked game is Immortal Draft once you pass 8,500 MMR, and players from 6,500 MMR join one whenever someone above 8,500 is in the match.