It's a game issue; it only started happening to me as well as others since 1.9 or the release update.
this problem exists since patch 1.7.2 with the massive patch that added auto follow and the ranking system. The ranking system was and still is extremely gameable when it worked, you can send everybody to lobby if you don't like your team. This pissed off the casuals that just wanted to play.
The leash killed cav more than the previous tries to stop rambo by making it nearly impossible. This pissed off the try-harders and caused an adapt-or-leave mentality. It was also impossible to party up with more than 3 players. Because people were willing to wait 5 mins but not 30. Before the ranking patch it was possible to find a game and play around for a while until there are enough players. Now its 6v6 or 5v5 and wait in the lobby in the meantime without warming up.
Ranks makes the game overall more toxic because you actually got something to lose.
This encourages toxic behavior to the point of do this or we lose and we will blame you for everything. Which pisses off the newcomers and they won't come back. Overall, pissing off everybody and killing the stream of all the newcomers isn't good for a player base.
The leash and ranking were both on the same patch remind you if added one thing so the meta could adapt with it before adding ranking and fixed that after. The player base would not be strangled to the point of extinction like today. Today, multiplayer exists on a small scale on custom servers, like 5 matches at a time for a certain game mode. Dedicated captain clans are in a tight spot right now, facing extinction or temporary leave. Skirm players have to use discord, agreed time spots and pickups to play the game. Modded custom servers like massive battle events are doing decent but its kinda hard to get acquainted to the community if the massive find game button isn't working.
Ranking and leash has put mp into a straight death spiral making mp only possible on custom games instead of just clicking the good old find game button.
