Effective immediately, the National Dooramp League has banned solo play. All teams are now required to field a minimum of two players in any official game. The rule change marks a significant shift in how NDL games are played — and how ELO is earned.
A More Team-Oriented League
The NDL was built around team competition, and solo play always sat awkwardly within that framework. A single player going it alone removed the core strategic element of the game: communication, positioning, and coordinating with your roster. With the two-player minimum now in place, every game requires at least some degree of teamwork — and captains will need to think carefully about which players they bring and when.
The change also raises the floor for how games are played. No more showing up alone and running a one-man operation. If you want to compete, you need to bring someone with you.
Closing an ELO Loophole
Beyond the strategic argument, there was a clear problem with how solo play interacted with the ELO system. A solo player winning a game carried an inflated multiplier — rewarding the difficulty of going alone, but in practice creating situations where a single dominant player could accumulate disproportionate ELO in ways that didn't reflect the team-based nature of the league.
With solo play gone, the ELO system has been rebalanced around two players as the new baseline. Two-player rosters earn a standard 1.00× multiplier, while larger rosters earn slightly more — 1.15× for three players and 1.30× for four — reflecting the added difficulty of coordinating bigger teams. The playing field is now fairer across the board.
What This Means for Captains
Every captain now has to commit to at least one draft pick per game. That means roster decisions matter more than ever. Bringing a weaker later-round pick could open you up to an upset bonus if things go wrong, but it also means more ELO on the line — even in a loss. The new loss bonus structure rewards teams for bringing their full roster, with 2nd and 3rd round picks adding +1 and +2 respectively to ELO earned in defeat.
The era of one-man armies is over. The NDL is a team league — and now the rules reflect that.