A new update was released for Dota 2, adding additional content to the game just in time for the start of its ranked season. The season lasts six months, and with the new system players can look forward to earning special “ranked medals that represents their highest performance level for the current season.” The hard-earned rewards cannot be taken away either; Seasonal Rank Medals earned during the upcoming ranking period will not decrease in rank no matter the tier players are in. Players will have to work hard to build their way up the ranks at first and the skill needed to earn each medal will vary.
There are different tiers of Rank Medals for varying skill levels: Herald, Guardian, Crusader, Archon, Legend, Ancient, and Divine. Herald is the lowest Rank Medal that can be earned while Divine is the highest and most difficult to achieve.
Players who would rather work on their skills in Solo games may have to compromise with this update if they want certain Rank Medals as well since “player performance in both Party and Solo games is considered when evaluating your skill and determining when your Medal gets upgraded.” Solo games hold more weight in determining which medal players will receive, however if they want the greatest chance to rank up (excluding Ancient and Divine Rank Medals) then they will have to make sure they do a decent job in Party games to some degree. Players who strictly prefer getting the highest Ancient and Divine Rank medals only have to play solo games.
Leaderboard rankings will also be updated to include the Rank Medal status. Players with the highest ranking “will now have a leaderboard number listed with the medal that broadcasts their position amongst other players,” and the position can be viewed “alongside the Medal, and will be visible to all players in the game and on their profile.”
Dota 2 is free-to-play and is available on PC.