CS2 Elo recalibration, the first party Elo limitation test, the new Play Page & the final Verified Matching test!

Today, we’re offering you a sneak peek of two new improvements we’re planning to release in our matchmaking and rank system: Elo recalibration and a test of party Elo limitation. These two new changes are fundamental in helping us deliver fairer and more balanced matches. Below, you’ll find more details and how they are going to impact your experience in FACEIT matchmaking. We’ll also share more information about our new Matchmaking Play Page, allowing 5-stacks in the EU Premium Queue, and the final Verified Matching test this weekend. Curious to know more about all these improvements? Read on below:

Elo recalibration

With the release of CS2 on FACEIT, level 10 and level 1 players will have a soft calibration that’ll keep them in the same skill level and ranking but with a new Elo that’ll improve their experience. A few years back, our Matchmaking team changed how we match players and parties, aiming to create balanced matches between teams. While things have improved, the inflation of Players Elo has caused some issues we’d like to resolve:

• Longer queue times for high-ranked players: Top-tier players playing with skilled friends experience longer wait times as the system searches for suitable opponents.
• High Elo difference in lobbies: Elo inflation results in unbalanced matches, with skilled players teamed up with less skilled teammates, causing frustration. Boosters and high-skilled players playing with lower-skilled players worsen the situation.
• Stale rankings: The inflated Elo system has made it difficult for players to reach the top ranks, limiting competition and challenges.

Considering all that’s mentioned above, and the upcoming release of CS2, we believe it’s the best time to set a new Elo level for those facing the biggest challenges with the current system; those hard stuck at skill level 1 and those top players at skill level 10.

Here’s how recalibration will work at CS2 launch:

• Bringing players closer together without major shifts in rank: Skill Level 10 will still have a notable range from the top and bottom players in that rank, but the best players in our platform will start CS2 more tightly ranked with each other. All player’s skill levels and Elo in CS2 will be directly affected by their final rank in CS:GO, so grind out this final time in CS:GO to have a better starting rank in CS2! We’ll also address Elo deflation for the lowest skill level 1 players (around 25% of level 1 players), reducing the risk of getting hard-stuck by adjusting their Elo to make progress easier.
• New race to #1: With the release of Counter-Strike 2, players will retain their rankings, but Elo distances between them will decrease. This recalibration will intensify and reignite the competition for top spots.
• Commemorative badges: Soon, we’ll celebrate your CS:GO achievements with badges displayed on your profile. These badges will honor your hard work and be easily accessible to other players who want to see your CS:GO history.

Premium Queue now allows 5-stacks

The EU Premium queue is expanding to support 5-stacks! Starting on Monday, players can form parties of 1, 2, 3, or a full 5-stack in the EU Premium queue, enhancing team play and strategic possibilities. All parties, however, will still need to comply with the Elo Party restrictions (below) during the test to ensure balanced matchups.

Party Elo limitation — One week test

To improve match balance and fairness, we are doing an initial test restricting players with significant Elo differences from playing together in the EU Premium Queue for one week. While this may inconvenience some players, limiting their ability to team up with friends, it is essential to address the issue of inconsistent matches caused by low-skilled players queuing with highly-skilled ones.

Where: Party Elo Limitation test will take place in the EU Premium Queue.

When: From August 7th @ Noon CEST to August 14th @ Noon CEST.

What: The max party difference between the highest and lowest party members is 800 Elo. There will be an exception for players above 2800 Elo; they can party with anyone above 2000 Elo.

This is the first step in testing and reviewing how party restrictions affect your match experience. Our main goal with this feature is to address the platform’s boosting and balance issues and continue improving the experience we provide you.

Your feedback during this testing phase will be crucial in shaping the future of this feature.

We invite you to continue the discussion about the new changes on Discord. We want to hear what you think and how we can improve our matchmaking experience together. So grab your friends, and we look forward to seeing your skills and teamwork in action!

Verified Matching — Final Test!

This weekend is our last Verified Matching test. Join us:

Sunday 6th August

4pm to Midnight CEST

EU 5v5 Ranked Queue

This is your last chance to participate in this testing opportunity to be matched with more genuine accounts more often.

A big thank you to everyone who participated in these tests so far! We are delighted with the positive responses as we prioritized matching verified players with other verified players during our beta test on past weekends. After Sunday, we’ll be reviewing everything to determine what our next steps will be. For now though, if you’re verified, we’ll see you on Sunday for this last Verified Matching Beta test, and if you’re not verified…. it might be time… Go Verify Yourself!

Your new play page!

You might have already noticed an update to your play page. We’ve been gradually rolling out a brand new improvement that focuses on what matters most to you. The matchmaking page has been enhanced to help you get into matches faster and make it easier to invite friends. Plus, we now have a better alert system that informs you if there’s any issue that could prevent you or your party members from queuing into the matchmaking. You can expect to enjoy these new changes in your play page over the coming week or so.

Until next time, see you in-game!

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FAQ

Why am I getting “Elo difference in party is too high” when trying to queue with my party?

Example: Dialog telling your party cannot join the matchmaking queue.

The new Party Limitation feature is enabled on the queue which now does not allow high differences in Elo to team up. Try our UNRANKED queue to play together instead.

Why has my Elo rating changed in CS2?

CS2 is a new game and a fresh start. Elo ratings have been adjusted to fix issues with Elo inflation and improve the match experience for everyone. You should now have faster queues and fairer and more balanced matches.

When will Commemorative badges be distributed and displayed on my profile?

Commemorative CS:GO badges are expected to be distributed some time after CS2 launches on FACEIT. They will not be available in the first weeks.

What about Elo inflation for mid-ranges?

Elo will remain the same for mid-ranged skill levels.