Apex Legendsis going into its fifth season soon, and has new content ready to keep players entertained. The newest legend,Loba, is popular with the community, and players are anxious to see how the changed map plays. Not all is well with theApex Legendscommunity however, particularly when it comes to matchmaking.
Last year, Respawn Entertainment implemented Skill Based Matchmaking, or SBMM, for casual play inApex Legends. Thus, players enter a game with other players of a similar skill level even in casual play. While common for ranked matchmaking, the decision to make this the norm throughoutApex Legendsis controversial among players.
RELATED:Apex Legends Season 5 Trailer Shows Loba’s Abilities, New Revenant Lore
There are problems with SBMM that players are happy to point out to Respawn. While oneRespawn developer gave data-based reasoning for SBMM’s implementation, manyApex Legendsplayers were not and are not mollified. In some cases, players are protest against SBMM by not reviving randoms they are teamed up with in games. Other members of the community have publicly spoken out against this form of protest, saying that it will change nothing.
The disappointment that players feel towards Respawn is understandable in several respects, from SBMM to the fact thatno new weapon will be dropping alongsideApex LegendsSeason 5. Problems caused by SBMM, including Smurfing and ping-lag, are serious, and players agree they need to be addressed. The split comes from how to address the problem, with many players viewing the protests as un-helpful and pointless.
One problem some players have with SBMM is that it robs players of the opportunity to learn from experienced opponents. Ironically this separation may be very much appreciated by some players trying to snag theDouble XP up for grabs right now. Unbalanced skill levels in a game would ensure rewards for placing high almost always go to the more experienced players, robbing lower level players of the chance for growth.
That said, most of the community seems displeased with SBMM, and for very solid reasons. A large part of the dissent against the protests stem from the fact that they have little to do with said reasons, and that the protests mostly harm other players by not helping teammates. In a game wherethe most played legendsare the heavy damage dealers, the protest protesters are urging players to not deal damage to the community or their teams.
Apex Legendsis available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
