Approximately 5-10 conceded games can significantly lower your MMR in Hearthstone.
Want to play against less skilled opponents in Hearthstone? Many players wonder how many hearthstone games to concede to lower your mmr. The matchmaking rating system makes sure you usually face players of a similar skill level, but what if you want a change of pace or easier matches for daily quests?
Conceding matches rapidly impacts your MMR, pushing you towards lower ranks. This method, though not the intended way to play, is frequently used to quickly adjust match difficulty.
Be warned that excessive conceding might have other consequences. Playing the game as intended is the fairest way.
How Many Hearthstone Games to Concede to Lower Your MMR
Okay, so you’re looking to drop your Matchmaking Rating (MMR) in Hearthstone, maybe to play against easier opponents or complete quests more quickly. You’re wondering, “How many games do I have to lose on purpose?” It’s a common question, and while there’s no magic number, we can figure out a good strategy. Let’s dive into how the MMR system works and how conceding affects it.
Understanding Hearthstone’s MMR System
Hearthstone uses a hidden MMR system. This rating tries to put you against players of similar skill level. Unlike your visible rank, which resets each month, your MMR is a continuous number that fluctuates up or down based on your match results. Winning against players with higher MMR gives you a bigger boost than beating someone with lower MMR, and the same goes for losses. Losing to a lower-MMR player hits you harder than losing to a higher-MMR player. This means the system tries to keep you at a fair level.
The Dynamic Nature of MMR
MMR isn’t static. It changes after every match, so there is no fixed number. If you play a lot, your MMR will usually settle around a point where you’re winning about half your games. It’s designed to give you a challenging but not frustrating experience. If you’re constantly winning, your MMR goes up, and you face more skilled opponents, conversely, losing games will cause MMR to go down. The amount of change varies, based on the MMRs of the players involved.
The Impact of Conceding on MMR
When you concede a game, the game counts as a loss for you and a win for your opponent. This will lower your MMR. But not all losses are equal in the eyes of the system. The MMR difference between you and your opponent is a key factor in how much your MMR drops. If you concede against someone with a much lower rating than you, it will affect your MMR more than if you lose to a higher rated player, so its important to keep in mind that even with conceding, you can lower MMR faster by conceding against lower rated players. This makes the process of lowering your MMR a bit slower than gaining MMR.
Why Conceding is Sometimes a “Slow” Method
Consider this: When you win, your MMR increases, and then your next games are against tougher opponents, that is why its easier to increase MMR. But when you lose on purpose to lower MMR, the system will try to make you win against lower rated players. This is why even with conceding, it may feel like a slow process of lowering the MMR, since you are actively lowering your MMR while the system pushes you back to where you were.
How Many Games Should You Concede?
There’s no exact answer to “how many games” to drop your MMR because the precise numbers behind the Hearthstone MMR system are not publicly available. However, we can understand the general trend and give you an estimation. Let’s say you want to drop down significantly, like a few ranks. This could mean conceding 10-20 games, or even more, depending on your starting MMR and the MMRs of your opponents. However, simply focusing on a number may not work, and you should also be observant during the process. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Starting MMR: If you’re at a very high MMR, it will take more concedes to drop significantly than if you’re at a lower MMR.
- Opponent MMR: As described above, conceding to lower-MMR players reduces your MMR more than conceding to higher-MMR players. It’s not something you control completely, but it’s a detail to keep in mind.
- How Much You Want to Drop: A small drop to get slightly easier matchups will take less conceding than a huge drop for easier quest completion.
A Practical Approach to Conceding
Instead of focusing on an exact number, it’s better to approach this process in a dynamic manner. Keep an eye on who you’re being matched with. If you are still playing against opponents you find difficult, keep conceding. When you start to notice that you are facing players that you find less challenging, you will know that you have lowered your MMR to a good level. Here is an example approach you can take:
- Start Conceding: Play a few games, concede immediately. Try 5-10 to begin with.
- Observe: After that initial run, see who you’re matching with, are they still too difficult?
- Adjust: If the matches are still hard, concede a few more games, maybe 5-10 again. If they are easier, try playing a few to confirm.
- Repeat: Go back and forth between conceding a few games, then observing your opponents for a couple of games, until you are happy with the change.
This will help you adjust the number of concede based on your need.
Risks of Conceding Too Much
While conceding can lower your MMR, be aware of the risks and some consequences. Here are some of the issues:
The Grind
The biggest one is that once you lower your MMR, you might find that you face a string of easier matches, and you climb back up quickly. So you might find yourself conceding many games, then having to do it again after a short period. This means that you may have to concede a lot of games if you constantly wish to be in low MMR territory.
