Decoding the Ranked Revolution: A Deep Dive into Apex Legends Season 13

Apex Legends Season 13 brought a seismic shift to the ranked experience, fundamentally changing how players climbed the ladder. Respawn Entertainment aimed to address several long-standing community concerns, including inflated ranks, inconsistent matchmaking, and a lack of meaningful progression. The key changes in Season 13 revolved around a complete overhaul of the RP (Ranked Points) system, the introduction of rank demotion, the addition of a new Rookie tier, and adjustments to entry costs. Moreover, a hidden MMR (Matchmaking Rating) system was implemented to influence matchmaking, aiming for fairer and more competitive lobbies. This combination of changes dramatically altered the landscape of Apex Legends ranked play, shifting the focus from kill-farming to strategic gameplay and consistent performance.

The Core Changes in Apex Legends Season 13 Ranked

RP Overhaul: Earning Your Stripes

The heart of the Season 13 ranked revamp was the complete redesign of the RP system. The objective was to create a more balanced system that rewarded placement as well as kills. Key elements of this overhaul included:

• Reduced KP (Kill Points) gains for low placements: Players placing outside the top 10 received significantly fewer RP for kills, discouraging a hyper-aggressive, loot-and-die playstyle.
• Continuous KP gains, with diminishing returns: Instead of a hard cap on kill/assist RP, Season 13 introduced a system of diminishing returns. Each kill contributed RP, but the value decreased with each subsequent kill, incentivizing teams to focus on surviving to the later stages of the game and securing a higher placement. The goal was to still reward proactive teams that are securing kills and assists, but to lower the emphasis on farming kills to climb and prioritize placement.
• Entry Cost adjustments: Entry costs across all ranks were re-evaluated to better reflect the difficulty of the tier and the potential RP rewards.

Rank Demotion: A Dose of Reality

A highly requested feature, rank demotion was introduced to provide a more accurate representation of player skill. This meant that players could now drop down from a division within a tier (e.g., from Gold I to Gold II) if they consistently performed poorly. Demotion protection was in place for a few games after reaching a new division, providing a buffer to adjust to the increased competition.

The Rookie Tier: A Gentle Introduction

A new Rookie tier was added below Bronze to ease new players into the ranked system. Players in Rookie tier did not lose RP, providing a safe space to learn the game mechanics and ranked strategies without the pressure of negative progression. This change was targeted towards brand new players, or players with very little experience in the game in general. The Rookie tier only had 4 divisions, which meant that progressing through that tier would be pretty quick.

Hidden MMR: Behind the Scenes Matchmaking

Season 13 also introduced a hidden MMR system that played a crucial role in matchmaking. This system tracked a player’s performance across multiple games, taking into account factors beyond just their visible rank. The MMR was used to match players with opponents of similar skill levels, irrespective of their RP rank. This meant that a Platinum player with a high MMR might be matched against Diamond or even Master players, leading to potentially tougher lobbies.

Ranked Split

Like previous seasons, Season 13 featured a ranked split, effectively resetting players’ ranks mid-season. The split served as a soft reset, allowing players to recalibrate their rank and compete on a different map. Players are usually dropped about 1 and a half ranks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Why did Apex Legends change the ranked system in Season 13?

The changes were implemented to address issues such as rank inflation, inconsistent matchmaking, and a perceived overemphasis on kills rather than strategic gameplay. Respawn aimed to create a system that more accurately reflected player skill and encouraged a more balanced approach to ranked play. They wanted a system where endgames would be more fun, and where placement actually mattered.

2. How does the new RP system work?

The new RP system emphasizes placement alongside kills and assists. While kills still contribute to RP gains, the value of each kill decreases as you accumulate more during a match. This prevents players from simply farming kills and ignoring placement. Lower placements (outside of the top 10) will give you much less KP.

3. What is rank demotion, and how does it work?

Rank demotion allows players to drop down from a division within a tier if they consistently underperform. For example, a player in Gold I can be demoted to Gold II if they lose enough RP. Demotion protection is usually in place for a few games upon reaching a new division.

4. What is the Rookie tier, and who is it for?

The Rookie tier is a new rank added below Bronze to ease new players into the ranked system. Players in Rookie do not lose RP, providing a low-pressure environment to learn the game.

5. How does the hidden MMR system affect matchmaking?

The hidden MMR system tracks a player’s performance and uses this data to match them with opponents of similar skill levels, regardless of their visible rank. This aims to create fairer and more competitive matches.

6. What happens during a ranked split?

During a ranked split, players’ ranks are partially reset, and they are demoted by a certain number of tiers. The split also introduces a new map rotation, keeping the ranked experience fresh. In season 13, players will have their competitive rank decreased by 6 tiers, as it’s meant to work as a mid-season reset.

7. What was the ranked map rotation in Season 13?

The first split of Season 13 featured Storm Point, while the second split featured World’s Edge.

8. How did the Season 13 ranked changes impact the distribution of players across ranks?

The changes significantly impacted the distribution. Before season 13, over 65% of players finished in Platinum or Diamond. In season 13 after the split, this shrunk to just over 15%. This indicates that the changes successfully reduced rank inflation and created a more accurate representation of player skill.

9. Why did Respawn remove dive trails as ranked rewards?

Dive trails were removed due to concerns about toxic behaviors. Players with dive trails were often targeted by other players at the start of matches, creating a negative experience.

10. Where can I learn more about game mechanics and strategies related to Apex Legends?

There are many resources available online, including the Games Learning Society website, GamesLearningSociety.org, which offers insights into game-based learning and design. You can also find valuable information on the official Apex Legends website, YouTube, and various community forums.

11. How often does Apex Legends reset ranked?

Ranks are fully reset back to 0 LP at the start of each Season. You will get 10 Provisional Matches to give you the chance to quickly calibrate your LP rank.

12. Who can a Silver player party with in Apex Legends?

A Silver player can only party with other Silver and Bronze players. They need to reach Gold before they can party with a Platinum player.

13. Why is Apex ranked so hard?

Apex Ranked is hard for a few different reasons. The player base prioritizes their life much more than previous seasons. End games are extremely concentrated with large numbers of squads and players. On top of that, it can depend on the server you’re playing in.

14. Which server is easiest for ranked in Apex?

When it comes to what’s the easiest apex server2023, you can choose from the following.

• North America: Oregon-GCE2, South Carolina-GCE2 106, lowa-GCE2.
• South America: Dallas, Sao Paulo1,
• Europe: Frankfurt 1.
• Asia: Tokyo-GCE1.

15. What are the hardest legends to play in Apex?

Some of the hardest legends to play in Apex include:

• Gibraltar
• Newcastle
• Valkyrie
• Vantage
• Pathfinder
• Wattson
• Crypto
• Mirage

Conclusion: A Season of Transformation

Season 13 marked a pivotal moment in the history of Apex Legends ranked play. While the changes were initially met with mixed reactions, they ultimately aimed to create a more competitive, balanced, and rewarding experience for players of all skill levels. By addressing issues such as rank inflation and inconsistent matchmaking, Respawn Entertainment took a significant step towards ensuring the long-term health and integrity of the Apex Legends ranked ecosystem. The season promoted strategic decision-making, teamwork, and consistent performance, rewarding those who adapted and embraced the new challenges. The Games Learning Society often highlights the importance of adapting to new challenges, and these changes encouraged players to do just that.