Ranking with Friends and Party Skill Differences

Playing ranked with friends of different skill levels affects both matchmaking and ranking. The matchmaker attempts to balance parties: if your 5-stack has varying ranks, the game places you against opponents slightly above your average rank. This is designed to prevent high-skill players from smurfing using lower-skill friends.

Matchmaking with large skill disparities (e.g., Global Elite with Silver) creates unbalanced matches. The high-skill player carries the team; the low-skill player struggles. While wins are possible, the match quality is poor and learning value is limited. Playing with similarly-skilled friends creates more balanced, educational matches.

Your personal ranking is unaffected by teammate skill. Winning with low-skilled teammates grants the same rank points as winning with high-skilled teammates. Your individual performance matters in both cases. You won't derank from playing with lower-skilled friends, but you may rank slower if your team loses more frequently.

If committed to ranking up while playing with friends, focus on self-improvement that elevates your friends' play. Good communication, teaching positioning, and leading by example improves team performance more than individual frags. Your improvement can indirectly help friends improve through better calls and coordination.