Blizzards Match Making Patent: Long Read

If you would like to read through how Blizzards MMR system works, here you go: patents dot google dot com/patent/US10857468B2/en

Some key spots:

“In another example, if a player has been performing poorly (e.g., getting killed at a rate higher than the player’s historical rate), the scoring engine may dynamically adjust one or more coefficients to match the player in a game that will improve the player’s performance. For example, the player may be matched with easier opponents, matched with teammates that historically resulted in better match outcomes, and/or placed in a game that is more tailored to the player’s preferences (e.g., players that play in games more closely aligned with their preferences tend to perform better).”

Summary: If you’re playing poorly, the Match Maker will pit you against others you will likely win against to keep you playing. Obviously, there’s a pool of people that would fall into this category and the MM would pair them together, causing our steamrolling issue.

This one is the most nefarious IMO: " The matchmaking system and method may be leveraged in various contexts as well, such as to influence game-related purchases, recommend a composition of groups of players, train or identify non-player characters (NPCs) that should be used, and/or other contexts.

For example, in one implementation, the system may include a microtransaction engine that arranges matches to influence game-related purchases. For instance, the microtransaction engine may match a more expert/marquee player with a junior player to encourage the junior player to make game-related purchases of items possessed/used by the marquee player. A junior player may wish to emulate the marquee player by obtaining weapons or other items used by the marquee player."

TL;DR: The MM will pair people together to influence purchases. IE if I have a legacy skin that is for sale, the MM may put me into a group with others who also play that hero to influence them to buy the skin(s).

Take with this info what you will.

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just because they have a patent doesnt mean they are using it. this conspiracy stuff is funny for a bit but it gets old after awhile lol

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Just posting what’s out there. Do what you want with the info, but Im sure there will be people who would find it as interesting as I do to read on the tech they’re developing

You are right, but if they genuinely cared about quality matchmaking, why would they invest the resources to develop it, much less patent it?

Its not comfimation, but it creates more justification to be suspect…

well this is from blizzard right?

its likely being used in diablo immortal or was planned for it and they’ll just lease it out to other similar games for a profit.

We are being manipulated in all facets of life whether we like it or not, you know

This game is no different

Social Media companies put Blizz to shame with this kind of profiling tech tbh
They know what you’re into and feed you relevant content accordingly to keep you scrolling and engaged and part of the vicious cycle

I don’t know about compensating players’ losses being in use to be honest, the balance is now so bad that I feel the wins and losses depends on who will pick the most broken heroes and in which quantity

Matchmakers always get blamed….it’s been a permanent complaint for the entirety of the game…it’s not something that’s going to improve

Yes and no… there are discernable patterns present that should not be present.

In some cases it is falsely blamed due to variables outside its control, however the patterns are common enough to decern its intended to behave this way