Valve implements new warning system to improve Dota 2 matchmaking
Valve, the company behind Dota 2, is taking steps to improve matchmaking in the game by implementing a new warning system. Players will now be encouraged to use the same phone number for Dota 2 that they use with Steam.
Steam verification requires a phone number to be linked with the account for added security purposes. By using a similar feature, Dota 2 will now verify players in ranked matchmaking.
If a player is found to be breaking Steam’s terms of service, boosting their matchmaking rating unfairly, or having a low behavior score, their account will be blacklisted from ranked modes. Valve has implemented an automated system that issues ban waves to these players, effectively locking their phone number for future ranked matchmaking.
However, some toxic players have found ways to bypass these blocks by using burner phones or generating unused numbers. To counter this, Valve wants players to use the same phone number for both Dota 2 and Steam.
In a recent data mine, a specific text notification called “MMMemberPhoneNumberDiscrepancy” was found. This notification will appear if a player’s Dota-linked phone number is out of sync with their Steam account.
At the moment, there are no penalties associated with this warning system, but Valve may introduce stricter measures in the future. It is likely that players will be required to link their accounts properly to the same phone number in order to access ranked matchmaking.
Valve’s decision to implement this warning system is not surprising, considering how they promote Steam Guard and similar features on their mobile app. It is clear that the company is taking steps to prevent banned players from reentering ranked matches.
Along with this update, Valve also took the opportunity to clean up leftover data from The International 2019 and other outdated programs within the game client.
Valve, Dota 2, matchmaking, warning system, phone number, ranked matchmaking, Steam Guard, banned players.