I don't necessarily disagree with the observation, but Platinum already queues with Gold, it's part of the queue bracket of that league, which will queue up either with gold, or diamond. Perhaps queues need better flexibility below Gold, I'm not sure.

Right now the system pushes everybody forward until they reach plat (or queues die), and then you get a crapload of people hardstuck at plat4 because they have no business staying up there. If they could derank like you can below Diamond or Crystal, perhaps lower ranks would see a better activity. But otherwise as Reinhardt said without rewards there is a point where people will just stop playing anyway. And in fact, I have the feeling that the ratchet the devs introduced below each tier before Diamond is here to ensure players have the illusion to progress and therefore want to keep trying... until they can't climb anymore (to Diamond+).

It's quite a bit of a conundrum to solve, but really, if we want to keep queues active, we need more incentives at all ranks (either rewards or just you know, fun), and less fake ELO. I know every ELO system has in built mechanics to push players upward to keep them engaged, but the ratchet we have is not just pushing, it's just clogging the system at specific thresholds.

And I'll personally admit that recently I've taken a week off ranked because there is a point where after half a thousand of games or something, there is a point one wants to take a breath, and also, having to travel to another DC and cut myself constantly from my friends and communities feels like a shit sandwich, to speak plainly. I'm sick of it, and I do really hope it's helping bringing more active pvpers together to improve queues because sometimes I just don't see the difference with the first couple of seasons of last expansion when it wasn't even a thing.