Apex Legends players demand changes to stop Ranked smurfing for good in Season 15

Shay Robson
Apex Legends Revenant

The Apex Legends community is once again calling on developers Respawn to make a small change that should stop players from surfing in Ranked entirely.

Smurfing is a huge issue in just about every game that has a skill-based MMR system, and Apex Legends is no different.

From the get-go, players are pretty much immediately able to jump straight into ranked lobbies after reaching level 10 — making it simple for just about anyone to smurf.

However, the community is suggesting the Respawn devs make a simple change that’ll hopefully put an end to the problem once and for all.

Apex Legends players demand Ranked requirement

A recent influx in smurfs has the community demanding action. In a Reddit thread on October 12, one Apex player hit out at the “a**hats” ruining the game for everybody else.

“I just got killed by an entire smurf master/pred squad that were all silver 1 in gold ranked. They had a combined 22 kills between them with the kill leader having 12,” the player said. “Ya’ll are ruining the f**king game for everyone and I hope you step in dogsh*t the next time you actually go outside and touch grass.”

To combat the pressing issue, one player once again brought up the discussion of increasing the ranked requirements — something that’s previously been heavily debated amongst the community.

“All I’m saying, is that instead of reaching level 10, to be able to play ranked, the level minimum should be increased to 50,” they wrote. “Smurfers will have a lot higher level to grind to compared to 10.”

While the change may sound good on paper, it’s not exactly the best solution. As noted by another user, less than 21% of players ever make it past level 50 according to PlayStation trophies. That stat is even worse on Xbox too, with supposedly only 14.35% surpassing it.

Given that, it’s unlikely we’ll see the requirement increase from Level 10 to 50. Perhaps a lower level would be better and provide a middle ground for all.

With Season 15 on the horizon, hopefully, the devs will look at other ways to combat smurfs.

About The Author

Based in Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, Shay Robson is a Journalist for Dexerto. Typically, you'll see Shay tackling the entertainment news, writing about your favorite Twitch streamers and influencers. But, as a passionate esports fan, you'll also catch him covering League of Legends and Valorant when he gets the chance. Contact: shay.robson@dexerto.com