Alright, so I was messing around with Apex Legends the other day, trying to figure out this whole “orientation matches” thing. You know, when you’re new to the game, they make you jump through a few hoops before letting you loose on the real battlefield. I wanted to see just how many of these matches you gotta play before you’re considered a “real” player, so I started to keep notes of my experience.
First off, I jumped into the game all fresh-faced and bushy-tailed, like I’d never held a controller before. The game walks you through the basics, which is cool, but then it throws you into these orientation matches. They’re basically bot matches, but they’re supposed to ease you into the game’s mechanics and all that jazz.

My first match was a breeze. I mean, these bots were practically standing still, waiting for me to take them out. Won that one no problem. I thought, “Okay, maybe that’s it, maybe one win and you’re good to go.”
- The match was pretty easy.
- The bots were not much competition.
- I won the match.
- The next match, the bots were a bit better.
Game One Summary
But nope, the game had other plans. It kept throwing me into more orientation matches. The next few were a bit tougher, the bots started to actually, you know, move and shoot back. I had to place in the top five a couple of times to feel like I was making progress. I think I played like four or five of these before the game finally said, “Alright, you’re ready for the real deal.”
- These were a little tougher.
- The bots started to fight back.
- I had to place in the top five a few times.
- After a few matches, I was promoted to the regular queue.
Games Two to Five Summary
So, from what I can tell, there’s no hard and fast rule about the number of orientation matches. It’s not like, “Win five and you’re in.” It seems more like the game is just watching you, seeing if you can handle yourself. If you keep winning or placing high, you’ll get through them quicker. But if you’re struggling, it might take a few more matches. I don’t think there’s a limit though, like you could be stuck there all day if you wanted, constantly respawning and getting back in.
Honestly, it’s not a bad system. It lets new players get their feet wet without throwing them to the wolves right away. It’s like a little training ground before you enter the big leagues. But for someone who’s played before, or if you’re just impatient to get into the real action, it can feel a bit tedious. Just gotta grind through it, I guess!
Anyway, that’s my little experiment with Apex Legends’ orientation matches. Hope it helps someone out there who’s wondering the same thing. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some real players to go take on!