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Apex Legends director on skill-based matchmaking: "We'll continue to tweak, iterate, listen"

News
By Jordan Gerblick published 19 June 2020

EA Respawn is listening to feedback from both sides of the argument on SBMM

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(Image credit: EA/Respawn)
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Apex Legends creative director Chad Grenier says working to make everyone happy with regards to skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) is "tricky," but says Respawn will continue to make changes based on player feedback.

That's from an interview with GameSpot, where Grenier was asked about implementing SBMM into Apex Legends. "There are multiple sides to the story. We're trying to evaluate all of the data and trying to do what's best for the game as a whole. It's really tough because you've got some beginner players or mediocre players, middle of the road, and you want them to have a good experience," Grenier replied.

Speaking from personal experience, it is a tad discouraging for new players just starting out to be immediately stomped and then spawn killed until all hope is lost. It's there that Grenier seems keen on making some updates that pit more skilled players against each other while giving beginners a more rewarding experience while they advance.

Article continues below
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"You want them to get into the game, get engaged, get some kills, get some wins occasionally because if someone comes in and they try out Apex and they get stumped, they're not going to keep playing the game," Grenier continued.

Of course, not everyone's in favor of SBMM and Grenier knows that well, talking of the difficulties of making the game more approachable to newcomers while "still making all those competitive players happy." The developer encouraged the community to provide feedback on any changes made to Apex Legends' matchmaking system, as he says Respawn will continue to patch the game according to that feedback.

Hey! Did you hear Apex Legends is coming to Switch later this year?

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Jordan Gerblick
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After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

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