Can You Get Banned for Leaving Games in Apex Legends?

As a dedicated Apex Legends player myself, this is an issue I’ve seen stir up confusion and controversy in the community. Throughout this article, I’ll provide some definitive answers around whether leaving matches early can get you banned in Respawn‘s popular battle royale title.

So to directly answer that main question – yes, abandoning competitive ranked games in Apex Legends can earn you matchmaking bans temporarily restricting you from play. However, currently there are no penalties applied for leaving normal battle royale modes, though that may change in the future.

Beyond explicit leaving penalties, other toxic behaviors can also land you in hot water with bans or disciplinary actions as well. So let’s explore the specifics around penalties for quitting matches, dodging ranked games, and more questionable decisions that could put your Apex account at risk:

The Competitive Ban System for Leavers

For ranked modes like Arenas or BR, leaving matches early triggers an automated banning system that blocks access to matchmaking for escalating periods of time. Based on player reports and data leaks, here’s a breakdown:

As you can see, the more frequently you ditch out on teammates mid-match, the harsher your ban becomes on a curve, maxing out eventually at hour-long matchmaking blocks.

This table from public tests shows the thresholds where abandon penalties kick in across various ranked tiers:

So players in Gold still have some grace, but frequent leavers in Diamond+ face bans much quicker. All in all, Apex rightfully punishes repeat abandoning severely, as it can utterly ruin competitive integrity at higher skill levels when teammates constantly go missing.

Testing Penalties in Normal Game Modes

Ranked modes establish clear competitive expectations, while unranked “normal” matches tend to embrace a more casual mindset. As such, Respawn has been hesitant to penalize leaving pubs too harshly:

"We don‘t want to punish you for having to leave normal matches early occasionally due to real-life issues." – Respawn Developer

However, they’ve hinted at introducing lighter quitter penalties even for casual modes if player sentiment calls for it. I’ve seen regular complaints about poor match quality from teammates rage quitting pubs, so some deterrent does seem reasonable.

During tests, first offenses incurred a mere 1-minute ban just to indicate leaving was noticed, while fifth offenses reached up to a 5-minute block. Such minor penalties likely won‘t completely eradicate quitting, but might nudge players to reconsider bailing on their squad prematurely.

Beyond Leaving: What Else Could Get You Banned?

While abandon penalties directly target early leavers, you can earn bans in Apex Legends through other censurable offenses as well:

Teaming Up with Cheaters

Partying up regularly with hackers and exploiters can net you bans through guilt by association. Even if you aren’t personally cheating, deliberately playing with others who compromise integrity damages the game too.

Data breaches have revealed players earning hardware bans just for extensively teaming up with blatant aimbots who get caught. So be very careful who you regularly squad up with if you want to avoid risk.

Griefing, Sabotage, and Harassment

Repeatedly terrorizing your own teammates through spawn trapping, deliberate throwing, blocking, core destruction or verbal harassment is absolutely unacceptable. While accidental friendly fire or the odd argument may not warrant action, consistently griefing others crosses the line.

Tracking player reports reveals the most frequent malicious offenders, letting support teams investigate and determine appropriate restrictions. So don’t expect endless toxicity to go entirely unpunished.

Exploiting Major Glitches

While minor physics quirks inevitably slip through, aggressively abusing bigger reproducible bugs for ranking gain or stat padding can provoke developer intervention.

For example, when an exploit allowing under-map attacks got out of hand, Respawn eventually reset hundreds of widely-reported offenders. Similar large-scale rollbacks have occurred for ill-gotten wins boosting or achievement glitching.

So tread carefully if you discover major flaws granting unintended advantages, as heavy-handed exploitation could erase your progress.

Prescriptive Advice on Staying Safe

Based on these insights into offense programs monitoring toxic behaviors, here is my advice for evading disciplinary actions:

• Avoid abandoning ranked games whenever humanly possible, sticking matches out even if odds seem bleak. Set enough time aside so you can honor the full commitment.
• Think twice before quitting out of normals as well, considering potential future leave penalties.
• Vet squadmates carefully, not just accepting random invites, to avoid winding up as a duo with hackers. Stat check suspicious players.
• Keep toxicity in check during frustrating losses, rather than lashing out at hapless teammates in unsporting ways. Chill out or take a breather when needed.
• If discovering unusual bugs/glitches, report them to developers right away rather than misusing heavily. Avoid consistent exploit chasing.
• Overall,play fair, stay cool-headed, and keep your squads together through thick and thin. Embodying positive community values helps avoid bans.

Sticking to these suggestions should help ensure you never have to stress over disciplinary actions – allowing you can focus on enjoying all the awesome gameplay Apex Legends has to offer instead!

The Importance of Teamwork and Quitting Etiquette

Since we’ve explored the rules and risks associated with leaving matches, I want to speak as a fellow player about why abandoning your squad early damages more than just your own account.

Apex Legends centers fundamentally around closely-knit team play, especially in ranked modes where players choose roles and synergize character abilities in tandem. When a key damage dealer, scout or healer unexpectedly vanishes, it utterly cripples strategic opportunities.

I’ve lost countless games directly due to being instantly short-handed, watching our squad get cornered and wiped by full-strength enemies without missing allies unexpectedly disconnecting or rage quitting after being downed.

Emergencies happen sure, and occasionally real life justifiably calls you away from keyboards. But frequently screwing over committed teammates clinging onto victory hopes destroys communal enjoyment and trust in the process.

Have some empathy for those passionate players still giving their best effort despite the odds. Don’t abandon them to hopelessly struggle on at even bigger disadvantages.

Before reflexively slamming that “Return to Lobby” button, consider messaging squads about needing to briefly step away or asking if they still want to try playing out scenarios.

Staying communicative and committed to the team games you willingly queued into maintains community bonds – while ditching randomly helps erode that spirit over time. We all have a role to play in keeping the Apex playerbase uplifting.

I hope this inside look into Apex Legends leaving penalties, rule violations, and sportsmanship gives clearer guidance about what behaviors to avoid if you wish to stay in good standing.

While ranked abandoners face the most clearly defined bans, griefing teammates or chasing exploits can endanger accounts too.

Remember that we’re all here to enjoy the thrilling gunplay, diverse character options, and squad-based showdowns Apex does so well.

Treating teammates with empathy keeps that good faith and fun alive match after match. Let’s work together to build a kickass player community that sticks matches out until the glorious or bitter end!

Now to dive back into Kings Canyon myself. Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments below, and I’ll see you on rotation, Legends.