Skillrated

Skillrated is a term used to describe a quantitative assessment of a player's ability in competitive environments, typically expressed as a numeric rating. In practice, skillrating systems are designed to produce an ordered ranking among players and to support matchmaking by pairing players of similar skill. The concept parallels established rating schemes such as the Elo rating system, Glicko, and TrueSkill, and many games implement some variant of a skill rating under a different name.

Most skillrated systems assign players an initial rating, then update it after each match based on the match result, the ratings of the opponents, and the inherent uncertainty of the estimate. Common features include a K-factor or volatility parameter that controls how quickly ratings change, and sometimes a reserve probability distribution in probabilistic models like TrueSkill.

Skillrated features and terminology can vary by game or platform. Some games use a single numerical score, while others use bands, tiers, or multiple dimensions of skill (for example, overall skill and role-specific skill). In some contexts, "SkillRated" or similar terms are used as branding for a platform or service that provides matchmaking and leaderboards based on a player's skill rating.

Criticism of skillrated systems includes rating inflation, sensitivity to initial values, susceptibility to sandbagging, and strategic behavior aimed at manipulating results rather than improving play. Despite limitations, skillrated metrics remain central to competitive gaming, ranking, and matchmaking.