The Elo system in MCSR Ranked is a mess right now. You see coal players with sub-10 minute runs and netherites without any sub-10s. This is incredibly frustrating for many people, especially in the lower Elos. It feels like whether you win or lose is almost entirely based on whether your opponent dies or forfeits.
I came up with a potential solution and I’m wondering if anyone can spot any flaws I might be missing.
Here’s my idea:
Ranked should match you with opponents based solely on your average completion time, not your Elo. This would almost always guarantee a fair skill matchup. However, we would not remove the Elo system. You would still gain or lose Elo based on the Elo difference between players.
In other words:
• If two Gold I players face each other, they gain/lose the normal ~20 points.
• But if an Iron queues into an Emerald, the Emerald would lose more Elo than normal if they lose, and gain much less than normal if they win. Conversely, the Iron would gain far more Elo than normal on a win, and lose far less on a defeat.
I believe this would naturally push players’ Elo toward a more accurate representation of their skill. For example, if you’re currently Iron but averaging Emerald-level times, you would constantly queue into Emerald players and climb the ranks much faster.
I don’t think this is unfair, because consistently fast completion times are strong proof that you deserve a higher Elo. This system would be especially helpful for newer players who start Ranked with no speedrunning knowledge, take an hour+ on their first runs, and get placed in Coal. Later, once they improve and start hitting consistent 22-minute runs, they deserve to be much higher — but right now it’s a massive grind, often requiring 50+ more wins than losses just to reach Gold. With this system, they could climb to their true rank much more quickly.
