Matchmaking is always a hot topic in competitive video games but especially in Apex Legends. As more and more players get good at the game, climbing rank and getting into the game as a newcomer gets harder. There’s also the issue of SBMM, or skill-based matchmaking, which some players hate and some players like. In an attempt to make matchmaking a much better experience in Apex Legends, Respawn has announced a complete overhaul that includes getting rid of SBMM entirely.
In a very long and very detailed article posted by Respawn themselves, they broke down exactly what the problem with matchmaking has been, what they are going to do to fix it, and what they have already started to do. We are glad to hear that Respawn is fixing the matchmaking in Apex Legends and are excited to see the changes in action.
A consistent problem with Apex Legends, besides Legend changes that aren’t in the patch notes, is unbalanced matches. To make things more fair for every level of player, Respawn is retiring SBMM and implementing a more accurate system that groups players based on skill.
In the new Apex Legends matchmaking system, Respawn has noted that it will do a better job at calculating premade duos and trios as well as squads with big level differences. With the old matchmaking system, there were four skill buckets players were placed in. With the new system, there will be many more skill buckets which will allow for more granular and accurate matches that are more fair and balanced.
The new matchmaking system is already live in certain regions of the world. In the not-so-distant future, the new matchmaking system will roll out to the rest of the world. When it does, it will be closely monitored by Respawn to ensure it is working as they expect it to and that there is a positive reception from the players. All of this is really great news on paper and we can’t wait to experience the changes ourselves.
Apex Legends is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, IOS, Android, and PC.
