SBMM and My Mental Health
This is an opinion piece, and I know that some people will not care. However, this is my story. Okay, So an issue that has been hitting me since my return to apex (around the end of season 5) is ...
Forum Discussion
@PlaceYourWagers
You and I are alike in our perspective on SBMM. Unfortunately, the majority of the player base doesn’t know what it feels like to occupy the top 5%, only to ever play the 4% of players better than you.
Most people don’t understand that Apex fundamentally changes when the lobby consists of all top tier players. People think that you (a skilled player) have a good chance to compete against these other top skilled players, so it’s fair right? Right? Unfortunately no.
Apex is pure stress when the lobby is specifically designed with a majority of top tier players. This is a product of it being a BR (one life, RnG, etc). Obviously the game should play like this when people are competing in a tournament, but not in casual game modes.
But that’s the thing, the WHOLE gaming industry has learned that if you make the game extra stressful for the good players, you allow the casual players to play a version of the game that is far more forgiving and fun. They are literally betting on YOU to continue to play because you are skilled and don’t want to step away from the skill set you developed. But the casual? The casual is far more likely to quit if they experience lose (even if said loss comes fairly).
So the game publishers have all decided to utilize SBMM to achieve one goal: give casual players more wins and better experiences than the skilled players, because there are more of them. Maximize profits at all costs, even if it comes at the expense of certain players’ mental health.
It sucks.
You and I are alike in our perspective on SBMM. Unfortunately, the majority of the player base doesn’t know what it feels like to occupy the top 5%, only to ever play the 4% of players better than you.
Most people don’t understand that Apex fundamentally changes when the lobby consists of all top tier players. People think that you (a skilled player) have a good chance to compete against these other top skilled players, so it’s fair right? Right? Unfortunately no.
Apex is pure stress when the lobby is specifically designed with a majority of top tier players. This is a product of it being a BR (one life, RnG, etc). Obviously the game should play like this when people are competing in a tournament, but not in casual game modes.
But that’s the thing, the WHOLE gaming industry has learned that if you make the game extra stressful for the good players, you allow the casual players to play a version of the game that is far more forgiving and fun. They are literally betting on YOU to continue to play because you are skilled and don’t want to step away from the skill set you developed. But the casual? The casual is far more likely to quit if they experience lose (even if said loss comes fairly).
So the game publishers have all decided to utilize SBMM to achieve one goal: give casual players more wins and better experiences than the skilled players, because there are more of them. Maximize profits at all costs, even if it comes at the expense of certain players’ mental health.
It sucks.
Featured Places
Apex Legends Feedback
Give feedback about the Legends, maps, weapons, loot and more in the Apex Legends community forums.Community Highlights
- EA_Mari3 months ago
Community Manager
