Jun 8, 2026
View on Steam↗Apex Legends: Matchmaking Tests Update
3/5 Moderate
EXPERIMENTALDiamond+ Ranked will become solo-queue only later in Season 29, alongside a global shift to 4.5-hour map rotations and stricter 1-tier rank locks for premades.
Key Changes
- 1Ranked will become solo-queue only for Diamond+ players later in Season 29
- 2Ranked premade squads are now limited to a 1-tier rank difference (previously 2)
- 3Ranked map rotation duration reduced from 24 hours to 4.5 hours
- 4Matchmaking search window increased from 30 to 60 seconds before widening skill criteria
- 5Bot-fill enabled for mid-tier lobbies in Duos and Unranked Trios
- 6Implemented automatic mechanisms to release server queue pressure during outages
- 7Stricter adherence to internal change-management workflows to prevent service outages
All Changes
🏆Ranked(2)
- changeRanked: Map rotation duration shortened from 24 hours to 4.5 hours
- nerfRanked: Premade squads are now limited to a 1-tier rank difference (previously 2)
⚖️Matchmaking(1)
- changeMatchmaking: Search window increased from 30 seconds to 60 seconds before expanding skill criteria
🎮Unranked(1)
- newUnranked: Enabled bot-fill in mid-tier lobbies of Duos and Pub Trios matches
⚙️Performance(2)
- fixServers: Implemented automatic mechanisms to release server queue pressure during outages
- changeDevelopment: Stricter adherence to internal change-management workflows to prevent service outages
📅Coming Soon(1)
- changeRanked: Ranked will become solo-queue only for Diamond+ players later in Season 29
Summary
Matchmaking Improvements
Respawn is addressing five major pain points: queue times, skill disparity, solo vs. premade imbalance, teammate quality, and "sweaty" lobbies. Several tests have been conducted or are currently active to refine the experience.
Ranked Changes
Ranked map rotations have been permanently shortened to 4.5 hours. Additionally, a new restriction limits premade squads to a 1-tier rank difference to reduce skill gaps in high-level lobbies.
Upcoming High-Tier Restrictions
Later in Season 29, Diamond+ players will be restricted to solo-queue only for a two-week test period to evaluate fairness against coordinated three-stacks.