Apex Legends

Apex Legends crossplay test and longer Plat+ queues explained

-VersaciBoosts

Friday, October 23, 2026

Key takeaways

• Two Apex matchmaking tests run until Season 30 ends on November 3, 2026. The Plat+ one could stop sooner.
• Crossplay test, US-West only: since October 7 at 10am PT (17:00 UTC), cross-play is the default for all players on all platforms on US-West servers. Wildcard joined on October 16.
• Opting out: console players can set Cross Platform Play to Disabled. After that they only match same-platform players who also turned it off, and queues get longer. PC players can't turn it off.
• Plat+ queue test, every region: since October 9, Platinum and higher players can wait a bit longer while the matchmaker holds out for a tighter lobby. For Masters, the extra wait tops out at about 30 seconds.
• No results yet: Respawn hasn't published data from either test or said what happens to them in Season 31.

Queues feeling different this month? Lobbies too? There are two matchmaking tests live in Apex Legends right now, both run by Respawn Entertainment, and they could be why. One makes Apex Legends crossplay the default for everyone on US-West servers. The other lets the matchmaker search longer for Platinum and higher players everywhere.

Two Apex matchmaking tests, side by side

Which one are you in? Your servers and your rank decide it. A Gold player outside US-West is in neither. A Diamond player on US-West can be in both.

The Apex Legends crossplay test in US-West

Here's Respawn's October 6 update on Steam, as it reads now:

Starting tomorrow, October 7th at approximately 10am PT, we will be conducting a matchmaking test by enabling cross-play as the default option for all players, on all platforms in the US-West servers. The intention of this test is to shorten queue times and tighten matchmaking skill bands. This test will run until the season ends on November 3rd. Console players can opt out of the test by turning off cross-play in your settings menu.

That 10am PT start was 17:00 UTC. Which words matter? Three of them carry a lot. "US-West" means other servers aren't in it. "All platforms" means PC is in it. And "opt out" only works on console, because PC has no cross-play switch. Respawn didn't list which playlists the test covered from October 7. The only mode it has named is Wildcard.

The "all consoles" correction

The first version on X said "on all consoles in the US-West servers." About six and a half hours later Respawn posted a same-day correction on X: "A correction on the attached: this matchmaking test will be live for all players on all platforms* in the US-West servers." So PC players on US-West are in the test too. And the asterisk? Respawn never explained it, and we won't guess.

Wildcard crossplay since October 16

On October 15 Respawn posted on X: "Following early data showing promising impacts to queue times and tighter match skill-widths, we will be expanding this test to Wildcard matchmaking as well." The Wildcard part went live on October 16 at 10am PT (17:00 UTC), for players on all platforms in US-West. Which early data? It hasn't been published, so "promising" is all we've got.

Playing the Apex Blood Pact event on US-West? Blood Pact runs in Wildcard from October 13 to November 3, so its matches there have been part of the crossplay test since October 16.

Faster Wildcard queues since then? Respawn hasn't said. Its September 28 update came out a few days after Core Wildcard returned alongside Apex KO. It warned of "slightly longer queue times for either mode, with the higher skilled lobbies being most impacted," and put the highest successful queue times at "around 2.5-3.5 minutes." Respawn hasn't published whether the October 16 change moved that.

What "cross-play as the default" can mean

Here's the odd part. EA Help's cross-play page says "Apex Legends supports cross-play on all platforms: EA app, Steam, XBOX, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch 2" and "Cross-play is turned on automatically." So for most players the setting was already on before October 7. What did the test switch on?

How did crossplay matchmaking work at launch? In October 2020, Kotaku reported EA's design: "Cross-play matchmaking will keep console and PC players separate unless a PC and console player party up and matchmake together." In that case the console players followed the PC player into a match filled with other PC players. It's the original 2020 design, six years old, not a confirmed rule for today.

Can a console player who queues alone on US-West now land in a lobby with PC players? Respawn hasn't said, not in plain words. It's the obvious question, and there's no official answer in Respawn's posts or on EA Help either.

So what's the test for? This is our reading, and only ours: making cross-play "the default" when it's already on by default suggests the test is about who gets matched together across platforms on US-West. If you turned the setting off at some point, you may find it on again. Check it before your next queue. It's in Settings.

