DOTA 2 will now require a phone number to play in ranked matches

The return of the Solo Queue will allow solo players to easily join matches with no party players, which means that solo players will no longer be stomped by experienced teams with pre-planned strategies. This will also ensure that parties play against other parties, which will give players a much more stimulating experience as each team attempts to outsmart the other. 

Valve also plans on removing ranked play options from select regions, which include India, South Africa and Dubai. This change is due to the smaller player bases in these regions, this change will unify the player bases of these regions and hopefully give them a better gameplay experience. Those who desire ranked matches will need to play on a nearby supported server with matchmaking enabled, though this will likely have higher latencies than before.  

You can join the discussion on DOTA 2’s changes to ranked play on the OC3D Forums.