Locked Apex Legends Feature Finally Releasing for Everyone

Apex Legends players will soon be able to take advantage of a feature that’s previously only been available to pros and those partnered with Respawn Entertainment. The developer announced this week that with the release of the update bringing players the Spellbound Collection Event, the community will finally be able to use the private match feature that’s been sitting on the main menu of the game for years now. This’ll open up new ways for groups big and small to be able to participate in more organized play, though Respawn hasn’t yet shared the full details on how this feature will work for the public.

These private matches are what players can use to organize their own tournaments between different groups, and it’s the same feature that we see used in official tournaments or those put together by content creators. If you’ve ever been watching someone’s Apex stream on Twitch and have seen a player in a colorful tournament menu showing all the participating teams, that’s exactly the interface that players will be able to utilize themselves soon.

“Want to host your own tournaments? Private matches are now available for all players,” Respawn said about the new feature. “Get ready to generate your own tournament codes and host custom private matches. Squad up with your friends and give it a try! More info to come via our FAQs closer to the next patch.

The patch itself hasn’t yet been deployed, so players will have to wait for that to gain access to this feature.

To give an idea of how long players have been without private matches and the tournaments that stem from those, the feature was first added in 2020 during the Grand Soiree event. Respawn said at the time that it’d be limited to certain players, and almost three years later, that’s finally changing.

“This feature is limited to approved partners and allows them to arrange private player matches, record live footage via game client spectators, and view match results,” Respawn said at the time. “Our goal here is to provide great tools for tournament organizers for setting up teams and matches at events and a better spectating experience for fans.”

Apex’s new Collection Event is scheduled to get underway on January 10th, so expect to hear more about the private match feature between now and then.