Re: Just looking at some graphs (decline in player numbers)

On point 6.

I am tired with this game. Even though new map is good, definitely better than Storm Point; new legend is also OK. I am wondering… Even if matchmaking will change for better, would I still play this game? I think BR formula just expired for me. After one week of the new season I have already enough and I am looking into other games.

@Cheese9Man 

I'd play Apex much more if Control was added as a permanent mode. I'm one of the guys that mainly play ranked but considering also the current ranked system i stop playing it when i reach Plat, where before i always got up to Diamond. So overall my playtime has decreased by quite a margin i'd say.

Yup, I used to play about 6 hours a day.....double that on days off or vacation days. 

My average now is one session 45 minutes a day. 

Even that is hard to do. 

Respawn's decision making and lack of doing anything with Apex issues (sound, balancing, MM, cheating/hacking, smurphing,) and the whole reveal meta in real time just killed this game for me. 

A fair amount of this is because the matchmaking seems designed to give brand new players (sub level 50) easier games (in the early days, while they might spend real money after getting those front loaded hits of Apex Pack Drugs). However, players in the 200-300 range seem to exist to be food for Apex Pred streamers.

Dying before you even get a chance to improve incrementally turns people off. I've stopped trying to improve even, cause the game clearly doesn't want me playing it or getting better based on the matchmaking. I play my 2 a day as _____, maybe another 1 or 2 toward the weeks "play 12 games as _______" then log out to things that respect my time, skill level, and that I have a real job and life and so am a casual gamer.

They have hit the point of the PvP game lifecycle where there is that top 10, maybe 15%, who have been playing since day one, are the majority of their streamer content (and thus, the free PR and advertising) and the rest are food for them.

If they don't

#FixTheMatchmaking

in both Ranked and Pubs so that solo casual players (read: trash like me, who occasionally might have a good day) are place against other solo casual, and the teams and sweats get their own queues (even if it makes queue times longer) then they game will keep slowly dying until all that remains is that top 15% and some additional 10% who are too cash or time invested to quit.

I would rather wait 10 minutes for a match that lasts 10 minutes of actual play against and with people of my own skill level than wait 2-5 minutes for a match that is a drop and die in 2 minutes. I'm not going to hot drop 60 matches a day over 2-4 hours trying to get better as a casual, I am just going to go play single player games, that I pay for once, with no cash shop, and respect my time.

If they want people like me to spend money, they need to give ME content I can play that is fun, not feeling like work.

Otherwise, if we're going to be treated as the product (read: kill food) for the Streamers, why would I invest in it?

I'm pretty sure this all doesn't just coincide with OW2 and CoD, I think it coincides with the changed in the ranked system.  Strictly maybe no, but I can't believe the ranked changes play zero part because I look back on Twitch metrics and they seem to be directly related.

This is not to say Apex is dead, but it isn't the leader it once was.  Respawn sometimes looks forward, but mostly they do not.  Not when it comes to the BR format.  They are hammering a formula and I get it, to throw away what once worked is probably risky.  EA is more likely to look at banging a same formula slowly until it dies for sure better than even thinking about taking a risk.  Predictability makes corporate gnomes happy, even if it is on the downside, and copycat behavior rules if it means eating into a slice, over being creative.  At best, risk is focused, given a half second try, then shot down if it fails.

But that's points to why changing the ranked system for the worse makes no damn sense.  @Kyldenar , one way to fix the matchmaking is to make sure you don't boffo the ranked system that is already broken into a way that makes it even more, super broken.  I think it's not just that Respawn mostly doesn't take risks, but when they do, who can even figure out what they are thinking?  Control and Gun run, great! So....then they make them limited events :P  Arenas, not loved, make that permanent.  Fixate on Gold Shield resurrection because like 3 pros complained over their 1 loss from it....instead of ignoring super whiny pros so they could get over it.  These are not promising signs.  

Oh, and DON'T HURT THE DEV'S FEELINGS!  That's important to say.  They are tender people.  You're just a customer.

Listen, I get it, but this points to priorities, and all the above points to an ivory tower mentality.  The worst kind of insulation against critiquing is believing you are open to critique while actually shutting it down, ignoring it, or only taking the parts you like.  Apex is a game, sure, but this is also a business.  And anyone should know that every time they see a skin listed for the price of an entire video game.  We're not talking charity here, and yeah, you know, many gamers will leave games when they get worse, moreso than just because they get old, because otherwise League of Legends would be super dead by now.

@hayhor I'm glad. Honestly I kind of laugh at it too.  It's like my personal meme.

btw I would LOVE a literal meme of like ImperialHal screaming into his screen and the words, in all caps, GOLD KNOCKDOWN SHIELDZ!!!! plastered right below it.

That'd be my avatar if I could.

maybe heirlooms are boring by not having 1. cod is cod because of their fancy guns maybe its too boring no fancy twerking gun and no heirloom?

5. Add requested features. Custom matches and cross progression. While I won't use these, other people do. It's even Respawn who said custom matches are coming. Same goes with the next gen update to the game. Where is it?

And especially Custom matches! This would be great. Why these triple AAA companies are so freaking stuborn to not add this to the game(s) in the first place? What bad comes out if people are able to make their own games and mods? Ones upon time Certain Icefrog made a game mode in Warcraft 3..