Not enough players for matchmaking...Really?
to the development team,
I have read the recently published "apex legends™: Matchmaking Test Update." I am concerned that your team cites "population shortage" as the reason for the unavoidable existence of mixed-rank matchmaking.
I believe that the "population shortage" is not a valid reason to postpone measures aimed at improving Matchmaking (MM) quality. The current issues likely stem from past operational decisions and flaws in the initial design.
The cause of the non-ranked Duos mode shrinkage was not solely the "population decrease due to the Wild Card mode." Even before the introduction of Wild Card, Duos players were already participating in other modes by relying on the system to backfill a third, random teammate.
If, from the start of the service, participation by Duos had been restricted in both ranked and non-ranked Trios, players would have been naturally guided to the Duos mode, potentially mitigating the current MM population dispersal issue. I see no reasonable justification for maintaining this flawed structure now.
Even with a population decrease, there are concrete ways to secure an active player pool and enhance fairness:
- Strengthen Account Inactivity Risks: We recommend imposing penalties, such as revoking promotion status upon failure to meet a minimum number of matches required after promotion for players who stop playing after gaining rewards (especially those in Tier 4 and Masters). This will help maintain the player pool in the higher tiers, where activity tends to drop off.
- Prohibit Backfilling for Duos: Restricting Duos participants to "No Fill" only (prohibiting backfilling) would simplify the MM structure to primarily Solo or Full-Stack (Trio). This adjustment would ensure matchmaking quality even in ranked content and strongly encourage the use of the non-ranked Duos mode.
Maintaining the status quo creates a risk where only Duos and players who utilize smurfing unjustly benefit, leading to a loss of vitality across the entire game.
Population shortage is not a reason to abandon improvement. While these suggestions may be amateurish, I sincerely hope that you, as professionals, will explore more effective and realistic solutions. Please do not give up.
Artists, design this game completely and thoroughly.
