Valve Requires Phone Number Of ‘Dota 2’ Players In Ranked Matches

In a new update released for “Dota 2,” Valve said players in ranked matches must register a phone number to improve the matchmaking experience in the popular multiplayer game. The requirement is only for ranked online multiplayer matches. The aim of the new requirement is to stop players from using multiple accounts.

GameSpot explains that “Dota 2” with multiple accounts create a negative matchmaking experience at all skill brackets. In a blog post, Valve said its goal in requiring the phone number is to add enough friction in the process so the number of players with multiple accounts would be reduced noticeably. “Having more players using their primary accounts will have a positive effect on both Ranked and Unranked Matchmaking,” the game developer says.

Valve gave “Dota 2” players, beginning on April 20, two weeks to register their mobile phone number. By May 4, account not linked to a phone number would no longer be able to take part in ranked play. Players could unlink their phone numbers from their accounts for a new one to be swapped in. However, before the original phone number could be tied to a new account, gamers would have to wait for three months.

The game developer explains the three-month waiting period aims to prevent using the same phone number on multiple “Dota 2” accounts. Valve would disallow online services that provide phone numbers. The practice of using multiple accounts is called smurfing. According to Polygon, veteran players or gamers placed in low-priority matchmaking queue for bad behavior often pretend to be newbies.

However, Valve admits that requiring a linked phone number would not remove the practice of having multiple accounts. The requirement is only for ranked players. Unranked gamers would not be required to register their phone numbers.