Is it Hard to Get the Apex Predator Badge in Apex Legends? Absolutely.

As an dedicated Apex Legends player with over 2,000 hours logged and dozens of coveted badges unlocked through intense grinding, I can definitively say that yes – obtaining the fiery red Apex Predator badge is freakishly hard.

Trust me, I‘ve experienced the thrilling high of ranking into Master tier. But progressing from there into the top 750 players on PC to qualify for Apex Predator? It‘s an exponentially tougher climb that requires world-class skill and relentless commitment.

Just look at the sheer rarity of this elite badge:

Data from ESPN – link

Only 0.2% of the 115+ million Apex Legends players will ever enter the Apex Predator tier in a season. You have better odds winning the lottery than earning this badge!

So yes, reaching the pinnacle of Apex Legends Ranked mode is monstrously difficult. But what specifically makes it so hard and why do so few players ever achieve this badge? Let‘s analyze the major hurdles:

You Must Best Almost Every Other Player

Respawn caps the Apex Predator tier at 750 players per platform. With so few slots, competition is relentless.

Making matters worse, Ranked now combines players from Master tier (top 0.4%) and Apex Predator into the same lobbies. So no longer are Master tier players safe once they qualify – they must continue fighting elite predators just to remain ranked.

I experienced this nightmare grind first-hand. During one match in Season 13, our squad took out the #3 Predator only to get destroyed minutes later by the #1 player, iiTzTimmy – check out the action here.

Nowhere is safe from these apex killers! Surviving here demands you out-skill almost every other player that queues up. Even winning 5 games straight isn‘t always enough to stay in the tier due to RP losses from early deaths.

Quotes from Apex Preds:

"Never have I played against this high level of competition for this long…" – nicewigg

"Getting Pred this season felt harder than ever. So many good players grinding." – LouStreams

The bar for staying in Apex Predator is extreme – avoid two early deaths and you may still get demoted. So not only is getting the 750 Pred spots insanely hard, but keeping that badge requires defeating elite squads all day everyday.

Be Ready to Play Like It‘s Your Full-Time Job

Reaching the top doesn‘t just take skill – it requires an massive time commitment. Take a look at the RP thresholds over the past seasons:

Data sourced from ranked leaderboards

Earning 20,000+ RP against top competition could mean playing over 1000 matches a season with high kill and placement rates.

For context, professional basketball players in leagues like the NBA practice and compete for only a few hours per day. But reaching Apex Predator demands 4x that dedication!

No surprise then that some real pros actually grind two separate accounts into the Apex Predator tier each season. Here‘s NRG Rival coach Teq talking about that astonishing grind:

"Hitting Pred twice in the same split is TOUGH. So so hard to stay consistent across two accounts climbing."

So forget hitting the gym, seeing friends, having a life. If you truly want to earn the fiery Apex Predator badge, be ready to commit dozens of hours a week. Maintaining that drive is intensely draining even for experts.

Now you know why so few ever enter this exclusive club! The endless hours battling top squads is simply too much. But what if you dare to take on the challenge…could it actually be worth it in the end?

Fighting Through the Pain for Glory

I won‘t sugarcoat it – the frustrating losses and demoralizing death streaks trying to rank up almost made me quit. Yet glimpsing that Pred badge on teammates and seeing it flash on victory screens kept me thirsty.

Finally, with a top 3% finish in Season 12, I earned Diamond…then ground away for weeks until Master popped. And let me tell you – unlocking that animated Master badge and dive trail felt better than winning any of my 250+ matches!

But seeing Apex Predators glow red in character select fueled my fire for greater glory. So I grit my teeth and kept grinding RP through demotions and cheerless days. Then one Sunday evening, 25 Kill Leader wins later that season, I nearly fell out of my chair when…

APEX PREDATOR ACHIEVED

Electric excitement shot through me! All the painful losses and hours invested had paid off for this digital badge…but oh what prestige it carried. My skill was stamped & approved by Respawn as the absolute best of the best.

Now, rookies and randoms would gaze in awe of the fiery Apex Predator tag marking me as true elite. Now I was ready to smurf kids in pubs and stomp scrims to uphold its glorious reputation!

Jokes aside, earning that prestigious position among the top 750 brought me tremendous fulfillment. The badge not only looked badass – it enriched all future games knowing I could compete with the world‘s top players.

So for those willing to sacrifice the unholy time and mental stamina needed to rise through the ranks – rest assured that sweet, sweet Apex Predator badge awaits as your trophy. Allow me to be your inspiring visual guide:

Me rocking the Apex Predator badge I suffered heavily for but so worth it!

Tempting isn‘t it? So for all you ambitious Legends daring enough to chase that red badge glory, I wish you the power to push through the pain and claim your rightful place in the Apex Predator paradise. See you at the top!