Apex Legends won’t make its solo-only Ranked restriction permanent after the test failed to improve match quality. While the experiment reduced premade stacks, more players encountered Masters and Predators, and Ranked participation dropped.
The restriction targeted Diamond and above, where Respawn wanted to see whether having everyone queue alone would create fairer matches. The results you’d want from that change, better-balanced lobbies and a more enjoyable Ranked experience, didn’t follow.
In brief:
- Apex Legends won’t make the tested solo-only Ranked restriction permanent.
- Limiting premade squads to a one-tier rank difference had little impact.
- Solo-only matchmaking reduced stacks but failed to improve matches, with more players encountering Masters and Predators.
- Ranked participation declined during the test.
Apex Legends Tested Solo-Only Ranked
Respawn introduced the experiment to address the gap between solo players and coordinated premade squads at higher ranks.
In its earlier matchmaking update, the studio said equally skilled three-stacks had a significant advantage in Diamond-and-above matches. Players who mainly queued with premade squads also reached the highest tiers faster. The test required players at those ranks to queue individually and rely on matchmade teammates.
GameRiv previously covered the Diamond-and-above solo-only Ranked test scheduled to start June 30.
Fewer Stacks Didn’t Deliver Better Matches
The main highlight from the supplied test results is that reducing premade stacks didn’t improve overall match quality.
More players faced Masters and Predators, while Ranked participation fell. And for players hoping solo-only matchmaking would make the climb feel more balanced, those findings leave the underlying problem unresolved.
Removing the ability to queue with friends was also a substantial trade-off. Before the experiment, Respawn acknowledged that playing together was central to Apex and said it would assess whether any fairness improvements justified the restriction.
On top of that, pro players like Imperialhal heavily criticized this move. According to him, forcing solo ranked could hurt the game.
One-Tier Premade Restrictions Had Little Impact
Respawn also tested limiting premade teammates to within one rank tier of each other, tightening the previous two-tier allowance. The aim was to reduce the rank gaps that mixed-rank squads brought into matches.
According to Respawn’s data, that restriction had little impact, giving Respawn another reason to look beyond party restrictions for a solution.
