Matchmaking thoughts from a Dev

@reconzero

1) “ Taking a win away from a guy who just started the game and has twenty matches in two weeks, so that some sweaty diamond grinder can feel better about himself is pitiable.”

I (and many) want specialized lobbies for people who are new. People deserve a safe space to learn and they 100% should have lobbies curated to ensure the game has a “onboarding phase”.

2) You’re making the sports comparison. I didn’t sign up to play in a league or tournament. I’m not getting paid to play Apex. So please don’t compare above average players in an activity to people who are making money through said activity. Yes some people stream and play in tournaments, but that’s typically those ALL the way on the right side of the skill bell curve (the top 5-1%).

And even if we were going to use the sports analogy, sports leagues don’t stop the strong teams from playing the weak teams during lower stakes games (the pre or regular season games). The team in last place doesn’t get to say “hey no our opponents are too good”. The matches are played and a natural outcome/hierarchy is established. I think there is a relationship here that can be applied to non-ranked video game modes.

I think the common misconception is that people who are above average have no life and take pride in beating lower skilled players. I think above average players just want to win more.

But I think the reality is that a VERY REAL “valley” exists for players who are above average but not good enough to be professional. The top 1% (the whales) will win no matter what. But when you create a matchmaking structure that makes above average players the exclusive fodder for these whales, you absolutely rob above players of the rewards they were seeking in the first place “to win more than people who aren’t as good as them”— this is only achieved if everyone plays everyone (in an environment where the stakes are low).