Apex Legends, the battle royale that refuses to age quietly, has been around long enough to legally qualify for its own nostalgic documentary. In 2026, it is no longer nearing three years old; it is a seasoned veteran with graying loot bins and a matchmaking system that still sparks fiery Reddit threads. Back in late 2021, however, the game was merely a toddler with a Wingman, and one of its most persistent headaches was skill-based matchmaking, or SBMM, in public matches. The system was supposed to separate lower-level players from higher-skill predators. In practice, it sometimes felt like a blindfolded referee tossing a kitten into a lion enclosure and calling it fair.
The Level 99 vs. Level 500 Problem
One player, known on Reddit as JakkoWasHere, decided that enough was enough. According to their post, they were only level 99. That is not exactly a fresh-faced rookie, but it is also not a grizzled apex predator with a shrine to the Wingman in their living room. Yet the matchmaking system apparently looked at this level 99 player and thought, 'You know what would be fun? A team of level 500 sweaties with 20,000 kills.' For a relatively new player, this was not an optimal situation. It was like entering a local go-kart race and discovering that Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and a particularly aggressive Roomba were waiting on the starting line.
The frustration was not isolated. Many fans had been complaining about SBMM in public matches. The idea behind SBMM is noble: protect lower-skill players from getting stomped, while giving higher-skill players a challenge. But the execution can feel like a roller coaster designed by someone who hates you. One match might be a gentle stroll through Fragment East. The next might be a three-stack of preds wearing matching skins and radiating pure, unadulterated sweat.
Respawn Responds, Sort Of
Fortunately, someone at Respawn Entertainment heard the noise. A developer known as Aaron L. discussed the issue and responded to fan concerns. In his response, he offered a gentle reminder that logging many hours into a game did not always equate to having a lot of skill. 'Just to be clear here… high level does not imply high skill,' he said. It was a fair point. A level 500 player might have 20,000 kills, or they might have 20,000 deaths and a stubborn refusal to uninstall. The level cap is not a diploma from the School of Aim Lab.
Nevertheless, the developer admitted that the community's frustrations were valid. He promised that the team at Respawn was looking into the matter. 'It's on my radar,' he said. That phrase, 'on my radar,' is a beautiful piece of developer diplomacy. It acknowledges the problem without promising a fix. It is the corporate equivalent of saying, 'We see the fire, and we have noted that fire is hot.' Based on those comments, it was unclear whether any changes to SBMM would come to public games in Apex Legends going forward. Players could take some confidence in knowing that the development team acknowledged there could be a problem. But only time would tell if any tweaks to matchmaking were made.
In 2026, that time has certainly passed, and the SBMM debate has not exactly vanished into the void. It has simply evolved, like a Legend getting a rework. Players still argue about matchmaking, still post screenshots of lopsided lobbies, and still wonder why their level 30 friend is being used as bait for a three-stack of predators. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The 100-Player Lobby Leak
This was not the only news regarding Respawn Entertainment. Around the same period, a dataminer discovered game files relating to a potential increase in lobby sizes for Apex Legends. This new data from the leaker revealed that the developers had been testing the game in private match lobbies with 100 players. While nothing was confirmed from Respawn, it suggested that an increase in the player count could happen in the coming days. Naturally, the community reacted with the usual mix of excitement, skepticism, and wild speculation. Would 100 players make matches more chaotic? Absolutely. Would it make the servers scream? Possibly. Would it finally give everyone enough loot? Let's not get carried away.
At the time, Apex Legends was available for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. In 2026, the game has expanded to more modern hardware, but the core appeal remains: drop in, loot up, and try not to get third-partied by a squad that materialized out of thin air. The SBMM conversation, the datamined experiments, and the eternal dream of a perfectly balanced lobby all form part of the game's messy, beloved history. One thing is certain: Respawn has never been shy about tinkering. Whether that tinkering produces a smoother matchmaking experience or simply a new flavor of chaos is a question that only the next patch notes can answer.
For now, players can look back at that level 99 versus level 500 saga and laugh, cry, or queue up for another match. After all, in Apex Legends, hope springs eternal. So does the sweat. And if anyone at Respawn is still listening, the old refrain remains: Apex Legends: It's Time to Raise the Level Cap.