Competitive gaming terms explained: ranked, MMR, esports and roles
The language of matchmaking, ladders, team roles and record attempts, for anyone who wants to follow the competitive side of games.
Competition is at the heart of many games, whether that means climbing an online ladder, coordinating a team for a difficult challenge or racing to finish a game faster than anyone else. Each kind of competition has its own words, and they are often used casually by players who assume everyone knows them.
Matchmaking and ladders
PvP (player versus player) means competing against other people, while PvE (player versus environment) means playing against the game. Ranked modes place players on a visible ladder. Behind the scenes, many games use a hidden number called MMR to estimate skill, and SBMM (skill-based matchmaking) uses it to pair players of similar ability. KDA summarises kills, deaths and assists, and a clutch play is one that wins a round against the odds.
Team roles
Team games often divide players into roles. A tank absorbs damage and protects the team, a healer keeps teammates alive, and a support helps through shields, buffs or utility. A raid is a large co-operative challenge that relies on players filling these roles well. The MOBA is one genre built entirely around such roles.
Esports and speedrunning
Esports are organised competitions with teams, leagues and audiences. Speedrunning is a different kind of competition: completing a game as quickly as possible under agreed rules, with categories such as any%, which allows finishing by any means, regardless of how much of the game you complete.
Competitive play can be rewarding and social, but it can also be intense. For families, it helps to know that most games offer unranked or casual modes, and that team chat can usually be muted or limited to friends.
Much competitive vocabulary also turns up in casual play. Even in unranked matches, players talk about roles, KDA and clutch moments, so knowing these words helps anyone join in.
Every competitive entry
- Any%Any% is the most common speedrun category: reach the end of the game as fast as possible, with no requirement to collect or complete anything else.
- ClutchA clutch play is a decisive performance under pressure, especially winning a round when you are the last player left or the odds are against you.
- EsportsEsports is organised competitive gaming, with professional players and teams competing in leagues and tournaments.
- HealerA healer is a team role focused on restoring team-mates’ health and keeping the group alive during fights.
- KDAKDA stands for kills, deaths and assists, a common scoreboard statistic summarising a player’s performance in a match.
- MMRMMR, or matchmaking rating, is a number many games use behind the scenes to estimate your skill and find opponents of similar ability.
- PvEPvE, player versus environment, describes play where you face computer-controlled enemies and challenges rather than other players.
- PvPPvP, player versus player, describes any game or mode where players compete directly against each other.
- RaidA raid is a large, difficult group challenge in an online game, usually requiring many players to coordinate against powerful bosses.
- RankedRanked is a competitive game mode where results affect a visible rank, such as Bronze, Silver or Gold, and players are matched against others at a similar level.
- SBMM (skill-based matchmaking)Skill-based matchmaking is a system that tries to put players into matches with and against others of similar ability.
- SpeedrunA speedrun is an attempt to finish a game, or part of one, as fast as possible, usually timed and compared on public leaderboards.
- SupportSupport is a team role focused on helping team-mates through healing, protection, buffs, information or crowd control rather than dealing the most damage.
- TankA tank is a sturdy character whose job is to absorb damage and keep enemies focused on them, protecting the rest of the team.