The game currently has a very strange and, to be honest, dumb ranking system. I really hope that in the near future you will either fix it or create a new one, similar to the previous version.
I’ve been playing Deadlock since the very beginning, when access was only available through requests. When ranked first came out, I managed to reach Ascendant 3, which at that time placed me in the top 800 in Europe. Later, when patches started coming out less frequently, I also began to play less. The last time I played actively was when the update with the new shop was released. Back then, I was around Phantom rank (roughly top 1000 Europe). On heroes I also managed to get into high spots: on Haze (my main) I reached around top 200 Europe (if I remember correctly), on Yamato I was top 230, and with Warden and others I also reached high ranks. So, I am definitely not a weak player — I play this game quite well.
When the new patch came out, I decided to return and try to climb back into the top 1000 in Europe. But since I started playing with friends who were almost new to Deadlock, my calibration placed me at very low ranks like Alchemist. We played a bit, then they quit, and I started grinding solo. I quickly reached Emissar, and even that rank felt way too easy. But after that, I simply couldn’t climb higher.
Here’s the problem: I win one match almost solo-carrying, then lose the next one, simply because I’m playing without a team. It feels like a forced “50/50 system.” Even in losses I consistently perform well — my average KDA on Haze this patch is 6.6, and usually around 4–5 per game. For example, in my last two matches (both losses): in one I went 14/4/6 with top damage, and in the other 24/4/13, again top damage. That’s a 9.25 KDA, with 37 total kill participations, while the enemy team had only 42 total deaths. And yet, both matches were losses.
What’s even worse — I still lose rank for these games. After going 24/4/13, I lost two divisions, while my teammates only lost one. So the system doesn’t reward or even recognize individual performance at all.
At this point, it’s nearly impossible to climb out of these ranks. I have a friend who is currently top 300 Europe. He once created a second account and tried to climb, but also got stuck around Emissar, even though on his main he comfortably beats players at Eternus–Ascendant level.
Honestly, I don’t know what to do about this. I just hope you create a proper ranking system. I understand the game is still in beta, but since you’re clearly trying to maintain player numbers, the ranking system is a big part of that. If it becomes fair and rewarding, the player base will last much longer and grow much higher.
For anyone interested, here’s my Tracklock:
https://tracklock.gg/players/953364981