Apex Legends Ranked: How do rank reset & placement matches work?

Joseph Pascoulis
apex legends ranked divisions

Apex Legends has a great ranked system that sees players grinding all the way to Apex Predator. Each season, players’ ranks are soft reset with placement matches, but how does it work?

Apex Legends has a great rank system that is both easy to understand and extremely addictive. For those who want a more competitive experience and a way to gauge their own skill, Ranked Leagues is the place to be.

With Apex Legends Season 17 bringing some changes to Ranked Leagues, players both old and new will want to know how the placement matches work, if there’s still a halfway split, and how the rank reset works.

apex legends rank rewards
Apex Legends Ranked Leagues sees players competing to climb the Tiers.

How does rank reset work in Apex Legends?

From Season 17, there is no longer a halfway split during the ranked season, meaning that players will not experience a soft reset at the season’s midpoint.

Instead, Apex Legends players will have to play 10 placement matches at the start of a new season, which will dictate their rank for the season’s start.

In a sense, this is the new way the rank reset will work, as players will need to get through placement matches in order to get their rank each season. Players’ new rank after placement matches is usually lower than whatever rank they finished the previous season with.

How do Apex Legends ranked placement matches work?

At the start of a new Apex Legends season, players will have to complete 10 placement matches to unlock their rank. The rank they receive will be based on their previous season’s rank, as well as their performance in the 10 placement matches.


For more on Apex Legends, make sure you check out our other guides below:

Will Arenas return to Apex Legends? | When is cross-progression coming to Apex Legends? | How to get Legend Tokens in Apex Legends | Best Legends in Apex Legends | All Apex Legends voice actors | Apex Legends current pick rates | Best audio settings for Apex Legends | Best guns in Apex Legends | How to check your Apex Legends stats | Best PC settings for Apex Legends Season 17