Here’s the most awaited blog post about matchmaking https://www.ea.com/games/apex-legends/news/matchmaking-2023

@Cheese9ManI stopped making comments on this forum because the matchmaking data I was sharing wasn’t cared for by the majority of the forum community— but I feel inclined to comment here on this matter:1) HUGE props to Respawn for even having a convo on matchmaking. Like seriously, I respect this so much. Lack of communication is a literal middle finger to the community, so this is appropriate and appreciated.2) Parts of this are— unfortunately, disingenuous.What parts? These:“We don’t purposefully put you in harder matches to slow you down if you’re winning a lot, nor do we intentionally put you in easier matches because you’re on a losing streak.”By designing their “dynamic matchmaking rating system” that is LITERALLY EXACTLY what they do. They 100% punish people for doing well, even in one single game. The algorithm reads your 3 kill 1st place win and the next game you are playing with people significantly above your skill level. Next disingenuous statement:“Either way, this is the system accounting for your recent changes in skill. This process tends to be slow, so you should only feel these changes from long streaks.”This is true for many accounts but definitely not for all. I have literally studied this across 20+ accounts and shared my findings (something I’m sure Respawn wasn’t betting on) and the results prove this to be untrue.Accounts with a lot of data that show that a player is above average do NOT have slow mobility down the matchmaking ladder. Win a game with just 2 kills and above 50% placement and the next match is right back to the top of the MMR ladder. I’ve literally tested this almost every single day for the past 2 years so I am going to need a PhD level argument/rationale to convince me otherwise.I guess I’m happier that they are addressing MM, but tightening of matchmaking in pubs for no reward is an ABSOLUTELY bad thing. People need to be rewarded for their proficiency, EVEN IN PUBS.Tighter matchmaking means more people playing their doppelgänger team at any given time, which results in outcomes being more similar for people, regardless of skill.Players who are more proficient should have better outcomes (wins, etc) in pubs. I’ll say that again: Preds (by virtue of their proficiency) deserve to beat players of my skill level in pubs. Similarly, Diamond-level players should have better outcomes than gold-level players.Tighter matchmaking and everyone breaking even feels super forced, curated, and exhausting.But the needs of the many outweigh what’s actually fair. So it is what it is. We should probably just commit fully at this point and have a system that does in-game adjustments for players performing too well or too poorly. So players on a hot streak should have their bullet damage decreased and their movement slowed slightly. We need to push for a system that results in uniform outcomes for all players.

@HappyHourSumwur Agreed. Seems broken on a fundamental level. Either that, or the pros have figured out a way to game the system.MM is broken both in BR and in Mixtape modes.Not even joking, keep having games where the MM puts a bunch of randoms together who can't even get more than 500 damage each against two full stacks of clubs. Games are going back to 50-10 blowouts again.Same with BR, where I get matched with TimTheTTVGawd0057Wraith who has more kills than I have damage on my entire account. Good stuff.

What i’m taking away from the article is that cradling lower skilled players to the detriment of higher skilled players is all that presently matters if not in a premade.Also, no concrete dates have been mentioned other than “early 2023” which means nothing when so many broken promises seems to be a reoccurrence with Respawn.

@Cro_PitttThat’s also how i’m reading it, which means if I perform well, i’ll be matched against preds, all the while having two ball in chain teammates.How did they think this would be a winning formula is beyond me, maybe because they assume everyone would play as a premade? Give me solos pls 🤣

The official Matchmaking blog post

309 Replies

reconzero
Seasoned Ace
1 year ago
@GLUEX_TV

"Rating - a game to the max
Modes - a game for chilling
Pubs - ??? no understanding"

The difference between ranks and pubs has nothing to do with whether or not you should "sweat" or get a "gimme" match. You should NEVER get a gimme match. If you want to relax then go play Candy Crush. This is a competitive shooter where you should be expected to work no matter which hopper you're in. Pubs exists so you can play without risking your grind, if you're having a bad day or are not in the mood to grind. But the game is the same either way. The rules are the same. If people don't play them the same way then that's on their mindset or their failure to understand that Respawn should NOT be offering unfair lobbies to higher-skilled players just because they want to "relax." Relaxation is not what this game is for.
GLUEX_TV
1 year ago
I apologize in advance for my English, I used a translator.

