The end of Apex Legends’ first Emergence ranked split is just around the corner. But after recent server issues put a halt to many players’ ranked climbs, a number of prolific streamers and pro players are asking the game’s developer to extend the split to make up for lost time.
Respawn Entertainment shared an update today about the ongoing issues with Apex’s server stability, saying several fixes are scheduled for tomorrow but problems could remain until the start of the next week. Following Respawn’s statement, several Apex pro players and streamers—including LuluLuvely, NiceWigg, and Rogue—addressed these server issues, asking the developer to extend the ranked split past its original Sept. 21 end date.
“Lets get a ranked extension Apex, people are wanting to achieve some ranks,” Apex pro and streamer Rogue said. “This is probably frustrating for them, people don’t play everyday- it’s the least you could do!”
Server issues began Sept. 14 when the Evolution event went live with exclusive cosmetics, a new point-of-interest on World’s Edge, several balance changes, and an Heirloom weapon for Rampart. Soon after the event hit live servers, players began reporting connectivity issues. Many were kicked from their games, leading to AFK penalties or losses in ranked points, or were simply unable to connect to the game’s lobby.
Related: Apex’s Evolution event now live with new skins, Rampart Town Takeover, Heirloom, and Arenas takeover
Disconnections, long loading times, and an assortment of error codes are just some of the issues that have historically plagued the battle royale following major updates. These issues often occur after event patches due to various causes that could be linked to the update’s content or to the multitude of players all simultaneously attempting to connect to servers to enjoy the game’s latest content. But as the ranked split nears its end, these kinds of issues are creating more than just in-game problems as players struggle to meet their goals for the first half of the season.
Without an extension, split one will end on Sept. 21, meaning players have just a few more days to round out their ranked climbs before their rank is soft reset. Split two will kick off afterward on Kings Canyon and will run through the end of the season.
Like previous seasons, ranked rewards will be handed out to players based on their highest placement from the two splits. If a player ranks Diamond in the first split but only reaches Platinum in the second, they’ll still receive the Diamond rewards, including the badge and the skydive trail, at the end of the season.
Apex pros and streamers have previously used their platforms to call on Respawn developers to address other issues, including the game’s struggles with cheaters. Earlier this summer, Apex players asked Respawn to have a heavier hand in upholding the integrity of the game’s ranked ecosystem. Last June, the hashtag #SaveApexRanked trended as voices in the scene asked for the developer to further discourage cheaters and griefers who purposely ruin the ranked experience.
“Streamers ability to consistently make content while playing ranked, and the general quality of life of anyone who plays ranked at a high level across any region has been declining and fast,” NRG content creator sweetdreams said in a Twitlonger. “We are so done with it, it’s to the point where we literally DO NOT know what to do, we just sit around month over month and nothing changes and it’s demoralizing.”
In addition to causing ranked woes, these recent server outages have prevented players from fully enjoying the newest event and its offerings. The Evolution event introduces 24 new cosmetic items, including legend and weapon skins, gun charms, banner poses, and skydive emotes. Additionally, Rampart is opening up a shop called Big Maude near Lava City in World’s Edge. Featuring a paintball course, the new shop allows players to purchase custom modded paintball weapons from vending machines at various tiers.
Apex‘s Evolution event is slated to end Sept. 28. While the event is live, players can earn rewards for free by simply playing games, completing missions, and racking up points in the event’s rewards track—if the servers allow it.
