Why I Don't Play Ranked

Playing to win ❌ Playing to play ✅

Turbo is where we Dota boomers retire. It's a new way of life.

"If it's not fun, why bother"

i gotta say, Turbo and ARAM are the two joys of life at this point. Life of an old schooler aint that bad

But Ace, you're gonna get accused of not being a real player

2 weeks ago I actually took your advice. I played only unraked since this video. And you were right, it is so much fun, I tried many different heroes without being scared that I will lose because I am new to them. Now 50+ games in unranked I don't wanna go back to ranked. Thanks man, you helped me to love this game again

"Kotl of the light" Yes you're a certified old player

It’s honestly the passion, look at any video with an abundance of passion at it’s core and they draw you in. I don’t even play Dota or League, but I recognize passion when it’s in front of me…

Something that didn't make the final cut of the script, but I think is worth mentioning: I feel that the obsession with "Ranked" in online games has lead to a decline in "for fun" content in general. Right now there's an abundance of channels that will give you all kinds of builds and playstyles that will help you gain MMR--and that's a good thing for ranked warriors. But some of the best content ever made for Dota and League has nothing to do with gaining MMR and climbing ranked, and it feels like we just don't have that anymore. Blinkin' and Slammin' Int Anti-Mage, Nigma's Shitty Dota Digests, Dunkey's old League Vids, and Silly Builds (RIP to JimBen) come to mind. This is by no means a jab at the content creators who work hard at meta analysis, but I feel the state of League and Dota content shows that nobody really plays these games for fun anymore--despite them being enjoyable at their core. It feels like "rank" has become the be-all-end-all of online games. And this is not something that we see in League and Dota, but in other online games as well. Valorant content for example is mostly guides on how to get better, or lineup tutorials, or stream highlights from some of the most talented FPS players in the world. I feel like we've gotten so lost in the obsession with esports and ranked grind that we forget that slowly gaining internet points over the course of a season isn't the only way to have fun in these games.

It's insane how similar our backgrounds are with a 3 year gap. I started playing League after Dota at around 2018 because of my friends pulling me in. I'm also having the same issue with ranked right now, as you did back then. I've pretty much stopped ranked at both games, which makes me somewhat feel weak/inadequate because I know I can get/have gone further. Despite this, I respect your transparency, honesty, and justification for your content despite your rank, which was probably a very personally hard decision; I find it very cool and admirable. Love your shit bro, keep doing what you're doing and I know this channel will go hard. <3

Uncomfortably relatable

I wonder if the same kind of satisfaction could exist if we simply shorten the time it takes for games. I feel like what sucks is that we are forced to deal with the people who makes our games not fun.

Who would've thought the best way to play a game sometimes is just to have fun with it. Glad you found your joy on being a casual moba player, keep up the good work, I am new to league and never touched dota, so I don't understand a lot but still entertains me alot

This is one of the most honest, genuine videos ive ever watched. I can literally feel the joy when you talk about spending fun on turbo mode, but also feel the pain of grinding ranked for days (i also did that in highschool lmfao) Random youtube recommendation W

I'm very competitive which is why I almost exclusively play rank but I'm also fully aware of my limits. I never had any lofty ambitions of becoming pro but getting a taste of unorganized local tournament play where I'm from is what got me into the grind. I also play Fighting games so tryharding was already something I'm quite attuned to. But rest assured I may be a sore loser but I will never be a toxic asshat in the game. I want to win and if I can't I will improve from it but more importantly I want to have fun playing the game I love and I still find playing rank fun but I know that's not for everyone.

Dude , being almost married and with an overseas job, turbo has been a light in the darkness to enjoy and meet with friends. Am I going to to play pos5 refresher Leoric? I surely am!!!

You know, this video recommendation timing is really on point for me. Just last night I was playing ranked, and getting heated arguing about game with my teammates and the game (or my team) just decided to muted my chat (said my behaviour score is 6000, when mine never drop that low before, avg-ing in 11k). Then I'm thinking right now, is that really worth the toxicity? Isn't Dota just a game? And this video is recommended for me. It gave me a big clarity. Thanks for making this video really, it's helps me to realize that a game is just a game, no need to be THAT serious.

This is very true, i call this phenomena the rank exhaustion, every dota player goes through this phase, kinda hard to explain, now i play rank not to win just to enjoy the match cause when i queue normal all pick i feel like people aren't trying and feels kinda like a waste, so yeah this hits deep, some of my friends now even plays custome matched like custome hero chaos and my favorite gamemode is Ability Draft

This is one of the most important videos I've seen on this subject, for any type of online ranked system. Realizing that you don't have unlimited time in the day, that you have other hobbies/obligations and that ranked in League/CS/Valorant/Tekken is meaningless in the end its like your inner third eye opening. I've felt this recently and the overall level of enjoyment in my life has grown so much, and it helped in other areas, like work. Really awesome video!

I always started my Dota day with 3-4 turbos. Some days, I would just refuse to submit myself to ranked. It's so bland.. So strict and serious. Sometimes I do log in because I want to have fun, not to grow a virtual assessment of 'my skills'