Apex Legends Is Working On Matchmaking to Improve Solo Queue Experience But Can It Bring Players Back?
If anyone has been playing Apex Legends for a while, then there is a good chance that they’ve found themselves squaring off against a perfectly coordinated team, while they are stuck trying to make magic happen with randoms who are still looking for weapons and stims. And let’s be real, it’s frustrating.
However, you’re not alone in this, as matchmaking has been a long-standing issue in the game and players constantly find themselves at a disadvantage, simply because they queued up solo. It looks like Respawn has finally heard the community’s cries for help and is promising changes to the matchmaking system, but will it be enough to get players back in the game?
Current matchmaking in Apex Legends puts Solo players at a disadvantage
One of the biggest gripes in Apex Legends is the lack of a dedicated solo queue. Without the option to go it alone (though solos occasionally make a return, like in Season 21 for a limited time), solo players are forced to team up with randoms. And more often than not, this means mismatched skill levels, chaotic gameplay, and (let’s face it) losing streaks.
Solo players regularly find themselves up against highly coordinated teams, and it’s not hard to see why they lose. Pre-made squads can communicate, strategize, and support each other, while random players are usually left to figure things out on their own.
This reduces the odds of victory for solo queue players to astronomically low levels (frustrating them), since the combat is fast and is built with coordination in mind and that’s why this has become a major point of contention in the community. And that’s even before players face off against Smurfs.
皆さまのご意見に基づいたマッチメイキングを改修を行います。
— Apexコミュニティ運営 (@ApexCommunityJP) December 17, 2024
明日詳細をお知らせしますが、以下の2点を改善します：
・スマーフィング対策の導入（意図的でないケースも含む）
・野良とパーティのランク計算の改変により、ソロプレイヤーの不利な状況を改善… pic.twitter.com/BFism3yGiJ
However, there’s finally a glimmer of hope to survive until the final circle. Respawn has recently acknowledged these issues and is actively working to address the matchmaking problems. The statement pointed out two major areas that the developers are looking to improve.
First, it plans to implement precautions to mitigate the smurfing issue. Second, it will adjust the rank calculation system for random and party players. This aims to level the playing field by ensuring that solo players are no longer constantly matched against teams that are pre-formed before the match.
Can these changes to the Solo queue bring back players?
The fact that Respawn is taking players’ concerns seriously and directly addressing them shows it is listening to the community and wants to improve the game. However, this also raises a few questions: What do these internal ranking changes mean? Will this actually help solo queue players?
The answer to these questions likely lies in the hidden MMR (Matchmaking Rating) system, which is typically different from the visible rank. So, the changes might mean that MMR will be calculated differently for solo and party players.
While these are only speculations, it’s possible that solo players may be placed in different matchmaking pools or may be matched against a lower-MMR party to compensate for the lack of communication. However, it’s also worth noting that this could create new imbalances and unfair advantages
As the statement mentioned, the matchmaking system is very complex. And if Respawn Entertainment doesn’t proceed with extreme caution, it could backfire and make things worse. But if done correctly, it has the potential to bring balance and order back to the solo queue, potentially restoring players’ faith.
In the end, players are happy that the developers have taken a step in the right direction. However, they’re waiting for the results to see whether this road leads to success or disaster.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
