EA Shelves Apex Legends Matchmaking Experiments After Solo Queue Worsens Rank Encounters
EA's own test data shows the fix it tried for rank disparity made the encounter problem it was meant to solve worse among the players who complained loudest, which is why neither change is becoming permanent.
Reporting from 1 source: Automaton.
Electronic Arts reported on October 1 the results of two Apex Legends matchmaking tests run during Season 29. Tightening the premade rank gap limit to one tier cut Diamond-on-Diamond encounters by about 8% but changed little elsewhere. Barring premade squads from Diamond and above dispersed Master and Predator players across more teams, raising encounters with top players, and EA shelved both changes for now.
The two experiments ran during Season 29 and were measured on match quality and player experience. In the first, premade squads of friends were limited to a one-tier rank gap instead of two, which cut the share of Diamond opponents Diamond players faced by about 8% and moved Platinum opponents in. Outside those two tiers, EA found no significant changes and declined to make the limit permanent.
The second test barred players at Diamond rank and above from premade squads. Win and loss outcomes barely moved: Diamond match results were unchanged, and in Master the gap between the top and bottom squads held at 9%. EA says the strongest squad still won regardless.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.