Solo Ranked Matchmaking Has Been Broken for Years
I am extremely frustrated with the state of matchmaking in Apex Legends, especially as a solo ranked player.
For years, this game has had the same structural problem: high-skill solo players are repeatedly forced to carry two extremely low-skill teammates, while being matched against coordinated teams, former Masters/Predators, smurfs, and players with suspicious input behavior. This is not a rare bad match. It happens constantly.
If I queue solo in ranked, I should not be placed with two teammates who clearly cannot fight, rotate, survive, or even understand basic team play, while the enemy team can instantly focus-fire and delete us. In practice, every fight becomes a 1v3. The best I can do is use my teammates as bait, knock one or two enemies, and then run because there is no realistic follow-up or coordination.
This is not competitive matchmaking. This is a system that uses strong solo players as unpaid carry machines for weak players. It is exhausting, unfair, and insulting.
Apex has been out for more than seven years. The fact that this problem still exists means either the matchmaking team does not understand the solo player experience, or they understand it and simply do not care enough to fix it. Both explanations are unacceptable.
The core gunplay in Apex is still excellent. That is the only reason I keep coming back. But the matchmaking system destroys the experience. A game with such good combat should not feel this miserable to play solo.
I have spent money on Apex in the past, but I refuse to spend another cent while the game continues to treat solo players this way. I will not financially support a system that repeatedly gives me low-skill teammates, throws me against coordinated or suspicious players, and then calls that “ranked matchmaking.”
If you actually want feedback, here it is:
Stop balancing teams by forcing strong solo players to carry weak teammates.
Separate solo players from full premade teams as much as possible.
Put much stricter limits on skill gaps within the same team.
Punish smurfing and input abuse much more aggressively.
Stop pretending that this matchmaking experience is fair or competitive.
The problem is not that I lose. The problem is that the matchmaking creates matches that are structurally unfair before the first fight even starts.
Apex has incredible gunplay, but the solo ranked experience is one of the most frustrating and disrespectful matchmaking experiences in modern FPS games. Please stop ignoring this problem.
At this point, it is very hard to believe that this is just an accidental matchmaking issue. After seven years, this feels like an intentional design choice. If that is the case, then be honest with your players: ranked is not a serious competitive mode for solo players. It is a retention system that sacrifices solo high-skill players to protect weaker players and premade teams.