Missed Rewards
Another thing to think about: You miss out on wins which could contribute to quests, and give you experience towards earning gold and other rewards, as well as the normal rank climb rewards. It’s important to consider whether the long-term rewards from playing normally are more valuable than the short-term benefits of easier opponents.
Impact on the Community
While it’s not a hard rule, deliberately conceding to drop your rating can sometimes be seen as unsportsmanlike by other players. Everyone wants fair and competitive games. If you’re constantly conceding, it can be frustrating for players who are trying to win those games. It’s good to be mindful of this, especially if you are a person who regularly faces the same people.
Alternatives to Conceding
Before you go all-in on the conceding strategy, there might be other ways to achieve the same goal: playing less competitive decks. If you still want to play the game, but with easier games, this might be an alternative you may find more interesting than conceding.
Experimenting with Fun Decks
Instead of conceding, try using decks that are less competitive or you are less comfortable with. This might result in natural losses, thus lowering your MMR over a longer period, without requiring you to actively concede. This can be more fun as well. You also might find a new fun deck that you would enjoy playing.
Playing Casual Modes
The “Casual” mode is not as competitive as the “Ranked” mode, and you might get more relaxed and diverse matchups there. It also uses its own MMR system, different from Ranked, so it will not lower your Ranked MMR by playing there, and its a good place to play weaker decks without lowering the ranked MMR.
Using Different Heroes or Classes
Sometimes, you may find that you are good with some classes but not the others. If that is the case, then playing with classes or heroes that you are not as familiar with, may lower your win rate, and by effect your MMR, without the need to concede, and at the same time allow you to learn to play the class or hero better.
Factors Affecting MMR Changes
Remember, several elements can influence how much your MMR changes after each game. Let’s look at these factors in more detail.
Win Streaks and Loss Streaks
If you go on a win streak, the MMR changes may start to become more significant, as it sees that you have a high winning percentage, it will push you to play against opponents of higher MMR. Similarly, if you keep on losing, the MMR will gradually decrease and your MMR losses will decrease as well.
New Season Start
The start of a new season can reset MMR. While your MMR is still there behind the scenes, the visible ranking may change, and thus your initial matchups could be affected for a few games. The system also uses your previous MMR, so depending on your MMR, you might still face players of similar levels.
MMR Decay
Hearthstone does not currently implement an MMR decay system. Some games will drop your rating if you don’t play for a long time, but that is not the case with Hearthstone.
Tracking Your MMR Progress
Since the MMR number itself is hidden, you might be asking yourself, “how can I track my progress?”. Here are some methods that might be helpful.
Personal Observation
The easiest way to track your progress is to pay attention to the opponents you are facing. Are you facing more lower-level players as time goes on? Then your MMR has likely dropped, that’s a clear indication of your progress. If your opponents feel easier then you have lowered your MMR. This is the easiest way to make sure you are on the right path.
Third-Party Tools
Some third-party websites or applications claim to be able to track or estimate your MMR. However, these are not official and may not be accurate, so do not rely completely on these.
Ethical Considerations of Lowering MMR
Finally, let’s briefly touch on the ethics of conceding to lower your MMR. While it’s not against the rules, there are a few things to think about.
Sportsmanship
Deliberately losing can be frustrating to other players, they might feel that you are wasting their time or that you are not trying hard enough. Try to consider that your actions impact other people as well.
Fairness
If everyone did this, it would make the game less balanced, if many people are losing on purpose, the matchups will become imbalanced and the game will have less value. If you do this, try not to do this too often, and for shorter periods.
Finding Your Own Fun
Ultimately, you should aim to have fun with the game. There are many ways to enjoy Hearthstone, and this method is not the only one. Consider all the options before you decide to lower your MMR.
In conclusion, while there’s no magic number of games to concede to lower your MMR in Hearthstone, understanding how the system works will help you achieve your goal. Be mindful of the risks and consider alternative methods if you wish to enjoy the game more fully. Remember to track your progress, and be considerate to other players, so that everyone can enjoy the game.
The Ranking System (MMR) Explained for Hearthstone Battlegrounds
Final Thoughts
Conceding roughly 5-10 games can noticeably decrease your MMR in Hearthstone. The exact number fluctuates; it depends on your starting MMR and how quickly you concede. Keep in mind, drastic changes might not happen immediately.
Experimenting with concession is one strategy, observe how your matchmaking changes afterward. Understand that frequent concessions can negatively impact your overall experience.
Ultimately, “how many hearthstone games to concede to lower your mmr” is a question without a precise answer; it requires some experimentation based on your current standing and how much you want to lower your MMR.