I will tell you about the selection of players at the moment from my side. We will talk about the selection in publics, because I play in the rating as part of a team and the selection there does not bother me so much.
First, some introductory data about myself: I have been playing since season 0, have a total CD of 3.5+, in recent seasons 2.5+, consider myself a player above the average level, took the master 10+ times.
So, I see several problems in the selection in pubs:
Since I have a fairly high K/D - I always get into the lobby with a high skill,

1) due to the high skill, 80% of the players in my lobby immediately fall under the ship in the first location to have the opportunity to fight - and in fact the entire game takes place in one location, a related problem of the same situation is the exit of people at the first knock

2) If you fly a little further to land - then 90% of the time you just run around the empty map looking for enemies, since most of them fell at the beginning and died / left

3) Personally, I do not understand the point of calibrating pubs by skill. Why should I play with 5-10% of the best players if there are rating games for this. Sometimes you just want to relax and play in the company of friends with whom I started playing. When they get into my team, we are sent to my strong lobby, and my friends can't play at that level.... in the end, sometimes I just want to play a relaxed game after work - but the selection makes you play to the maximum even in pubs, so what's the point then...

Rating - a game to the max
Modes - a game for chilling
Pubs - ??? no understanding

As for me
- we need a separate lobby for complete newbies
- we need a separate lobby filled completely randomly, otherwise we get a situation where pubs are simply not needed...
The player reaches his maximum rating, and then just goes into the modes for a short time... hence the outflow of both new and old players and a drop in online.
Phew, I hope someone will read this longread to the end )))
Asmodeus566
Hero+
1 year ago
@espadakillar69

Please do not assume what the CM's will or will not action.
EspadakillarTTV
Seasoned Veteran
1 year ago
Don't caps. The moderator will use that as an excuse to block you from apex legend forum
vVv_Bjoergen_vVv
Rising Ace
1 year ago
I remember that there was a time when you won on average once every 20 kills. Now in solo queue, if you kill a lot, I get 1 win per 100 kills.
I get a lot of kills throughout the game, but at the end suddenly a team comes along with even more kills and kills everyone in 3 seconds. This is what games look like today.
There are not enough players in the PC lobby to make even the pubs playable. Shocking. Putting low lvl and masters/predators in one game is pure madness.
Well done Respawn. When is the next store update?
HOW MANY BEGINNERS CAN YOU ADD TO YOUR TEAM WHEN YOU ARE KILLED BY A PERSON WITH TENS OF THOUSAND KILLS AND THE BEST BADGES (4K DAMAGE AND 20 BOMBS) ON ONE CHARACTER? HOW MUCH DO I ASK? HOW LONG WILL THIS HORRIBLE MATCHMAKING LAST LIKE IT IS NOW?
HappyHourSumwur
Seasoned Ace
1 year ago
Original blog post in January of 2023. 21 months later and matchmaking is worse than ever. GG, Respawn!
vVv_Bjoergen_vVv
Rising Ace
1 year ago
@AzureEST
Exactly. I have the same problem as you.
To clarify, I'll add that I made over 500 kills in 2 days and only had 6 games won.
In one game I had to get 18 kills to win it. I don't have games where someone does a lot of kills. I still have bots on my team where the opponent kills them in a split second. Matchmaking used to be just a joke, but now it's just a tragedy.
I often have to quit the game at the very beginning when I see that it selects beginner players, where the champions are people with master or predator badges.
Solo queues are completely unplayable with this terrible matchmaking. You don't have your own team - better not play. It's a waste of nerves.
AzureEST
1 year ago
Nice little charts you have there. Word "fair" should never be used in describing the current matchmaking system. As a very average skilled player, I'm being put in a team that's players are either afk, lands solo, or does 0-80mg, while I'm up to 500-1000. No matter if I go 20 lose streak in the first 5 mins or not. 10 games a row I'm being killed by 20 kill badge players in the very first fight. It's unplayable.
Airish85
1 year ago
"I get better lobbies when there are less players online"

Thank you for fixing this. Now I get bad lobbies on both.
Gotta stay consistent.
Airish85
1 year ago
My gut tells me that never was any sort of SBMM in Apex because of the fact that I get better lobbies when there are less players online on my regional servers.

And as opposite to for example now when its the prime time, the EOMM is really trying its best to push me by giving me worse and worse game experiences (and then possibly the dopamine reward hook at somepoint). What makes this sickening is I only play ranked where I would expect to play people against my own skill. Situation should be reversed by any logic. I shouldn't have to grind 4 hour game sessions to get the single "good game experience". My time is too valuable for that.

Lot of talk about integrity and not much to show for it.

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The official Matchmaking blog post

309 Replies

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