Apex Season 19 Ignite Ranked Changes Controversy

Apex Season 19 Ignite Ranked

The gaming world was abuzz with excitement as the Apex Legends Season 19 Ignite patch notes were launched today. Among the plethora of updates and new features, one particular change that stirred the community’s pot was the introduction of “Promotional Trials” in the ranked mode. These trials require players to complete challenging tasks in order to advance their ranks after meeting the LP (Legend Points) requirements. While this addition aimed to inject freshness into the ranked experience, it has sparked quite a controversy among both professional players and community members.

For starters, lets talk about the new changes:

New Feature: Promotional Trials In Season 19, players will enter a Promotional Trial state when they reach the peak of their tier. Here are the key aspects of Promotional Trials:

Completing the conditions of a Trial within the given match count limit (either by winning a game or completing the alternative) will allow promotion into the next tier with a 250 LP promotional bonus.
Failing to complete the Trial within the match limit results in the Trial ending and a loss of LP based on the player’s performance.

Trials are time-limited to 5 matches initially, increasing by 1 game each time a player fails and reenters the same Trial, up to a maximum of 10 retries.
Promotional Trials are skipped during Provisional matches, increasing the amount of Rating Bonus given to help players’ ranking catch up to their skill bracket.
There is a reduction in the bonus that is withheld, making it less difficult to climb for players actively pushing against their skill ceiling.

Provisional Bonuses are adjusted to land players closer to the expected statistical 1.5 tier drop at the end of their 10 provisional games.
Ranking difference restrictions for 3-stack premades have been REMOVED. Players will now be able to play with friends regardless of their skill level, with the caveat that the squad will face more challenging battles if there’s a significant discrepancy between their skills.

The Controversy

One of the central points of contention revolves around the notion that these new trials make an already demanding ranked system even more challenging, particularly for those brave souls who venture into the treacherous world of “Solo Queuing.” These are players who tackle the ranked ladder without the safety net of a pre-made party. For them, navigating the trials alone can often feel like a daunting task. The community has voiced concerns that these challenges may deter many from even attempting to climb the ranked ladder solo.

Additionally, some seasoned players and pros have expressed their frustrations with the changes. Apex Pro player “preslyy” did not mince words when stating his opinion on Twitter, saying, “The new ranked system is not gonna fix anything, same dog**** as before. Another season of medkit crafters and cheaters ahead of us.” His sentiment reflects a broader skepticism among pro players that these changes may not address the core issues they face in ranked play, such as cheating and an overemphasis on passive strategies like medkit crafting.

Critics of the Promotional Trials argue that the focus should be on improving the matchmaking, playstyle exploiting, and addressing cheating problems rather than making the ranked experience more complicated.

The Positive

However, it’s essential to acknowledge that not everyone shares this view. Some players see the Promotional Trials as a welcome challenge, and they believe it adds a layer of depth to the ranked mode. For them, it represents an opportunity to test their skills and prove their worth.

In the end, while the introduction of Promotional Trials has certainly ignited a fierce debate in the Apex Legends community, it also shows the passion and dedication of the player base. As the Season 19 Ignite unfolds, players and developers alike will closely watch how these changes influence the competitive landscape of the game. Whether these trials bring balance to the ranks or simply add more obstacles, time will tell, and the Apex Legends community will undoubtedly continue to voice their opinions and shape the game’s evolution.