Maverick found the information on ELO to be too spread out and long-winded, so decided to make his own short and sweet version.
ELO Is an Acronym, Right? What Does It Stand For?
ELO is not an acronym that stands for anything. Instead, it refers to the inventor of the system, Hungarian-American physics professor Arpad Elo. Technically this means that the correct way to write the term is Elo ranking, without caps. But in recent years, ELO is the most recognized way of referring to this topic and this article follows that convention.
What Is the Original Purpose of ELO?
The original use of ELO was for chess matches. In chess, there are many levels of skills that are significantly different. Unlike many other disciplines, it is nearly impossible to beat an opponent of a different skill category through luck. A one-sided beatdown is not very fun, so it made sense to come up with a ranking system.
Are Ranking Systems Necessary in Gaming?
That is a heavily debated topic. The advantages are fair (or at least fairer) matchups, while the disadvantages are complaints from higher-ranked players. In less populated games, having a too strict ELO system may also lead to long waiting times.
Ranking systems are received better in some games than in other games. In Fall Guys, for example, higher-ranking players used to crushing the opposition did not like getting matched up with equally skilled opponents. In other games, such as Real-Time Strategy games, players are more receptive and even expect ranking systems.
Players often speak out against ranking systems for feeling too ‘sweaty’. Not having a ranking system at all, however, leads to many new players not sticking along for long. An alternative is to have both a ranked mode with a ranking system and an open mode (if a game’s population allows multiple modes).
Displayed Ranking vs. ELO (Sometimes Considered Fake ELO)
In some games, such as Hearthstone Battlegrounds, your displayed rank is not actually your ELO ranking in the system. Using that game as an example, your displayed rank is often a bit higher than your actual ranking. This allows players to get a sense of progression, even when their ranks stay relatively stable.
In each Battlegrounds season, your displayed ranking resets to 0. Your ranking behind the scenes stays the same, however. The lower your displayed ranking, the more it increases with each win and the less it decreases with each loss. This allows for even more perceived progression. Needless to say, this system has not only supporters but opposers as well.