Does Apex Legends have skill-based matchmaking?
Skill-based matchmaking has now become the norm in multiplayer games but remains a controversial topic. Apex Legends has an extremely popular ranked mode, but does SBMM exist in public matches too?
Apex Legends continues to be one of the most popular battle royale game’s out there. Season 13 is fast approaching, bringing a new Legend and more. But it hasn’t avoided one of the most hotly debated topics in the gaming space — skill-based matchmaking.
Apex Legends has a dedicated ranked mode, pitting players against others of almost the exact same skill level. However, players feel that public matches can be just as competitive as Ranked, and blame it on skill-based matchmaking.
We’re breaking down how skill-based matchmaking works, and whether it exists in Apex Legends.
- What is skill-based matchmaking?
- Does Apex Legends have skill-based matchmaking?
- Will Apex Legends remove skill-based matchmaking?
What is skill-based matchmaking?
Skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, is a type of matchmaking where the game attempts to match similarly skilled players against each other.
How SBMM is calculated changes from game to game, but it’s usually determined through stats like kill/death ratios. SBMM has largely gotten rid of pub stomping as queuing against similarly skilled players means each round will be hotly contested.
Does Apex Legends have skill-based matchmaking?
Yes, Apex Legends features skill-based matchmaking. It’s not as strict as it is in the ranked mode, but there shouldn’t be a huge gap between your own skill and the lobby’s average.
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You’ll likely find your first few Apex Legends matches relatively easy, but it’ll continue to get more difficult as the game assigns you a hidden SBMM rank and starts matching you against similarly skilled players.
Will Apex Legends remove skill-based matchmaking?
It’s incredibly unlikely that skill-based matchmaking will ever be removed from Apex Legends. It’s become the standard in almost all multiplayer games, and an Apex dev said back in 2019 that there’s “indisputable evidence” that it helps with retaining 80-90% of the community.
- Read more: What is Apex Legends’ Flashpoint LTM?
So, it appears that skill-based matchmaking is here to stay — and not just in Apex Legends, but in almost all multiplayer games.
For more Apex Legends, be sure to check out the most popular Legends in Season 12.
Image Credit: Respawn Entertainment