Respawn ends Apex Legends solo-only Ranked test after match quality fails to improve

Respawn Entertainment will not make its solo-only Ranked restriction permanent in Apex Legends after a test failed to improve match quality.

The experiment, which required players at Diamond rank and above to queue individually, succeeded in reducing premade squads but did not create fairer matches.

Instead, more players reported encountering Masters and Predators during the test, and overall Ranked participation dropped.

The studio introduced the test to address the competitive gap between solo players and coordinated three-stack squads in high-level play.

"The results you’d want from that change, better-balanced lobbies and a more enjoyable Ranked experience, didn’t follow," Respawn said in its analysis.

The main highlight from the supplied test results is that reducing premade stacks didn’t improve overall match quality.

Before the experiment, the studio had noted that equally skilled three-stacks held a significant advantage in Diamond-and-above matches and reached the highest tiers faster.

Removing the ability for friends to queue together was a substantial trade-off, which Respawn acknowledged before the test.

The studio said playing together was central to Apex and that it would assess whether any fairness improvements justified the restriction.

Pro players like Phillip "ImperialHal" Dosen heavily criticized the move.

"According to him, forcing solo ranked could hurt the game," the notes state.

Respawn also tested a separate restriction limiting premade teammates to within one rank tier of each other, tightening the previous two-tier allowance.

The aim was to reduce the rank gaps that mixed-rank squads brought into matches.

According to Respawn’s data, that restriction had little impact, giving Respawn another reason to look beyond party restrictions for a solution.

For players hoping solo-only matchmaking would make the climb feel more balanced, the findings leave the underlying problem unresolved.