There are currently more than 73000 Apex Legends Masters/ Predators in Season 17 ranked. And that happened in just two weeks of the season release.
Season 17 of Apex Legends considerably changed the existing ranked system to improve the overall player experience in every rank distribution. The new rank update aimed to improve the matchmaking system and enhance the authentic Battle Royale experience by focusing on team play.
Keeping the goals in mind, Respawn introduced a hidden MMR, bonus, and Ladder Points system instead of an RP system. The new scoring approach now emphasizes more on Placement and winning rather than taking fights more often and still being able to climb the rank ladder, which was the main drawback of the previous ranked systems.
However, the new ranked system has also created other concerning issues. Players can now easily climb up the rank ladder without taking any fights and just by hiding. Even the pro player, NRG SweetDreams, criticized the new system by reaching Predator without getting any kills, showing the apparent flaws to the public.
Due to the rank being easier, the total number of Apex Masters + Predators has increased significantly compared to last season. The number is currently 300% more than the previous season, which happened in just two weeks after the introduction of Season 17.

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Let’s See the Statistics
Reaching Masters/ Predators is one of the most challenging tasks in Apex Legends. The number of Predator ranks is limited to only 750. Meaning only the top 750 players can get this rank in a Season.
However, players must earn 24,000 Ladder Points in order to reach the Masters level. There are no restrictions to how many players can or cannot reach Masters. So, as compared to past seasons, the new ranking system has made it possible for thousands more players to achieve that previously nearly unachievable milestone.
Season 12 saw the highest number of Masters in Apex Legends history. According to Apexlegendsstatus, the total number of Masters + Predators in Season 12 was 3,41,754 on all platforms combined. It is widespread in the community that Season 12 was the easiest to reach the Masters rank.
After that, Respawn made a complete ranked system overhaul in Season 13, making the ranked grind harder for every player. As a result, Season 13 Split 1 saw only 4,416 Masters and Predators on all platforms, the lowest recorded number in Apex’s history.
In Season 16, the number of Masters + Predators averaged 24,986 on all platforms combined in Split 1 and 2. If we compare this data to Season 17’s current Masters + Predators, the numbers have increased by almost 300% in simply two weeks. Keep in mind that Season 17 will have no Split reset. Meaning the number will keep rising before Season 18 goes live.
The new ranked system has garnered quite a popularity as well as negative fuss from the community. It is not uncommon for any new system to receive such criticism down the line. However, the community expects Respawn will look into the current issues and make necessary adjustments to make the new ranked system better.