A new Dota 2 update arrived over the weekend courtesy of Valve. The update adds the so-called Fast Queue system, which is now live in the game’s matchmaking system.
It is worth noting that the feature is intended for ranked matchmaking only. Apparently, the ranked queues have been a problematic experience for most players over the past few months. In an attempt to avoid making the queues longer, the studio decided to introduce this update in the hopes that it will fix some issues.
In a recent blog post, Valve explained the need to implement Fast Queue and how it works in Dota 2. Basically, if you select all roles in the matchmaking system when looking for a ranked match, you will automatically queue in the Fast Queue. You will then be given priority by the game’s matchmaker.
“We know that queue times have increased across the board recently, and the most significant factor contributing to this has been the stricter requirements that Ranked Roles imposes on the formation of matches," the post reads. "Prior to the introduction of Ranked Roles, the matchmaker had a wider pool of people to draw upon because of the few restrictions."
To access the Fast Queue, players who are playing solo must be open to playing any role. By marking themselves open for anything, that player earns four more Fast Queue games. Valve also added that when you team up and your party fulfills all the roles, you will also earn more Fast Queue games. Two-player parties can earn two games for each player, while three-player parties can earn one game for each player.
Valve closed the post by saying that, like any other major update released for Dota 2, Fast Queue will be monitored and tweaked to ensure that it does help speed up the matchmaking process moving forward.
