Dota 2 ranks are some of the most fiercely competitive rankings in eSports. There’s so much pride that gets carried into Dota 2 rankings and this is what makes Dota one of the most popular eSports games today.
Despite its first release in 2013, Dota 2 still has one of the highest skill ceilings in MOBA games. To reach the very topmost rank, Immortal Rank, players have to dedicate a serious amount of hours to ranked matches and you won’t find very many casual players in the arena. Therefore understanding how MMR rankings work will be crucial to ensuring that you don’t get stuck within a rank for too long.
If you’re a new player to Dota 2, in this short guide, we’re taking a look at all 8 of the Dota 2 ranks, what you can expect once you reach your next ranking and the current ranking distributions to give you an idea of where you sit globally.
Ready to get started? 👇
Dota 2 MMR Ranks
Once you have played over 100 hours of Dota 2, you will unlock the ability to test your metal against your region in ranked matchmaking. Here, there are 8 ranks in Dota 2 with 5 sub-tiers for each rank (except the Immortal rank). Each time you rank up, you will be granted a medal based on your MMR ranking and there are 36 medals in total to collect.
If you played poorly during your unranked matches, you will have a chance to rectify your MMR during your calibration matches. During these 10 matches, you will want to be at your absolute best to start your Dota 2 MMR as high as possible.
The current Dota 2 ranks are:
- Herald Rank – (0-616 MMR)
- Guardian Rank – (770-1,386 MMR)
- Crusader Rank – (1,540-2,145 MMR)
- Archon Rank – (2,310-2,926 MMR)
- Legend Rank – (3,080-3,696 MMR)
- Ancient Rank – (3,850-4,466 MMR)
- Divine Rank – (4,620-5,240 MMR)
- Immortal Rank – (5,240+ MMR)
Note: MMR can change anytime based on the ranking distribution of your region. However, the values I have provided should remain fairly similar globally.
Herald Rank (0-616 MMR)
Herald represents the lowest skill tier in terms of rank distribution in Dota 2. After your calibration matches, if you find yourself in Herald rank, this will likely mean that you are either a newcomer to MOBA games or have very little experience with Dota gameplay.
But, don’t let that get you down as Herald rank is one of the best places to learn the game. In Herald rank, you will find that you have much more time to make decisions than you would do within the higher ranks and will be pitted against other newbies of the game.
The Herald Ranks in Dota 2 are:
- Herald One: 0 MMR
- Herald Two: 154 MMR
- Herald Three: 308 MMR
- Herald Four: 462 MMR
- Herald Five: 616 MMR
Guardian Rank (770-1,386 MMR)
As soon as you advance to Guardian rank, you will immediately start to feel that each game is becoming slightly more competitive. While there are still some very casual players in this tier, most Guardian-ranked players command a good understanding of the game mechanics and their role during a match.
To succeed in Guardian rank, you will need to work on your primary role and be aware of what your role is supposed to achieve throughout the map. From taking down objectives to focussing on creeps, if you stick to your role in Guardian Rank, you will quickly find that you are progressing through to Crusader rank.
The Guardian Ranks in Dota 2 are:
- Guardian One: 770 MMR
- Guardian Two: 924 MMR
- Guardian Three: 1,078 MMR
- Guardian Four: 1,232 MMR
- Guardian Five: 1,386 MMR
Crusader Rank (1,540-2,156 MMR)
The next rank up from Guardian Rank is the Crusader rank. This is the first ranking tier where you will find that players have actually studied the game. Here, you will find that your opponents have up-to-date item guides and will be choosing meta picks wisely based on the current version of the game.
To swiftly move past Crusader rank into Archon rank, learning what items you should buy for each scenario is critical. The game is not just about playing just a single hero to perfection anymore, it’s about learning what guides best suit your opposition’s strategies as every game will now be very different.
The Crusader Ranks in Dota 2 are:
- Crusader One: 1,540 MMR
- Crusader Two: 1,694 MMR
- Crusader Three: 1,848 MMR
- Crusader Four: 2,002 MMR
- Crusader Five: 2,156 MMR
Archon Rank (2,310-2,926 MMR)
The 4th tier in Dota 2 is the Archon rank.
This is probably the first rank where you will start to find that you won’t be carrying anyone on your team and each player here (although not perfect every game) will be capable enough to lead teams to victory as well as just making up the numbers.
Given that Dota 2 is a highly team-based game, you will also find that in Archon rank there will be an emphasis placed on good team communication as you will need to move together as a unit to succeed. Very little will your find players doing their own thing in the Archon rankings.
Decide on a few heroes to master for your role so you can perform consistently in every game.
The Archon Ranks in Dota 2 are:
- Archon One: 2,310 MMR
- Archon Two: 2,464 MMR
- Archon Three: 2,618 MMR
- Archon Four: 2,772 MMR
- Archon Five: 2,926 MMR
Legend Rank (3,080-3,696 MMR)
In Legend Rank, you will start to see players making use of wards and counter-wards during gameplay. The onus here is on improving your teams’ vision so that your team leader can make all of the right judgement calls during the battle.
