Why is your ranked mode locked in Apex Legends & How to Fix it!

Wanting to play Apex Legends ranked only to find that the ranked modes are locked can be very frustrating. It can easily disrupt your concentration and make you quit the game altogether. Unfortunately, this can happen while you are playing ranked in Apex Legends, and for more than one reason.

In this article we will talk about why you might find the ranked mode locked in Apex Legends and what is it that you can do about it. If you want to get to the highest rank RP in the game, avoiding having your Ranked Locked is essential.

Why is Ranked Locked in Apex Legends?

The ranked mode can be locked for the following reasons. Either you haven’t met the minimum requirements to be allowed to play ranked, or you have an abandonment penalty, or there is a technical problem with the game. Having ranked locked is not the end of the world, but it can be pretty annoying, so it is important to know how to avoid it and how to unlock ranked mode.

Keep in mind that this applies no matter which platform you are using. Even for Apex Legends mobile, this is something that you should know and be ready for.

Minimum Ranked Requirements

If you have just started your journey in Apex Legends, you will realize that not every game mode is available to you. After you are done with your training, you can choose only between the standard Battle Royale mode, and the Arenas mode. The ranked version for both of those will get unlocked only after you meet the minimum ranked requirements. Practically after you get 10 levels by getting more experience points, you should be ready to join the ranked queue.

Of course, after you join, you might regret it because the ranked ladder is significantly harder than just playing Apex Legends casually. Actually, the ranked vs casual matchmaking is a pretty heated debate amongst the Apex Legends players, from the lowest rank to the highest. If you're looking to add an element of surprise and fun to your gameplay while you're waiting to unlock the ranked modes, consider using an Apex Legends character randomizer tool; it works best with casual games.

Abandon penalty in Apex Legends

The second reason for which you might see ranked locked is abandoning a ranked match when you are not supposed to. Specifically, if you leave while you are still alive, or dead but your banner is still active, you will not only lose ranked points but you will get a “time-out” from the game. This time-out does not only apply to the ranked modes but also to the casual, training, and practice modes.

The time frame of the penalty can be from a few minutes all the way up to several hours if you keep abandoning matches. This can hurt Apex Predators who are trying to get to rank #1 since every minute and game matters towards your goal.

This penalty doesn’t apply to the regular Battler Royale and Arenas, so you don’t have to worry that you will not be able to queue again, although the latest gaming news is suggesting that Respawn Entertainment is considering adding some kind of similar mechanic in the regular modes as well.

Technical problem

If you haven’t done any of the above-mentioned reasons, but you still find your ranked modes locked, that means that there is a technical problem in the game. If that is the case, you should immediately contact the support team and they will fix your issue to be able to play ranked mode again.

Don’t worry there is no way that reporting done by other players, can cause this. If you have been found to be violating the conduct rules of the game, you will not only have your ranked locked, Apex Legends will even deactivate your ranked account, and you will not be able to do anything about it. A simple rank reset would be too soft for people that are resorting to cheating.

How do I unlock ranked Apex?

To unlock ranked Apex, you need to either wait for the ranked penalty time to expire, get to level 10, or contact customer support. As we mentioned before, no matter if you are playing Apex Legend mobile or regular Apex Legends, the ways to unlock ranked are the same.

It can be quite stressful for global players to log in and find their ranked locked, but as you can see, it is nothing to worry about. Unless you are cheating, then you have a lot to worry about!