Elo Hell: An opinion

Elo hell is a term that flies around the community an awful lot. It's been this way since season one and remains a hotly contested concept. For those who don't know (I'd hope you do, reading this site!), the idea of Elo hell is that some players are just so low on the ranked ladder that it doesn't matter how skilled they are since their team will just suck and drag them down. That and a general feeling of “I don't think I belong in X tier”. Out in the community it's a back and forth debate between those who believe in Elo hell and those who deride it as nonsense.

This infographic courtesy of a player named Saydene goes into the numbers game of Elo hell, and proves quite well that there is at least SOME players who experience it due simply to how the ranked system works in this game. Considering how many players are in the ranked ladders, a 1.4% margin of “Error” is quite impressive. It also doesn't nearly match up with how many players gripe about their being in Elo hell. Players who think Elo hell is nonsense simply chalk it up to a lack of skill, or drive. But a mass delusion of this sorts must stem from somewhere, but where?

The Opinion-ey bits!

This is where my personal thoughts kick in, so if you see something you don't like, let's hear it in the comments section and get a good discussion going! Back in my WoW playing days, I realized that while I felt as if the horde won every single Battleground I played in (Alliance4life!). This was CERTAINLY not the case and my game stats proved it. My answer actually came to me in a psychology class of all places! Negative experiences tend to stand out over positive ones, it's psychology at its finest.

How does this apply to ranked solo Q? Everyone has bad games, and especially when you're playing in a low Elo it's very easy to simply deflect blame from yourself and onto your teammates. Following the same line of thought, you begin to see yourself as a cut above the rest of the players in your Elo and thus fulfill the prophecy of the dreaded Elo hell! And the worst part is that this can happen at any ELO, I like to call it the "5 circles of Elo hell".  

Now, this isn't to say that sometimes your team doesn't tank the game. But an overall air of teamwork and constructive criticism can help make the best of it, stay positive and even if your teammates are falling behind try not to break them down with insults, it will only further deteriorate their play!

 

Escape from your own personal Elo Hell!

So if you want to get out of the dreaded Elo hell, be it the bronze circle, or the platinum one. Keep a positive mindset and put your team ahead, play the game to your best and if you start to get discouraged maybe just take a break, no one ever increased their odds of winning while still ruminating on recent losses!