Apex Legends Season 20 ranked system & ranks explained
The Apex Legends ranked system lets players represent their skill with a rank earned through good performances, so check out our explainer of the system.
Our breakdown of the Apex Legends ranks and ranked system covers all of the Season 20 Ranked changes and how the entire system works, ranging from the individual ranks, to how promotion and demotion work.
Apex Legends has a high skill ceiling due to the various abilities of characters and deep movement mechanics. Luckily, the Ranked mode is the perfect playground for those who have mastered these skills in the game.
So, check out everything we know about the Apex Legends ranks and Ranked system, as there is quite a lot to pick up before you jump in.
Apex Legends Season 20 Ranked changes
Before we jump into how the overall Apex Legends Ranked system works, let's check out all of the changes Respawn implemented in Season 20.
The goal of these alterations was to bring back features that the Apex faithful would recognise, while also altering the matchmaking for more competitive lobbies:
- Level requirement to play Ranked has been reset back to level 20
- Ranked Splits have made a return
- Each player starts at 1RP from the launch of Breakout
- Scoring is more transparent and places a heavier emphasis on elimination over placement
- The bonus system has been updated to provide more insight and Player Rankings will now be visible
- No hard cap on the number of eliminations a player is scored nor the amount of points gained
- Bonus for maintaining a placement streak of 5th or better (10RP extra up to a max of 40RP per match while the streak lasts)
- Challenger Bonus rewards 50% extra points if you secure an elimination on a higher-ranked player
- Promotional Trials have been removed
- Matchmaking is now based on RP values as closely as possible
- Provisional Matches have been removed
- Demotion and Demotion Protection will remain the same as Ignite’s Ranked
- Ranked Tier RP requirements will have some increases
Apex Legends ranked system explained
Apex Legends Ranked is a competitive game mode where players compete against players of a similar skill level, with the goal of climbing through the ranks by winning games and performing well. Below is all the key info you need to get started.
How to unlock ranked in Apex Legends
The Apex Legends ranked mode can be accessed once players reach level 20, and lets players compete to progress through ranks that are determined by overall skill.
It features the standard Trio mode, allowing you to queue solo or with two other friends to form a full party.
Apex Legends ranks in order
There are a total of seven ranked tiers, along with an introductory tier called Rookie, which is just for players first getting into the mode. There are no rewards for this tier; once you get out of it you cannot be demoted back.
Here are all the Apex Legends rank tiers and the amount of Ranked Points (RP) needed to reach them:
- Bronze - 1000 RP
- Silver - 5000 RP
- Gold - 9000 RP
- Platinum - 13,000 RP
- Diamond - 17,000 RP
- Master - 21,000 RP
- Apex Predator - Top 750 players
All of the ranks except for Apex Predator have four divisions, which you need to work through to progress to the next tier. Division four is the lowest, and division one is the highest, with each division requiring 1000 RP to climb out of.
Your rank changes with each new split, as a soft reset occurs. Each season also has exclusive rewards associated with different ranks, allowing you to earn more as you climb higher.
Apex Legends ranked mode: Promotion & demotion
In Ranked mode, players earn their rank based on Ranked Points (RP) that they have accumulated from playing.
When you hit RP thresholds, you'll climb a division or rank, with demotion occurring if you lose enough RP in your current division or rank.
There are four core ways of earning RP and ranking up in the mode: placement, eliminations, skill bonuses, and rating bonuses. Here's how each one works:
- Placement is all about where you finish in a game, with higher placement getting you more RP
- Eliminations are all about the kills and assists you earn in-game, but it's not as straightforward as getting more points for more eliminations
- Skill bonuses are extra RP earned from facing stronger opponents in unfavourable matchups
- Rating bonuses are extra RP given when your hidden MMR rating outperforms your current RP total, which helps players who are at a higher rank climb quicker
How much RP does it cost to play Apex Legends ranked?
Here are all the RP costs in Ranked depending on what Division you are currently inside:
- Rookie/Bronze: 0 RP
- Silver: 20 RP
- Gold: 40 RP
- Platinum: 60 RP
- Diamond: 80 RP
- Master/Predator: 100 RP
What are the ranked rewards in Apex Legends?
Since Respawn removed Dive Trails from Ranked in Season 18 due to toxicity, the rewards at the end of Season 20 will include Banner Frames, Banner Badges, & Gun Charms.
If you want to know which characters are the most popular in Breakout, check out our Apex Legends pick rate tracker. Otherwise, we've got plenty more guides on our Apex Legends homepage for you to check out.
About The Author
Tarran Stockton
Tarran is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon. He previously wrote reviews for his college newspaper before studying Media and Communication at university. His favourite genres include role-playing games, strategy games, and boomer shooters - along with anything indie. You can also find him in the pit at local hardcore shows.