Crossplay and cheating: what Respawn has published

Worried crossplay means meeting PC cheaters? Facts first, nothing added. Every PC player got moved to EA Javelin Anticheat at the end of September (EA's Javelin announcement has the background). Respawn's October 8 anti-cheat update then listed Javelin's first week, including these hardware bans:

Does that make crossplay riskier, or safer? The numbers don't say. Respawn says its enforcement covers "traditional PC cheats as well as third-party hardware and controller-based cheating." It didn't connect any of this to the crossplay test, though, and we're not gonna pretend it did.

How to turn off crossplay in Apex on PS5, Xbox and Switch 2

Want out on console? Here are the five steps from EA Help for PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2:

1. Go to the lobby.
2. Select the cogwheel (Game Menu) in the bottom-right corner of the screen.
3. Select Settings.
4. Scroll down to Cross Platform Play.
5. Choose Disabled to turn it off. Choose Enabled to turn it back on.

And on PC? No switch. EA Help: "You can't turn cross-play off if you play on PC." That's Steam and the EA app both.

What turning crossplay off costs

Is opting out free? Not really. EA spells out the cost itself:

• "If you disable cross-play, you'll only be able to play with other players on the same platform as you who've also disabled cross-play."
• That means no parties with friends on other platforms while it's off.
• "We don't recommend disabling cross-play as it increases queue times."

Playing with friends on PC or another console? Keep cross-play on and add them in the Friends menu: Find Friend, then their EA Public ID. If they allow it in their privacy settings, you can also search by email address, PSN Online ID, Xbox gamertag or Nintendo nickname. An icon next to each name shows whether that friend is on PC or console.

What about your progress? That's a separate feature. EA Help's Cross Progression page says every player has Cross Progression, and it arrived in October 2023. Your account, progress and cosmetics work across PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2 once your platform account is linked to your EA Account, and your progress is tied to that EA Account. EA Help describes it separately from the Cross Platform Play setting.

The Plat+ queue test: longer Apex queue times, with a cap

What does the second test do? Here's Respawn's October 9 update on Steam, word for word:

We have activated a matchmaking test that increases maximum queue times for Plat+ players on all platforms, in all regions. The queue time increase scales with Rank tier, and Masters players could expect a maximum extension of approximately 30 seconds. This test is in pursuit of tighter skill bands in high skill matches and less spill over of high rank players into mid-rank matches, as the matchmaker spends more time prioritizing the tightest possible lobbies before expanding its search. This test will run until the end of the season, or until we have enough data. Please continue to give feedback on if you are experiencing tighter matchmaking.

So every queue gets 30 more seconds? No, and it's worth reading slowly:

• It's a cap, not a fixed wait. About 30 seconds is the most extra time the matchmaker can spend looking for a tight lobby before it widens the search. That figure is for Masters.
• It scales with Rank Tier. Respawn gave no number for Platinum or Diamond, so expect less than the Masters cap.
• Predator isn't mentioned separately.
• It can end early: "until the end of the season, or until we have enough data." It might not last to November 3.

Going for Predator before the season ends? Predator is the top 750 players per platform. Today's Predator RP cutoff shows the live line for PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch, updated every hour, so you don't have to guess.

And what does "less spill over of high rank players into mid-rank matches" mean? Fewer Masters and Predators turning up in mid-rank lobbies. EA's September 30 results post found the opposite in the Season 29 solo-queue test, where spreading top players out put a Master or Predator in more Diamond lobbies. Stuck in Platinum and meeting players way above you? That's the problem this test goes after, and our guide to getting out of Platinum covers the habits that keep players there.

Why Respawn is running both tests

Why two Apex Legends matchmaking tests in one month? EA's September 30 results post broke down the two Season 29 tests: a one-tier limit on premade squads and a solo-only queue for Diamond, Master and Predator. Neither became permanent. Our Apex matchmaking test results breakdown covers why. Respawn said its teams "continue to prepare various tests," and the lesson it drew ties both new tests together:

Ranked matchmaking gets better when there are more players at every skill level in the queue. More players means tighter bands, shorter waits, and closer matches for everybody.

How's a Ranked squad built anyway? The same post explains it. The matchmaker pulls 60 players of similar RP into a lobby, sorts them by RP and splits them into thirds, then gives each squad one player from each third. So the spread of those 60 players sets how far apart your teammates and opponents can be.

On October 20, in the Ranked Roadmap for Seasons 31 and 32, Respawn named the trade-off:

In Ranked games, our matchmaker works to balance queue times and RP match width. During periods of low population we see both queue times and match width increase, occasionally resulting in long queue times or lobbies with very wide spread of Rank Tiers.

