Ranks are an integral part of every multiplayer competitive game and the same stands for Rocket League. Each Rocket League Season you get to climb ranks, improve and play versus similarly ranked people in your matches. While it would be perfect to be able to play with any friend you want, if the rank disparity between you and your teammate is too big, you may not be able to queue together.
What is Rank Disparity in Rocket League?
Rank Disparity, or as Psyonix calls it Rank Restrictions, helps players that don’t have a complete party find a similarly ranked team to queue competitive playlists with in order to get more balanced matches. This regards two players in a party searching for a 3v3 Standard Match or trying to compete in a 3v3 Standard Tournament. Let’s take a look at how exactly the Rank Disparity system works in Rocket League.
How does Rank Disparity work in Rocket League?
Rocket League Rank Disparity works the same way as it did since it was introduced. By Psyonix’s rules, if you are in an undersized party, meaning your party has only two party members, you will only be able to queue 3v3 Ranked Standard if your teammate is within three ranks of you as Rocket League requires similarly ranked players in a party.
For example: If two party members are Platinum 2 and Diamond 3, they will not be able to queue 3v3 Standard as they have a gap of 4 ranks between them. If they are Platinum 3 and Diamond 3, they can queue up a 3v3 Rocket League game since they are in the three rank boundary.
Why does Rank Disparity exist in Rocket League?
Psyonix has implemented Rocket League Rank Disparity to ensure balanced matches for all Rocket League players. This affects undersized parties that may consist of players that have too big of a difference in ranks. It helps prevent players from lower ranks from getting boosted by their friends that may be higher ranked, but it also helps people that are solo queueing 3v3 Standard find similarly ranked players. The whole system is in place to prevent huge rank disparities in 3v3 matches and to give overall more balanced matches in ranked playlists. If your teammate is way too high or way too low ranked compared to you, you probably shouldn’t even play Competitive together in the first place.
Has Rank Disparity always worked like this and will the requirements change?
Rank Disparity in Rocket League Season 7 works the same way since it was introduced in Season 4, and it is unlikely that Psyonix will change the system anytime soon. Although a part of the competitive community has been complaining because the system prevents them from playing 3v3 matches with their rookie teammates, most of the players like the system and think it is working properly and it ensures a healthy and balanced competitive ecosystem.
Does Rank Disparity exist in Casual Modes?
If you are looking to play in casual modes with your friends, Rank Disparity does not matter as casual game modes do not have ranks, even though they have a hidden MMR. So, if you are unable to queue 3v3 Standard matches with your lower or higher-ranked friend due to Rank Disparity, you can freely play together in casual modes.
Does Rank Disparity exist in Extra Modes?
While Extra Modes do have the same ranks and divisions as competitive playlists, Rank Disparity does not affect parties of two attempting to queue Extra Mode playlists (Hoops, Rumble, Dropshot and Snow Day). Extra Modes have been a part of the game since the release of the game as a fun, side game mode to play with friends, and Psyonix has decided to keep it that way by not implementing rank restrictions in Extra Mode Playlists.
That would be everything you need to know about rank disparity in RL. Even though the rank restrictions Psyonix has put up may seem too strict at first, almost every other esport title such as League of Legends, VALORANT, CS2 (CSGO) or Rainbow: Six Siege have a rank restriction system built in for their ranked/competitive game modes.
Imagine a ranked ecosystem where a Supersonic Legend could party up with their Bronze 1 friend and queue up for a 3v3 Standard match in ranked, it would be a nightmare for the third member of that team (when he checks your ranks). If you play a lot of casual games with your friend, you should be able to match their rank pretty quickly, or vice-versa, so you will be able to finally avoid those annoying rank restrictions.
