How do I play quick or ranked multiplayer matches in XCOM: Enemy Unknown on Steam?

A quick match pits you against any opponent, regardless of rank.

A ranked match pits you against an online opponent with a similar rank. Your rank is determined by the results of your previous ranked matches (custom matches and quick matches do not affect your rank): the more matches you win and the fewer you lose, the higher your rank will be.

You can view your rank in the Leaderboards menu (Multiplayer → Leaderboards → Your Rank).

To play either a quick match or ranked match:

1. From the Main Menu, select Multiplayer.

2. Select Quick Match or Ranked Match, depending on which type of match you want to play.

3. The game will search for available matches and connect you, if one is available. Otherwise, it will create a match that another player will be able to join.

4. The Squad screen will appear. From here, you can customize your squad and their equipment. When you are happy with your squad, select Ready.

5. If you joined a pre-existing match, the host will start the match when ready. Otherwise, when the other player has joined the match and selected Ready, a dialog will appear informing you that the other player is ready. Select Start Game to begin.