The only way is to play Ranked Classic, which is easier to find available games.
Queuing doesn’t count towards the hours, which can be frustrating if the waiting times are long. Unfortunately, just like with phone numbers, there’s no way to speed up the process of unlocking ranked games. The majority of the Dota 2 community dislikes smurfing, and Valve always strives to improve the game’s experience. Anyone with a Gmail account would be able to create multiple smurf accounts this way.Īll in all, the reason for requiring a phone number is to prevent players from smurfing. Without this limitation, any player could instantly remove a number from their primary account and make a smurf account right away.Īs Google Voice and other virtual numbers cost little to no money, Valve doesn’t allow them. The reason why you have to wait for three months after removing a number from an account is also to prevent smurfing.
Valve doesn’t approve of smurfing, which is why linking a phone number is absolutely necessary. As new accounts will have lower MMR, they match with newer or less-skilled players, and more often than not, defeat them soundly. Smurfing refers to highly skilled players creating new accounts for various purposes. Without a unique phone number linked to your Steam account, you still won’t unlock ranked modes even after over 100 hours of gameplay. The short answer is that you can’t do this due to anti-smurfing measures. Can you Play Ranked Without a Phone Number? However, enabling Role Queue can speed up waiting times in Ranked Roles. Ranked Roles is an option if you’re insistent on picking your role beforehand but finding games this way can take longer. Ranked Classic is the easiest way to find matches, as the majority of players play this mode.
From there, you can check the modes you wish to play in. To switch from casual game modes to serious ranked modes, you’ll have to go to the matchmaking screen. Once you meet them all, queuing up for ranked mode becomes possible. There are no more prerequisites after completing these three. From there, you’ll finally be able to match with players around your skill level in ranked games.
After playing all 10 games, you’ll receive your MMR according to your performance. Hitting the mark will prompt you to link a phone number to your Steam account.Ĭalibration matches are mandatory, as the game uses hidden formulas to calculate your MMR. Any game mode in unranked matches will count towards the requirement.īy the time you reach 100 hours, you should understand the basics of Dota 2’s game mechanics. It’s why Valve implemented such a requirement for anyone wishing to play ranked matches. It’s crucial to have a decent understanding of Dota 2’s mechanics before meeting seasoned players on the battlefield. You can’t reuse the previous number on any Steam account until three months pass. You can also switch your phone number once you link it, but there’s a three-month cooldown for the last number on the account. Unfortunately, Google Voice numbers and those connected to online services aren’t eligible for linking to Steam accounts. The phone numbers must be tied to a SIM card. Failure to do so will result in ineligibility for ranked matches. Since 2017, Valve has made it mandatory for players to connect a unique phone number to their Steam accounts.
Link a phone number to your Steam account.ĭota 2 requires players to install Steam, and Steam allows players to link their phone numbers.