# Demystifying Low Elo in Competitive Gaming - Canonical: https://33rdsquare.com/what-does-low-elo-mean/ - Published: 2023-11-08 - Author: Nelson Ayers - Categories: [Basic knowledge & Meaning](https://33rdsquare.com/category/games/meaning/) --- As both an avid gamer and data analyst, I often get questions from friends about Elo ratings and what it means to be "low Elo." In this guide, I‘ll break down the Elo rating system and give some tips on improving your gameplay to climb up the ranks! ## What is Elo and how are the ratings distributed? Elo is a numerical rating system developed by Arpad Elo to calculate relative skill levels of chess players. Though originally used for chess, Elo and similar rating systems have been adopted by many competitive video games. But how are Elo ratings actually distributed in these games? Here are some statistics: **League of Legends** - Median rating: ~1050 - Mean rating: ~1150 - 10th percentile (Bottom 10%): < 700 - 90th percentile (Top 10%): > 1850 **Overwatch** - Median rating: ~2300 - Mean rating: ~2350 - 10th percentile: < 1500 - 90th percentile: > 3000 **Chess** - Median rating: 1500-1600 - Mean rating: ~1500 - 10th percentile: < 1000 - 90th percentile: > 2000 So in general, low Elo refers to players in the bottom 20-30% of the rating distribution. This corresponds to Bronze and Silver ranks in games like League of Legends and Overwatch. | Game | Low Elo | High Elo | | --- | --- | --- | | League of Legends | < 1400 (Bronze-Silver) | > 1850 (Platinum+) | | Overwatch | < 2000 (Bronze-Gold) | > 3000 (Master+) | | Chess | < 1200 | > 2000 | ## Is Elo hell real or can you always climb? "Elo hell" refers to the feeling of being stuck in low Elo brackets due to bad teammates or other factors besides your own skill and performance. However, many high skilled players argue that Elo hell doesn‘t exist – if you are good enough, you will climb. Some evidence that supports this view: - Challenger level players maintain ~65% win rates when leveling fresh accounts in Bronze and Silver. - Above average players can often quickly climb from unranked to high Elo in a fraction of the games. - But, those much closer to their true skill level may take more games to steadily climb ranks. So while Elo hell may feel very real and frustrating, with dedication, practice, and a positive mindset, any player can improve and gain Elo over time. The key factors are patience and focusing on incremental improvement to your own skills. ## Differences between low and high Elo gameplay As a player improves, they will climb in Elo and start facing tougher competition. Here are some key differences between low and high Elo matches: **Mechanics**: High Elo players have much higher proficiency in controls and executing combos. Low Elo players may fumble skillshots or miss easy CS. **Game Knowledge**: High Elo players understand matchups, powerspikes, win conditions. Low Elo players often have poor recall timing, itemization. **Macro Strategy**: High Elo players have sharp decision making on when to pressure objectives based on game state. Low Elo players frequently chase unimportant kills across the map or contest losing objectives. **Communication**: High Elo players communicate engages, summs burned, track the jungler. Low Elo has much less coordination and information exchange. **Mental Fortitude**: High Elo players remain focused on winning even when significantly behind. Low Elo players frequently tilt or flame teammates. Improving any of these areas through deliberate focused practice will help you gain Elo over time. Let‘s go over some tips. ## Tips for climbing out of low Elo Here are 8 tips to improve your skills and climb out of low Elo brackets: **1. Focus on your own performance** – Don‘t get distracted blaming teammates. Identify areas YOU can improve and set goals to address them. **2. Limit your champion pool** – Stick to just 2-3 champions so you can excel mechanically on them. Comfort and mastery is key. **3. Review your games to learn from mistakes** – Watch replays to spot missed opportunities for objectives, better macro decisions, mismanaged fights etc. **4. Refine your mechanics** – Grind training drills for CSing, combo execution, dodging skillshots. Speed and precision matters. **5. Study high Elo players** – Watch streams and vods of high rank players on your champions. Analyze their decisions and mimic what works. **6. Develop your mental game** – Remain focused, don‘t autopilot. Don‘t let mistakes or chat tilt you. Stay positive and keep looking to win. **7. Take breaks if needed** – If you lose a few and feel frustrated, take a short break before continuing to stay focused. **8. Celebrate incremental improvement** – Aim for small, steady LP gains over time rather than big jumps. Improvement is gradual. Reaching high Elo takes time and dedication, but any player can improve by focusing on the fundamentals and adopting a positive growth mindset. ## Additional resources to study Here are some excellent resources I recommend to improve your skills: - **Skill-Capped Challenger LoL Guides** – Very well structured courses from Challenger players on macro strategy and decision making. Their map awareness guide helped me a lot in evaluating plays and pressure. - **LS – League Coaching** – LS is renowned for his mastery of League fundamentals and macro strategy. Watching his coaching VOD reviews greatly improved my minion wave management and reset timing. - **Road to GC Rocket League** – Squishy‘s series progressing out of low ranks by refining mechanics and positioning provides great examples on climbing Elo in a mechanically demanding game. - **Hikaru‘s Chess Fundamentals** – Hikaru covers essential chess principles like piece development, center control, and tactical motifs that translate well into thinking through competitive gaming situations. - **Apex University Subreddit** – Great community with discussions on macro strategy, positioning, and mentality for improving your Apex Legends gameplay. ## Final thoughts on the climb As someone who‘s both been hardstuck Bronze and hit Diamond across multiple games, I can speak from experience – consistent, focused practice on the fundamentals along with a positive mindset WILL net you climbing Elo and ranks over time. There‘s always room for improvement, and the journey should be fun! You got this summoner/Spartan/pilot! Let me know if you have any other questions on improving your competitive gaming skills and I‘ll be happy to help however I can. Game on! --- Source: [Demystifying Low Elo in Competitive Gaming](https://33rdsquare.com/what-does-low-elo-mean/)