During a personal Twitch stream, Andrey "Dread" Golubev, a content creator and former professional Dota 2 player from Russia, discussed the importance of matchmaking rating (MMR) in the professional Dota 2 scene.
Dread expressed amusement at people who dismiss MMR as irrelevant in esports. He explained that MMR is a strong indicator of a player's skill, reflecting their ability to perform in-game actions, their psychological resilience, and their dedication to the game through extensive playtime.
He elaborated, saying that young and ambitious players often invest significant time into honing their craft. Over time, they improve through consistent effort. However, as they grow older and other responsibilities emerge, they may dedicate less time to the game. Despite this, many continue to believe they are as proficient as they once were, which Dread noted as a critical mistake because while their skill diminishes, their self-assessment often does not.
Maintaining Dota 2 skills requires constant practice, as Dread emphasized. He pointed out that even if a player like Kiyotaka once held a top-10 rank, their current performance might decline to around rank 200 if they don’t continue training rigorously. He argued that theoretical knowledge alone isn’t enough to excel in Dota 2; practical skills, both micro and macro, are crucial. Therefore, having a high rank in Dota 2 is indeed indicative of a player's capabilities.
Previously, during another Twitch stream, Golubev also commented on Gleb "kiyotaka" Zyryanov, the mid-player for the Eastern European team 9Pandas from Russia.