In legend rank, you will find that players begin to start mimicking what professional players do during a game. By watching Twitch streams and live eSports events, you will learn plenty of game-winning tips and I recommend you start following channels such as ‘BeyondTheSummit‘ to gain access to live games where each game is analysed.
You won’t make it to legend rank unless you are serious about Dota 2.
The Legend Ranks in Dota 2 are:
- Legend One: 3,080 MMR
- Legend Two: 3,234 MMR
- Legend Three: 3,388 MMR
- Legend Four: 3,542 MMR
- Legend Five: 3,696 MMR
Ancient Rank (3,850-4,466 MMR)
As the 6th tier of Dota 2 rankings, the Ancient rank is really where the competitiveness starts to ramp up. In fact, it is probably one of the hardest ranks to level up from as there are a lot of highly skilled players that fall within this bracket.
During gameplay, chances are that every player in Ancient rank will know most heroes inside out. While they may not be able to play the most mechanically complex heroes with skill, they will definitely know what to expect from each one. And so, it’s time to get out the Dota 2 guides until you know each mechanic of the game; better than most.
Unparalleled leadership and communication are required in this rank to succeed.
The Ancient Ranks in Dota 2 are:
- Ancient One: 3,850 MMR
- Ancient Two: 4,004 MMR
- Ancient Three: 4,158 MMR
- Ancient Four: 4,312 MMR
- Ancient Five: 4,466 MMR
Divine Rank (4,620-5,420 MMR)
The 7th tier in Dota 2 is the Divine rank.
Once you reach Divine Rank in Dota 2, you are just one rank away from the coveted Immortal medal and the regional leaderboards. As such, the Divine Rank is fiercely competitive as each player here is not only highly skilled but will also be playing their best to reach Immortal Rank status. It’s similar to the ancient rank but with a pinch more competitiveness.
If you’re being carried by your teammates, you are almost certain to lose.
What you often see in Divine Rank is players becoming quickly frustrated during matchplay. This is where you can capitalise by remaining calm and still trying to enjoy the game. There’s a fine balance between being competitive and rage-quitting during a match.
The Divine Ranks in Dota 2 are:
- Divine One: 4,620 MMR
- Divine Two: 4,820 MMR
- Divine Three: 5,020 MMR
- Divine Four: 5,220 MMR
- Divine Five: 5,420 MMR
Immortal Rank (5420+ MMR)
Lastly, the Immortal rank is where all of the best players in Dota 2 live.
If you manage to reach Immortal Rank in Dota 2, you will likely be one of the top 2% of players in your region based on the current ranking distributions. As an Immortal Dota 2 player, you will have an acute understanding of every intricacy of the game and will find that your matches go down to the wire.
A single clutch moment can often be the deciding factor in Immortal rank.
In addition to being able to proudly showcase your Immortal medal, you will also make your way to the Dota 2 regional rankings as you advance through the Immortal bracket. This is where players get scouted for professional Dota 2 eSports teams.
So yeah, don’t start slipping during matches now!
Rank Distribution in Dota 2
A single season in Dota 2 can be very long with Season 5 lasting for over 2 years as an example. However, at the end of every season, despite the fact that Valve do not provide any statistics on rank distribution, some very clever gamers have formulated a tool to estimate the current ranking distributions for each season.
Dota 2 Current Rank Distribution:
| Rank | Percentile |
| Herald One | 0.04% |
| Herald Two | 1.41% |
| Herald Three | 2.92% |
| Herald Four | 4.91% |
| Herald Five | 7.17% |
| Guardian One | 9.73% |
| Guardian Two | 12.53% |
| Guardian Three | 15.62% |
| Guardian Four | 18.95% |
| Guardian Five | 22.54% |
| Crusader One | 26.48% |
| Crusader Two | 30.59% |
| Crusader Three | 34.87% |
| Crusader Four | 39.32% |
| Crusader Five | 43.84% |
| Archon One | 48.58% |
| Archon Two | 53.27% |
| Archon Three | 57.87% |
| Archon Four | 62.29% |
| Archon Five | 66.54% |
| Legend One | 70.79% |
| Legend Two | 74.62% |
| Legend Three | 78.08% |
| Legend Four | 81.19% |
| Legend Five | 83.94% |
| Ancient One | 86.62% |
| Ancient Two | 88.86% |
| Ancient Three | 90.72% |
| Ancient Four | 92.26% |
| Ancient Five | 93.56% |
| Divine One | 95.06% |
| Divine Two | 96.23% |
| Divine Three | 97.13% |
| Divine Four | 97.79% |
| Divine Five | 98.315 |
| Immortal | 99.99% |
As you can see, the majority of players are ranked between Archon and Legend which just goes to show that Dota 2 is not for the faint of heart. If you are a Dota 2 player who has ranked anywhere above Legend rank, you can proudly claim that you are better than most!
So, where do you rank in Dota 2?
Drop us a comment below with your greatest achievement in Dota 2 and be sure to check out some of our other tutorials and game review when you’re finished:
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