So where do the tests fit? This is our reading, not Respawn's. The US-West crossplay test goes after pool size: more players to pick from. The Plat+ test spends a little queue time to keep lobbies tighter at the top. Both fit what Respawn says it wants.

After November 3: Season 31 ranked matchmaking

When does Apex Season 30 end? November 3, 2026, though Respawn hasn't announced the hour. The crossplay test ends with it, the Plat+ test ends then at the latest, and Season 31 starts in November. Will either test carry on into Season 31, become permanent or reach other regions? Respawn hasn't said.

What has Respawn announced for Season 31 Ranked? This:

• Lobby Tier: each Ranked lobby gets one, "essentially the median of all squads," shown when you load in.
• Challenger match: a squad two or more Rank Tiers below the Lobby Tier pays a reduced entry cost.
• Goliath match: a squad two or more Rank Tiers above it pays an increased entry cost. Respawn's example: with a Lobby Tier of Gold, Bronze squads are Challengers and a Diamond squad is a Goliath.
• Demotion Protection: the existing protection, with its three Demotion Shields, gets a visible display when it's active.
• Legend Banning: arrives in any match with Diamond+ players.
• Road to Ranked: the challenges are removed, and you only need account level 20 for Ranked again.

Why drop Road to Ranked? Respawn's answer: "The more players that can get into Ranked, the higher the overall match quality will be in terms of matchmaking, both for the lobby and for your squadmates." It's the same logic as both tests, really: more players, better matches. Season 32, in early 2027, goes further: Iron replaces Rookie, Emerald and Grandmaster ranks arrive, there's an Open League and a Pro-Am League, and kill and placement RP become flat. Our guide to Apex ranked changes for Seasons 31 and 32 covers all of it.

Key dates

What Respawn hasn't announced yet

What's still missing? As of October 23, 2026, Respawn hasn't announced:

• Whether a console player queueing alone on US-West can land in a lobby with PC players
• What the asterisk in "all platforms*" refers to
• The data behind "promising impacts" to queue times
• Results from either test
• Whether either test continues in Season 31, becomes permanent or expands to other regions
• The extra queue time for Platinum and Diamond (only the Masters cap of about 30 seconds is public)
• Whether Predator differs from Masters
• Whether the Plat+ test has already ended early
• The hour Season 30 ends

What to do before Season 30 ends

So what should you actually do? This is our advice, not Respawn's:

• On console in US-West and want out? Set Cross Platform Play to Disabled, and accept longer queues and same-platform-only matches.
• Partying with friends on other platforms? Keep cross-play on. Turning it off splits you up.
• Turned cross-play off before? Check the setting anyway.
• Not playing on US-West? Only the Plat+ test can affect you, and only at Platinum and up.
• Platinum or higher? Expect slightly longer searches in the final stretch of Season 30: up to about 30 seconds more for Masters, less below that.
• Seeing tighter lobbies, or not? Tell Respawn. It asked for exactly that feedback, and it posts these updates on Steam and on @ApexLiveComms on X.

No steady duo for the last push? An Apex ranked duo partner queues with you on your own account, by the hour or per game. It's ranked duo only, not a piloted boost. And if there's a rank goal you want done before November 3, our Apex rank boost covers any rank up to Predator. You get a top-750 booster on your platform, piloted or self-play, on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

Frequently asked questions

When does Apex Season 30 end?

November 3, 2026, but Respawn hasn't announced the hour. The US-West crossplay test ends with the season, and the Plat+ test ends then at the latest.

Is Apex Legends cross platform?

Yes. Apex Legends is free to play on PC (EA app and Steam), PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2. EA Help says cross-play covers all of them and it's turned on automatically.

Can you turn off crossplay in Apex on PC?

No. EA Help says "You can't turn cross-play off if you play on PC," and that's true on Steam and the EA app. The Cross Platform Play steps EA gives are for PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2.

How do you turn off crossplay on PS5?

Lobby, cogwheel (Game Menu) bottom right, Settings, scroll to Cross Platform Play, choose Disabled. Same steps on Xbox and Nintendo Switch 2. Expect longer queues.

Is the Apex crossplay test in every region?

No, it's US-West only. The Plat+ queue test is the one running in all regions.

Do Plat+ players wait 30 seconds longer every queue?

No. About 30 seconds is the maximum extension for Masters, not a fixed add-on to every queue. It scales with Rank Tier, and Respawn gave no number for Platinum or Diamond.