Part 2 of the adjustments is a little simpler to grasp. According to Behaviour, the matching algorithm has “a confidence level,” and if you haven’t played in a while, the game will be easier on you than if you’ve been playing regularly.
“Simply put, after long break, the matchmaking system will lower this confidence level until you’ve played a certain number of matches. This way if you’re feeling rusty, your rating will drop much quicker than before, letting you face easier opponents much sooner. Meanwhile if you play as well as when you left- say if for example you’ve been playing similar games while you were away- you’ll stay more or less around the same place.”
